Arsenal: Jonas Eidevall wants WSL title outsiders to emulate shock speed skating Olympic champion

Arsenal must stay on their feet like a famous Olympic speed skating champion if they are to catch up in the Women’s Super League, says Jonas Eidevall.

Eidevall said Arsenal would have to emulate Steven Bradbury, who won speed skating gold in 2002 when four rivals crashed on the final corner.

“Everyone slips and he goes first over the line,” Eidevall said. “If someone slips, are you ready?”

Manager Eidevall said he had been shown the clip by assistant coach Aaron D’Antino, who like Bradbury is Australian, as an example of not giving up in sport even when hope seems lost.

Bradbury had been out of medal contention until the leading quartet hit the deck in Salt Lake City, but he benefited as others tumbled.

“It’s about the mentality to always do your best and to never give up,” Eidevall told his media conference on Friday.

“If someone else slips, are you ready? Or have you already given up because you didn’t think that was going to happen?

“I think that’s a mindset thing. It’s so important to always do your best. You can’t control what others do. There are a lot of external factors you can’t control either. But what you can control are your own actions.”

Arsenal can cut the gap to Chelsea to three points on Sunday when they host Leicester City, with the Blues otherwise engaged this weekend by their Champions League semi-final first leg against Barcelona.

The Leicester match will be staged at Emirates Stadium – Arsenal’s fourth WSL fixture there this season – and Eidevall said the club are expecting more than 40,000 fans to be in attendance.