Arsenal celebrated a 2-1 win over Washington Spirit on Sunday afternoon, leaving head coach Jonas Eidevall full of praise for his ‘phenomenal players’.
The starting lineup was led by captain Kim Little, alongside three academy stars, Katie Reid, Freya Godfrey and Vivienne Lia. The game also saw a debut for the club’s latest signing Rosa Kafaji, while Arsenal await the anticipated arrival of Mariona Caldentey.
Alessia Russo got herself on the scoresheet twice, proving she still very much has her goalscoring boots on.
Here’s what we learned from Arsenal’s first pre-season win.
Academy centre-back Katie Reid was joined by Freya Godfrey and Vivienne Lia in Washington, reminding us of the talent being nurtured at Arsenal.
Speaking of their experience at the end of the game, Godfrey said it was a “great experience”. Lia added: “It’s always a privilege to get minutes with Arsenal and the first team anyway, like these players, they’ve been great with us, and the staff have really given us the confidence to go out there and play our game.”
When asked about the importance of giving game time to the club’s younger players, Eidevall explained: “I think when you are playing young players, what you’re trying to do is also to create an environment where they can be successful. That comes back to a one-team mentality of how we communicate, how we work together, and what our togetherness looks like on the pitch.
“These are players who have been training with us regularly, getting exposure to the demands of playing with us, and I think what you saw today was a result of that.”
Head coach Jonas Eidevall was full of praise for the team’s performance. Speaking after the final whistle, he revealed his strategy for the opening pre-season game.
“We wanted to start the season fast,” he said. “We wanted to get answers to the difficult questions we knew were going to be posed today. How can we play in quite uncomfortable conditions?
“They reacted really well – that was so pleasing to see. We were playing against a good Washington Spirit team that really challenged us. The players have been phenomenal. I think they’re putting real intent and real focus into every single minute of every training session and every meeting. Let that be our standard. We can’t drop.”
The latest addition to the Arsenal family ❤️
Welcome, Rosa Kafaji 😊
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) August 13, 2024
Arsenal’s first pre-season game saw the debut of the club’s latest signing Rosa Kafaji. The 21-year-old forward joined the north London club during the summer transfer window from Damallsvenskan club BK Hacken, where she spent the last two years.
Kafaji made 61 appearances and scored 28 goals throughout her two seasons at the club, and was named their top goal scorer with 15 goals in all competitions.
The new recruit graced the pitch for the first time as a substitute in the second half and quickly secured her first assist, getting hold of a loose ball and playing it towards Russo.
Alessia Russo wasted no time getting back to her usual goalscoring ways. The England international was responsible for both goals for Arsenal.
She gave the Gunners a quick lead, scoring within the opening ten minutes. Her second goal of the match came in the second half in usual Russo fashion, seeing her run towards the opposition’s goal, taking the ball swiftly past the goalkeeper and slotting into the net.
The forward’s performance was calm and collected, leaving fans eager to see her play again in their next friendly against WSL rivals Chelsea on Sunday.