Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall admits the shock Women’s Super League defeat to Birmingham earlier this season has been his most disappointing day since he took over last summer.
The Gunners sit top of the WSL ahead of the return fixture with Birmingham at Meadow Park on Sunday afternoon.
Eidevall’s side hold a five-point lead over Chelsea, having played two more fixtures, while Birmingham remain rooted to the bottom of the table.
Their only win this season was the eye-catching 2-0 victory over high-flying Arsenal – a result which Eidevall remembers well.
Asked if it was his worst moment as Arsenal manager, he replied: “Yes, probably it is.
“But it’s part of the game. It happens in football. It’s happened to me – unfortunately, more than one time in my career.
“We said jokingly I do that – all the time that I won the league in Sweden, I think I’ve dropped points or lost against the team that got last in the league table, which is weird but it has happened.
“That happens in football at all levels and in all leagues. So it’s it’s more of a matter of how you have gone after that game. That’s what’s important.
“You can lose games when you’re actually playing well. But you can also lose games when you’re playing really poor and that was the case against Birmingham and that’s as almost always the most disappointing thing.
“The good thing has been to see our reaction from that moment and to see how we developed from it – if there was any good thing with that game, it was the reaction that came from it.”
With Chelsea in Continental Cup final action against Manchester City this weekend, a win for Arsenal would see them extend their lead at the top.
Manchester United had hopes of a title charge earlier in the season but they have lost pace with the leaders and sit fourth ahead of the visit of Leicester on Saturday.
Back-to-back defeats to neighbours City – in both league and cup – has done little for United’s momentum and manager Marc Skinner wants improvements from his players.
“I want to see a reaction from the previous game against Manchester City,” he said.
“I want to see those duels, aggression, be on the front foot and right time, and hit spaces.
“I’m expecting a tough game, but I prepare our team to be in a tough game every week.
“It’s about not taking your eyes off anyone based on their league position. Leicester are suggesting they should be above (11th) based on their performances. We’ll be very diligent in our preparation.”
A return to winning ways would see United leapfrog Tottenham into third for at least 24 hours, with Spurs facing a trip to Reading on Sunday.
Elsewhere, Villa host Brighton in a clash of two sides who are just about safe from being dragged into the relegation battle.
