Arsenal L.F.C coach Pedro Martinez Losa with Chelsea Ladies coach Emma Hays. Photo by Asif Burhan.
Arsenal boss Pedro Martinez Losa has told the Star that he is expecting something new from Chelsea this Saturday, despite facing them five times in the space of 12 months.
The Gunners have only won once in that time, a 2-0 victory last August in the League Cup, and will be eager to repeat that outcome in this weekend’s FA Cup final. The sides met as recently as last month, with the Blues getting the better of their London rivals 2-0, but Martinez knows that recent form means nothing and expects Chelsea boss Emma Hayes to have a new game plan.
“The FA Cup final is a different game,” said Martinez. “We have played them five times and they have beaten us, we have beaten them and we have drawn.
“There is always something to learn but I am expecting them to be prepared and for them to expect new things from us, I expect new things from them.
“We know it will be a mental, physical and individual battle. What we can learn from them is that we have to be really competitive, we can’t have a lack of concentration in some moments.
“We have to be competitive tactically and put the game in a situation where we can be successful, that is by playing good football, keeping possession and making the pitch big. Whoever has the ball the most will win.”
No player wants to miss a cup final and for the Arsenal players, that is no different. With a hugely talented squad, Martinez feels he doesn’t have to worry about telling those unfortunate players that they will have to watch from the stands given that the mantra around the club is that in order for them to succeed tomorrow, sacrifices have to be made today.
“I think they know [that they will not be playing]. We work together every day and are a team who are very clear what we want.
“It’s a long-term project and there is no unrest. It is not about winning tomorrow or winning every game. It is about building things in the right way.
“We can do this because we have good players but we need to put them all together and find the best players for every game, especially for an FA Cup final.
“As you can imagine, all the players want to be there but a part of management is selecting the right 11. It is the same for Emma [Hayes], Chelsea don’t have a different situation.
“We have to consider that some of the players are new in the league, are new in these situations and have never played at Wembley.
“Others have been there loads with England so I think we won’t have to focus on what we will tell the players or justify who is playing. The focus is on the football and competing at our best level.”
*Originally published in Morning Star Daily (England) transcribed by Kadeem Simmonds
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