Jonas Eidevall has tipped star signing Alessia Russo to make a big impact in the WSL this season.
The England striker joined from rivals Manchester United this summer, with Arsenal beating a host of clubs in Europe and the US.
“I am obviously very happy to have a top talent like Alessia join the club,” Eidevall said exclusively Air sports.
“I see her as a complete forward, she can do everything you expect from a number 9. One thing I notice after working with her is that she has great finishing quality.
“It reinforces my belief that she is someone we can develop into a player who scores a lot of goals in the league. Over time I am confident that will happen.”
Arsenal’s title challenge last season was derailed by ACL injuries to some of their best players.
However, Beth Mead is in contention to play against Liverpool on the opening day of the season, October 1. Vivianne Miedema could be back at the end of October and Leah Williamson is expected to return in the new year.
“When players come back the first feeling is excitement, you are happy for them,” smiles Eidevall.
“They have worked incredibly hard during their rehabilitation and are ready to reintegrate into the team.
“The easy thing to do is to expect the player to return to exactly the same level as before her injury. In reality, that is rarely the case.
“We need individual approaches from the players and how we can help them get back to that level.
“I am also willing to work hard to possibly help them reach an even higher level.”
Mead – top scorer at last year’s European Championships – was in the form of her career before her cruciate ligament injury in November.
She was an unused substitute for Arsenal’s two Champions League qualifiers earlier this month, and Eidevall admits he must be careful with the England striker.
“I don’t want to be too cautious, but the Champions League qualifier was the first time she attended a full team training session.
“Obviously you need more than one training session before playing any match minutes. Given that and considering she hasn’t had any setbacks since then, she’s getting closer.”
Arsenal are aiming to end Chelsea’s four-year WSL title-winning streak and have strengthened significantly in the off-season.
Laia Codina, who won the World Cup with Spain, Amanda Ilestedt – fresh from winning World Cup Best XI honors with Sweden – and Canadian forward Chloe Lacasse have all joined alongside Russo.
The club also broke its transfer record by signing highly-rated Australian midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross on Deadline Day. The 21-year-old is a player Eidevall is very keen to coach.
“It was the perfect match. We felt she was the right choice for the club and she felt Arsenal was the right choice for her,” he said.
“There are of course things she can learn from Kim (Little) and Wally (Lia Walti). But there are also things that Kyra does that others can learn from. The way she passes the ball is of an exceptionally high level.
“Yes, we want them to learn, but we also want existing players to learn. I feel like she does that and that’s the balance we’re aiming for.”
Eidevall is entering his third season at Arsenal and the pressure is on to deliver results, especially as there will be no Champions League football this year.
But the Swedish coach insists he is more optimistic than ever.
“I feel excitement around Arsenal,” he concluded. “I feel excitement about new signings. I feel excitement about injured players returning to the field, I feel excitement about players renewing their contracts.
“We have real momentum as a club for the future and we need to capitalize on that momentum. We need our performances to give people hope and belief.”
How to watch the WSL on Sky Sports
Follow the latest news from the Women’s Super League on SkySports.com and in the app, including exclusive features and interviews, plus special live blog coverage and in-game clips from live games on Sky Sports.
You can also watch free match highlights from every WSL game this season on Sky Sports’ digital platforms and YouTube channel, while all matches will continue to be seen on both Sky Sports Football and Sky Showcase, available in all Sky homes. even without a Sky Sports package, giving the competition more visibility.
In addition to coverage and visibility for the competition across all of Sky Sports’ main social media channels, the bespoke Twitter channel @SkySportsWSL remains the home of all Barclays FA WSL content on Sky Sports.
The Sky Sports WSL TikTok account gives fans 360° coverage of the competition and exclusive access to their new favorite players. Through fun challenges and interviews, along with behind-the-scenes footage, viewers will get to know the many personalities of the WSL and see the sport from a new range of angles.
Meanwhile, fans can also keep up to date with everything on and off the pitch with the return of Three Players and a podcast, hosted by Caroline Barker.