'It's not true' - Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall keen to debunk 'lazy' assumption about NWSL after Washington Spirit friendly

The Gunners beat the Spirit, managed by former Barcelona boss Jonatan Giraldez, on Sunday in the first match of its U.S. pre-season tour. Alessia Russo broke the deadlock with a superb flick early on and it was the England striker who decided the match in the latter stages of the second half, after Ouleymata Sarr had equalised for the NWSL side just before half time.

Given the status of women's soccer in the U.S., the NWSL has been one of the best leagues in the sport for a long time. However, there are varying opinions on just how it compares to the leagues of England, France, Spain and Germany in particular, while many believe that the U.S. league has a consistent and heavily athletic style throughout.

This is something Eidevall was keen to disagree with on Sunday.

Asked after Arsenal's 2-1 over the Spirit about how the playing style in the U.S. compares to England, Eidevall said: "[There's] not that much different. I think if you would have looked in NWSL three or four seasons ago, I think that was a major difference between different playing styles. But you see a coach like Jonatan coming here to Washington Spirit and what he's trying to do from a game model and tactical foundation, it is very similar to what the top teams in Europe do as well.

"When you watch NWSL as a league growing, that influence of both getting some really good foreign players in, but also getting some really good foreign coaches in, that makes for a league that I think sometimes people speak about a little bit lazy in a way, saying, 'Oh, every team is playing the same style'. It's not true. You have Washington, they play their style. You have Bay FC, a new team that you can see they play their style. The variety, I think, is really nice to see in NWSL."

Arsenal is not the only English team on a U.S. pre-season tour, with Chelsea to play NWSL champion Gotham on Monday. The league has piqued the interest of several English players this summer too, with no fewer than three Lionesses choosing to move to the U.S. after the European season ended in May.

The Gunners will play Chelsea on Sunday as the two London rivals conclude their U.S. tours. The NWSL, meanwhile, resumes at the weekend, with the Spirit to face the Kansas City Current on Sunday.