Eidevall 'bullying' row looms over Arsenal fixture as Leicester boss wades in

Kirk's Leicester host Arsenal at the King Power Stadium on Sunday in a key mid-table clash.

The WSL table is currently extremely tight with the teams from second to fifth place all sitting on ten points.

Leicester, who currently sit in seventh place, have the chance to join those teams - including Arsenal - on ten points with a win.

But ahead of the fixture, Kirk has told the media he believes the level of referee respect in the league needs to be better.

He said: "I think we can all be lively at times at the side of the pitch and that's emotions.

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"I've been conscious of my self sometimes, some things I probably feel I've been out of control at times a little bit.

"It's potentially pressure, the emotions of the state of the game at time. I think we've all got to try a little bit harder.

"You choose to use anger at any given moment to try and gain control over someone. That doesn't matter whether it's a fourth official, an opponent, your child. If you raise your voice or get angry, that is a choice."

Kirk's comments come after Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor accused Eidevall of 'bullying' the fourth official in City's 2-1 defeat to Arsenal.

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Taylor said in his post-match press conference that he had been "protecting" the fourth official Melissa Bergin due to Eidevall's behaviour.

He said: "That is always the same with him because he is constantly at the fourth official and I think it is bullying.

"I am protecting the fourth official but that's not my job. I can just see that he gets away with it all the time."

Eidevall later hit back at Taylor's comments, calling them 'borderline slander'.

He added: ""I've not spoken to Gareth. I don't think his comments are acceptable and I would expect him to reach out with an apology, but I'm not sure if that's going to happen."

Arsenal had taken the lead early on at Meadow Park thanks to a Steph Catley 14th minute goal.

Chloe Kelly managed to level things up for City in the 72nd minute, only to have her goal made futile when substitute Stina Blackstenius capitalised on a goalkeeping error by Khiara Keating.

But managers Taylor and Eidevall seemed to be engaged in heated discussions on the touchlines throughout the match.

It is not the first time this WSL season that refereeing has been at the subject of debate.

Manchester City fans were left in uproar in October after their captain Alex Greenwood was sent off in the 38th minute for time-wasting - despite taking just 26 seconds to take her free-kick.

And Chelsea's Guro Reiten was denied what should have been a goal in their 2-1 victory over Tottenham after the ball was deemed not to have crossed the line.

There have already been four red cards shown in the WSL this season - three of them to Manchester City players.

By contrast, only eight red cards were shown across the entirety of last season.

Recent controversies have raised questions about if and when goal-line technology and VAR could take their place in the WSL.

Its absence has been costly in the past: at the end of the 2021-22 WSL season, Birmingham City were relegated after having been part of the WSL since it was founded in 2011.

But in one of their final games against a Leicester side who were also at risk of relegation, Birmingham had their goalkeeper Emily Ramsey controversially sent off after just 26 minutes.

Leicester went on to score a penalty and net another goal which ultimately handed them the match and made WSL survival near-impossible for Birmingham.

But after a post-match appeal, Ramsey's dismissal was deemed a wrongful one - too little, too late for Birmingham, who were forced to say goodbye to the WSL.

For now though, the technology remains absent and WSL teams will have to rely on referees alone.

Leicester City vs Arsenal

The Foxes have won two out of their last five games and sit comfortably in the middle of the table, despite narrowly escaping relegation on the final day of last season.

But Leicester are fresh off the back of two WSL defeats - although they came at the hands of two strong Manchester City and Liverpool sides.

Meanwhile, Arsenal could not have gotten off to a worse start after they opened their WSL season with a 1-0 loss to Liverpool in front of a record league crowd.

Their season has since picked up and they are in better form following three wins - though unconvincing ones - over Manchester City, Bristol City and Aston Villa.

The pressure is on Eidevall's side to excel this season after an ambitious transfer season saw them gain the likes of England striker Alessia Russo and Ballon d'Or nominee Amanda Illestedt.

After being knocked out of the Champions League in the qualifying stages, the Reds' main focus must be the WSL as they hope to challenge a dominant Chelsea who are going for their fifth consecutive title.

Victory over Leicester would keep Arsenal within three points of Chelsea - should the Blues triumph over Everton.

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They would then have just two match weeks to wait before facing the defending champions in a game which could - ultimately - be title-defining.

Leicester host Arsenal at the King Power Stadium from 6:45pm on Sunday 12 November.