Caldentey and Kafaji fire Arsenal to welcome victory

A battling defeat of West Ham ensured Arsenal secured back-to-back wins in the Champions League and Women's Super League after the resignation of Jonas Eidevall.

- Suzanne Wrack

It took 71 minutes before Arsenal made the breakthrough, Mariona Caldentey scoring from the spot before Rosa Kafaji's smart first-time finish killed off the home team.

It was unlikely that we would see a dramatic change in Arsenal's fortunes after the exit of Eidevall. After three to four years at the club, the side and the way they play are products of his managerial style and coaching philosophies. His resignation does not mean the problems that have plagued Arsenal in recent weeks, and arguably longer than that, have gone away. There can be upturns after any managerial change, but they are often short-lived, until the more patient work of isolating the problem areas and working on them is done.

The reality is that Arsenal's interim manager, Renée Slegers, has had very little time to make substantial changes; nor will she necessarily be inclined to be too bold in her adaptations. The 4-1 defeat of Vålerenga in the Champions League on Wednesday had gone some way to exorcising their biggest demon, of struggling to break down low blocks, but the Norwegian champions were always going to be a kinder test than what they would face in the WSL.