For the most part, it wasn't the most confident or thrilling of performances, but Arsenal ran out 4-1 winners against Valerenga as Jonas Edewall began life.
The result was more important than a strong performance with the hosts looking to pick up their first three points in the Champions League group stage following last week's defeat to Bayern Munich.
Edeval's resignation earlier this week capped an increasingly toxic saga. It was an opportunity for a fresh start. A chance to rectify a start to the season that has already cast doubt on Arsenal's title credentials. One win from their opening four WSL games and a 13-minute hat-trick concession in a 5-2 Champions League loss to Bayern were the final nails in Edewall's coffin. This year the manager had to deliver and despite the best of intentions, he couldn't.
A quick turnaround following Eidevall's departure, with the former manager handing in his resignation on Monday, the team said on Tuesday morning, and their next Champions League tie on Wednesday, has helped focus the players and staff around them. René Slagers, a former Netherlands international, took over on an interim basis, replacing Eidewal at Rosengard before joining the Swede at Arsenal last year, but he and the rest of the coaching staff have had little time to sort out the issues that plagued them. The last stages of Edewall's tenure.
There was just one change to the team from Saturday's heavy 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at the Emirates for the visit of Vålerenga, with Lotte Wuben-Moi out with concussion and Leah Kodina replacing Leah Williamson. The Norwegian champions, who are top of the top flight with 11 points, made two changes to the team that won 3-0 over Linn at the weekend with four games remaining. Emma Stolen Koto replaces Olsson in defense and Ronja Arneson in forwards.
On a wet evening, the home fans kicked the team into its new dawn. They would celebrate immediately, with Emily Fox completely turning the fox in the box and deflecting a low ball into the path of Alessia Russo after Caitlin Ford had put the ball in from the left. Vålerenga may have felt aggrieved as VAR was not in use until the knockout stage, but the goal was a shocker for a team that has struggled to capitalize on the many chances created in recent weeks.
Those problems wouldn't go away overnight, but at one point the hosts lined up for goal, with Katie McCabe, Williamson and Russo (twice) testing the post and goalkeeper Dove Nblom in the space of a minute.
The second would come shortly after, Mariona Caldente threading the ball to Beth Mead, who swapped sides with Ford, whose effort found a deflection and Ford was pushed by Dove before firing at the back post.
The problems of incivility and reluctance that preceded it did not disappear overnight, and neither did the problems that followed. Conceding five goals against Bayern and conceding two early goals against Chelsea highlighted a weakness, particularly at set pieces. Despite Arsenal's dominance, it was no surprise that Valerenga pulled one back. It was Godina who failed to deal with Karina Sevic's pressure. Daphne van Domselaar beat the ball and set up Olac Tveden before knocking the defender to the ground.
After the newsletter promotion
Despite the home side's dominance, they struggled to recover their two goals in the second half, with Nblom doing well to deny them during the test.
They would finally make a breakthrough again with five minutes of normal time remaining before adding a fourth in injury time. First, substitute Stina Blaxtenius volleyed the ball past Caldenti at the far post into the top corner. Then, Russo fired from a tight angle on the left.
There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic, and the quality of players at the Slagers' disposal is not in question. Next Sunday is West Ham, the team that took the points last season. The task will be to reach the international break unscathed and then they can reassess.
