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Article continues belowArticle continues belowArticle continues below<script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script><ul><li>Arsenal to travel to Australia post-season</li><li>Tour slammed for timing after WSL finale</li><li>Eidevall defends decision amid "commercial" benefits</li></ul>

Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall defends controversial post-season Australia tour and claims players made 'clear wish' not to have time off

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Arsenal Women announced earlier this week that they would be travelling to Australia to take on an A-League All Stars XI in a friendly on May 24. That decision has come in for criticism given that the Gunners' last match of the WSL season, which comes at home to Brighton, falls on May 18. But head coach Eidevall has underlined the positives of the post-season tour, claiming it is a way to spread the "popularity" of Arsenal and "women's football in general."

WHAT HAPPENED?

The Gunners boss told reporters on Friday: "Let us acknowledge the great thing which is that it is commercially viable for us to do a post-season trip like this. That shows the club’s investment and the popularity that the team has, not only in the UK but across the globe. When you see Australia as a football continent, I was there and lucky enough to experience the World Cup last summer, you can see the enthusiasm and interest women’s football has there and it is great that can continue to build. This is another opportunity to do that, for women’s football in general and Arsenal as a specific club. Once the decision was taken we were going it is about making the best and the most out of that opportunity."That means for some players it will be the right thing to go and for some players it will not be the right thing to go, if we talk about it from a loading perspective and a football perspective. We need to take good decisions on that. It is a great opportunity for us to see our first year professionals get experience, travel with us, play with us. We really need to grab that opportunity as well, in combination with having a strong team there and going out and showcasing Arsenal to fans in another continent and how we play football. It is about finding that balance to do that. I have high hopes that we are able to do that."

WHAT EIDEVALL SAID

While Eidevall hints that some players may miss that friendly clash if necessary, with the likes of <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/injury-leah-williamson-arsenal-lionesses-wsl-man-utd/blt7dd07a09e864b10f" target="_blank">Leah Williamson</a>, <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/another-acl-nightmare-arsenal-laura-wienroither-fourth-season-ending-injury-wolfsburg/blta80b3009f1cadcad" target="_blank">Laura Wienroither</a> and <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/vivianne-miedema-opens-up-on-difficult-pain-management-programme-arsenal-battling-back-acl-injury-blow/blt63e8470738a6f315" target="_blank">Vivianne Miedema</a> all sidelined with long-term injuries at points this term. But of those that are available, the Arsenal manager insists that they wanted to play given the international break around the same time. "The reason we are having activity in this period of the year is because of the calendar," he added. "We play our last competitive game on [18] May and the normal thing would be to go on holiday because our season is done."But there is an international period of fixtures which starts on 27 May, where they play competitive games. So it was a clear wish from players and associations to not go on holiday in that period to help players prepare for those international fixtures. That was the first decision for us to make was to not go on holiday during that period. After that, different opportunities come up. But it was never the case that players would be off because of where the international fixtures are. If there wasn’t international fixtures here, the decision might have been very different, in terms of where we plan our training and matches."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The Gunners are back in WSL action against Aston Villa on March 24, where they will try to recover from a <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/chelsea-women-player-ratings-vs-arsenal-lauren-james/bltea72c7164b567b97" target="_blank">3-1 bruising at the hands of leaders Chelsea</a> last time out. They then face the Blues a week later in the Conti Cup final,<a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/trophy-drought-over-arsenal-end-four-year-wait-silverware-chelsea-conti-cup-final/blt3119a93b53e552a8" target="_blank"> a repeat of last year's showdown</a>. It remains Eidevall's last remaining shot at silverware barring a minor miracle in the league.

WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall defends controversial post-season Australia tour and claims players made 'clear wish' not to have time off | Goal.com

Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall has highlighted the &quot;commercial&quot; benefits of the Gunners&apos; post-season tour, which has been criticised for its timing.

Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall defends controversial post-season Australia tour and claims players made &apos;clear wish&apos; not to have time off