Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall is left bewildered by 'weird' goalpost farce in 1-0 win over Ajax

Arsenal’s Champions League clash with Ajax turned into a farce on Wednesday night after the English club discovered the goals were ten centimetres too small.

The Gunners, who eventually progressed to the group stage of the competition with a 1-0 victory, had noticed in the warm-up that the posts were not the right height.

Last-minute adjustments were made before kick-off, with further alterations made at half-time, leaving Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall bewildered.

Arsenal realised the goalposts at Sportpark De Toekomst by 10 centimetres on Wednesday

Jonas Eidevall’s side asked adjustments to be made before kick-off and again at half-time

‘It’s been a very weird experience coming here, a big club like Ajax but we had to measure the goals before the game and it turned out the goals were too small by 10 centimetres,’ Eidevall said.

‘I’ve never experienced anything like that to be honest.’

Eidevall’s side also had to finish the game with 10 players after Beth Mead was forced off with concussion. Arsenal had tried to bring on Lina Hurtig but were told they had used all of their substitution windows. 

The Swedish manager’s side managed a 3-2 aggregate victory over Dutch giants Ajax

The trial of concussion substitutes, introduced by the International Football Association’s board, ended in July.

‘I think Uefa removed the concussion sub, they still have the concussion protocol which means the doctor takes the decision. There’s no doubt that Beth needs to be taken off,’ Eidevall said.

‘The problem that I have, and if that’s lost in translation, is that I asked the fourth official if we can do a concussion sub and she said yes, and that’s why we are preparing Lina, and then when we are going to do it she says no.’

Vivianne Miedema scored from inside the box to give the visitors the all important 1-0 win

‘We had that break for two-three minutes and we could have spent a lot of that time speaking to the players on how we would have defended with 10 players. 

‘So I think that’s misinformation from the referee. I honestly don’t know how and why that can be, because for me it’s just such a simple question to answer yes or no.

‘In Sweden – where I come from – in ice hockey it’s very big. If you tackle towards the head they’ve realised how dangerous that is, they are so harsh on penalising violence towards the head. 

Eidevall’s side join Chelsea as the only other WSL to make the Champions League group stage

Because that’s not only pain, it can have impact for the rest of your life, so that means the decisions need to be very good to not staying on.

‘If that’s not a red card to go towards a head like that – I know she doesn’t mean it – but it’s careless. And in the end it’s carelessness that puts Beth at real risk. I just hope she’s alright.

‘I’m not surprised that we come out of this double-header with two injuries.’

Vivianne Miedema scored the only goal of the game, firing in from the edge of the box six minute after half-time. 

Beth Mead had to be taken off shortly after coming off the bench due to a head injury