Soccer Football - FA Women's League Cup - Final - Arsenal v Chelsea - Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, Britain - March 31, 2024 Chelsea manager Emma Hayes looks dejected after the match Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra
(Reuters) - Chelsea manager Emma Hayes criticised Arsenal counterpart Jonas Eidevall for displaying "male aggression" after he had a heated exchange with midfielder Erin Cuthbert during the Women's League Cup final.
Cuthbert exchanged words with Eidevall when the Chelsea midfielder went over to the touchline to take a throw-in in extra time as her side chased the game at Molineux.
Arsenal's Stina Blackstenius's goal in the 116th minute secured the 1-0 victory for Eidevall's team.
"I think there's a way to behave on the side of the pitch and not for the first time, I've been in women's football a long time and I don't think we should tolerate male aggression like we did today," said Hayes, who appeared to push the Arsenal manager away as they shook hands after the final whistle.
"Fronting up or squaring up to a player is something that's unacceptable. I've never been booked in 12 years of my career but I think there's a way to behave on the touchline.
"He received a yellow card but perhaps should have been more," she told the BBC.
Eidevall denied his behaviour had been aggressive and said his back-and-forth with Cuthbert had been a result of Chelsea's decision to use a one-ball system for the final.
"The ball goes out of play, the Chelsea player wants a new ball to take a quick throw-in and I said, 'we play with only one ball and you guys were the ones who decided that,'" he told the BBC.
"I can't see that I did anything, had any form of contact with anyone - either a player or a coach. That was it. To be honest I can't really take it seriously (being called an 'aggressor').
The Swede also dismissed Hayes's comments in his press conference.
"I don’t think I was aggressive," he added. "I think that is irresponsible to label it as that."
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
