Last night’s FA Women’s League Cup was an emotional rollercoaster. Arsenal defeated formidable rivals Chelsea 1-0, courtesy of an extra-time finish from Stina Blackstenius, to lift the trophy. However, it was the post-match incident that captured headlines, as Chelsea’s Emma Hayes was seen shoving Arsenal’s boss, Jonas Eidevall, while they approached to shake hands. Questions linger about the nature of their heated altercation and what led to such a dramatic moment between the two managers.

In the post-match presser, Hayes accused Eidevall of “male aggression” on the touchline. The Blues manager was not happy with the Swedish boss’ behavior directed towards her midfielder Erin Cuthbert as she prepared to take a throw-in in the final moments of the game, deeming it ‘unacceptable.’ The future USWNT manager said, “I’m not down for male aggression on the touchline, I’m really not, and fronting up to players, for me, that’s unacceptable. I’m disappointed and I told Jonas that. I don’t think it’s OK to behave like that.”

Hayes pointed out that Eidevall was already on a yellow card, suggesting that the incident should have warranted his dismissal by the official. While acknowledging that she hasn’t been booked in over 12 years, the English manager criticized the Arsenal boss’ desire to win, except for his behavior on the touchline. Notably, Chelsea was presented with a lot of opportunities throughout the match. 

Lauren James impressively created space, only for her shot on goal to be cleared away to safety. In the 21st minute, the Blues had almost taken the lead when Mayra Ramirez scored a stunning goal from distance. However, after a review, the goal was disallowed due to a handball by Cuthbert in the build-up. While Hayes kept her POV, let’s hear what Eidevall has to say. 

What did Jonas Eidevall have to say about the altercation with Emma Hayes? 

Jonas Eidevall was certainly not pleased with Hayes’ post-match comments. He clarified that his frustration stemmed from Chelsea’s attempt to introduce a different ball late in the game, with the Blues trailing 1-0 and only minutes remaining, despite having rejected the use of a multiball system prior to the match. Expressing his uncomfortableness, he said, “I think that’s a very irresponsible way of labelling the behaviour that I have.”

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Notably, Eidevall was seen in the replays gesturing from a distance as Cuthbert retrieved the ball. Then the Chelsea midfielder approached him after taking the throw-in before quickly returning to the pitch. While urging Hayes to become a ‘good loser,’ the Arsenal boss concluded, “I’m happy with the way I conduct myself, and others need to look in the mirror and see if they’re happy with themselves.” This is quite a bold response from Eidevall. 

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So far, the FA hasn’t commented on the incident and it remains to be seen if they do. But we would like to know your thoughts on the same.