Eidevall replaced Williamson at half-time with new signing Rafaelle Souza, but he explained that was deliberate to try and nurture the Arsenal academy product back to full fitness carefully, saying: “She played 30 minutes on Wednesday and 45 minutes today, which is a quick turnaround. We didn’t expect her to return this early, so that’s really well done from her and the medical staff. Leah isn’t injured, we knew before that she couldn’t play for 90 minutes, we [have to] check with every player and she started to get tired so we decided to sub her.”
An encouraging debut performance from Rafaelle Souza
As for Souza, who joined Arsenal last Tuesday after her previous deal at Chinese club Changchun Zhuoyue expired, it was a steady and impressive debut display in the second half, as she showed assertiveness in the air and did well on multiple occasions to outmuscle or out-pace Jamaica’s Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw.
An experienced, left-footed centre-back, the 30-year-old former Houston Dash and Palmeiras defender has been capped 33 times by Brazil and showed glimpses of why her acquisition on a free transfer could prove to be terrific business from Arsenal.
She might well look back and be disappointed that she was beaten by the pace and low flight of Lauren Hemp’s cross from the left which led to Shaw’s opening goal, but overall it was an encouraging 45 minutes and Eidevall said: “I am very, very impressed by Rafaelle’s debut.
“That was such a tough time to come on. For a central defender, it’s so relationship-based and the training time she has had has been so limited, I am very, very impressed by her performance and I told her that at full-time.”
Miedema’s liveliest display; Heath’s clinical finish
Arsenal’s Holland star Vivianne Miedema remains without a goal in four games since December 12, however, Sunday’s was her liveliest display since November’s win at Manchester United, which will have encouraged Arsenal fans.
The WSL’s all-time record scorer is out of contract this summer and wanted by Paris St-Germain and Barcelona, but is yet to rule out staying in north London. She had not looked her usual, peerless self in recent weeks, but there were signs of her abundant qualities at Manchester City, in a fascinating, high-quality battle with England defenders Steph Houghton and Alex Greenwood.
