Eidevall to name strong side for Watford cup tie

Ahead of the start of our FA Cup campaign this weekend, Jonas Eidevall believes that there is no reason for us not to prioritise winning the competition for the 15th time in our history.

Watford visit Meadow Park on Sunday as we begin our quest to lift the trophy for the first time since 2016, and the boss feels the way the calendar is structured means we can really target a cup run and maintain our proud record in the competition.

And while our opponents sit rock-bottom of the Championship with just six points mustered from their opening 12 games, they did thrash Southampton 6-1 to set up this tie, and Jonas feels that they are more talented than league position suggests and is keen to take the game as seriously as possible and name his strongest possible side.

Analysing the game, he said: “We want to compete in all competitions that we're playing in, so this [game] is really important for us. There is no reason for us not to prioritise these games; sometimes I have ideas about how you could schedule things differently, but FA Cup games are scheduled in a way where you can easily make them a priority. There's no excuse for not being able to field your best teams in these competitions.

“I think [Watford] have been true to their style of play, they are brave and they're keeping their heads up high. I think they know that some of the injuries they have had has been quite hard on them and they probably could have had a couple of more points in the Championship as well, so I think they keep believing.

“They knew this was not going to be an easy season from a result perspective in the Championship but I think they go in with a lot of belief into the last half of the season, and I think they can rightfully do so.”

One subplot heading into this game is that our trio of loanees at the Hornets - Michelle Agyemang, Laila Harbert, and Katie Reid - have been allowed to play against us in this cup tie, although Jonas admits that has been a tough decision to make.

While he accepts he wants to give us the best possible chance to progress in the competition, he is also keen to allow the three youngsters a chance to play in front of a packed crowd in a big cup tie, as it will do wonders for their development - the whole reason they were sent on loan.

On his thought process, Jonas added: “I think it’s two mindsets going against each other. One, it’s a competitive game and my first thought is you should do everything in your power to get every inch on your side, because otherwise you wouldn’t respect the opposition for it.

“If I then look at it from their perspective, to be able to play in an FA Cup [match] at a sold-out Boreham Wood, that’s probably as good of an experience as it can be and if I denied them that experience, do I also deny them their potential development?

“It’s one of the few times in my career I’m willing to give up a competitive advantage in order to invest in the future of Arsenal Women. So short-term, I’m not happy about that decision because they’re three really good players that can cause us problems, but long-term, given that I really see the potential in them in being first-team players, I think it’s the right decision because it’s going to develop them the most.”