Red Devils Cause Hell for Spurs Women
A slight delay to the Week 4 write-up as I travelled home to Blighty 🇬🇧 BUT I’m back and continuing my challenge of writing about every single Spurs Women WSL game for this season.
Another hard one to write about and to fellow Spurs Women bloggers out there I share your pain!
The Lilywhites travelled up the M60 and faced Manchester United at Leigh Sports Village; manager Robert Vilahamn played his usual 4–2–3–1, however, the line-up was slightly different this time with Clare Hunt replacing Amanda Nildén (injured), Olga Ahtinen replacing Maite Oroz (injured) and to add a further spanner into the works Aussie international Hayley Raso was also out of action, Beth England started up front this time for the North Londoners.
Ex Spurs player Celin Bizet started for the home side.
The visitors went straight away on the attack from kick-off, Beth England played a through ball to Martha Thomas, the Scottish international shot from close range, however her effort was denied by Red Devils’ keeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce.
Seven minutes later the N17 side went on the attack once more, this time Drew Spence tried an audacious effort from about 20 yards out, her effort just went over and clipped the top of the crossbar.
The home side went on the attack six minutes later and tested Becky Spencer in the Spurs goal. Grace Clinton’s shot from inside the box was parried over by the Jamaican international; United continued to attack.
Just before half time the Red Devils pierced open the Spurs defence with their tridents, Maya Le Tissier found Celin Bizet open on the right-hand side, the Norwegian crossed in and Elisabeth Terland volleyed in from inside the box to make 1–0.
Spurs felt the heat again from the home side as they continued their barage of attacks, as we saw previously, Celin Bizet came in from the right found her fellow Norgwegian team mate in the box and headed in past Becky Spencer and Molly Bartrip watched the ball sail in. 2–0 Manchester United.
Early minutes into the second half Terland nearly got her hat-trick. The Norwegian received a through ball and made a run into the Spurs’ box, Becky Spencer got a hand on her shot which she fired to the Jamaican international’s left hand-side.
Seven minutes later, referee Lisa Benn pointed to the spot after Ash Neville’s outstretched arm made contact with Ella Toone’s cross, harsh if you ask me and for the second consecutive week Neville has gave away a penalty though not intentionally, a fan fave and we’re with you Ash!
Maya Le Tissier stepped up and sent Spencer the wrong way, 3–0 to the home side.
United continued their attacks and tried for a fourth in the 81st minute, Leah Galton found substitute Rachel Williams in the box, the ex Spurs player’s shot was fortunately denied by Becky Spencer.
In the post match interview, Robert Vilahamn commented:
It’s not fun to lose 3–0 against Man United but if you look at the performance and try to actually analyse the game and how we perform it’s one of the best starts of the game we had. We played some really good football, the press is really good as well and the first 30 minutes we are dominating the game and creating chances as well. Then we need to look at how we can protect the crosses better and how can defend the box better because going in with 2–0 when we have this great performance in the first 35 minutes, it’s not good but on the other hand you can tell the players half time, second half of course, they get a penalty and score 3–0 but we keep creating chances, I think we have 18/17 goal chances, we have the possession, we have the corner kicks, it’s a lot of stuff in this game that makes it not a 3–0 game. So if you look at the performance and how the players are brave, how they play out from the back, how they play the Tottenham way, it’s actually some really good stuff in the game and I need to look at that as well and not be only emotional, oh I lost the game on the other hand we don’t want to lose 3–0, we want to make sure we find ways to compete and that’s why we need to find ways to nail those situations as well, but performance wise it was actually some really good stuff.
I agree with Vilahamn’s points to an extent especially making a lot of chances, however, we simply didn’t convert. The Palace game at home when we looked imperious seems like a long time ago and we still need a sustainable forward to deliver these chances. In recent games, we’ve seen Spurs Women show their tenacious side and their heads haven’t dropped, this game against United heads clearly dropped after the second goal. I also feel like a broken record mentioning Becky Spencer not looking 100% fit in recent games, however, I’ll give her credit in this game and she pulled off some vital saves. The back four definitely let her down and as Vilahamn alluded to in his interview we need to work on defending from crosses as well not given the opponent space to weave into our box.
Tonight Spurs face Chelsea at Kingsmeadow, another tough test for Robert Vilahamn’s side. The Current WSL Champions beat Arsenal 2–1 away last week at the Emirates Stadium with goals from Mayra Ramirez and Sandy Baltimore. The Lilywhites will definitely need a miracle, the past two games have been hell but can we redeem ourselves and least enter purgatory? We’ll sure find out! Let’s hope the footballing Gods are looking down on the team tonight!
As usual, up the Spurs!
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Man Utd: Tullis-Joyce, Janssen, Le Tissier ©, Turner, George, Naalsund (Awujo 76), Clinton, Toone (Miyazawa 76), Bizet (Mannion 89), Galton, Terland (Williams 75). Substitutes (not used): Middleton-Patel, Ladd, Watson, Simpson, Newell.
Spurs: Spencer, Grant, Bartrip, Hunt, Neville, Summanen (Vinberg 56), Athinen, Spence, Naz (Gunning-Williams 89), Thomas (Csiki 78), England. Substitutes (not used): Talbert, Heeps, BĂĽhler, Dennis.
Attendance: 4,473.
