Ben Haines, club TV presenter and women’s football presenter, will sit down with us ahead of every WSL home game this season to provide his insight on the upcoming fixture and the news around the league.
Holdt that finish
We have to talk about Olivia’s finish from last weekend first, it was just outrageous. It’s audacious and smart and shows her at full confidence. Even though it looks nonchalant and effortless, the skill is anything but that. It requires so much focus, timing and elegance. Getting her fit and firing and into a position where she can affect the game in attacking areas will be massive if we want to win those sorts of games, where maybe it’s just one moment of magic that gives you the edge.
Outfoxing Leicester
It was a gritty performance but that’s absolutely something to be celebrated. Defensively this season, with the exception of the Man City game, we’ve been really strong, the backline seems to have a renewed focus and concentration that’s huge for us moving forward. In the WSL, it can’t be overlooked how important it is to know how to close out a game like we did against Leicester City. Another big shoutout to our centre-back duo - Tōko Koga and Clare Hunt. You saw them celebrating their big blocks, their challenges and defending at set pieces was fantastic too.
Villans strike late
Elsewhere in the WSL, Villa sneaking a point away at Arsenal was a really impressive result but, for the Gunners, it leaves them in an uncomfortable position having dropped points in consecutive weekends. With Chelsea still unbeaten, it could already be damaging for them in the title race. Villa had to weather the storm a little bit and it reminded me of what we had to do to win the north London derby a few seasons back. We know Arsenal will have a lot of the ball, it’s about being composed in those uncomfortable scenarios, then taking your chance when it arrives.
Seagulls flying high
Next up for us this afternoon is Brighton – who are a really interesting side. The fundamentals and principles they lean on are not too different to us. One thing Spurs fans might not know is when Dario Vidošić was in the process of getting the job at Brighton, former Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou was one of his references. When you watch Brighton play, you can always hear him, he’s incredibly vocal on the touchline as he knows exactly what he wants from his side. And with the attacking unit he has, they’re are a side on their day that can turn over anyone in the WSL. Lionesses’ fans will all know about Michelle Agyemang and Fran Kirby, but Kiko Seike and Rosa Kafaji are very dangerous too!
An exciting match-up at Brisbane Road
This will be a rest test for Martin Ho’s side. Last season, Brighton were the best of the rest. They did a great job to finish fifth and lead the way for other teams looking to close that gap. So, the question is ‘how do Spurs put themselves in that top bracket?’ Well games like this could be the difference. Based on current form, this will be a brilliant watch and another strong defensive display could give us the platform to claim those three points and cement a firm footing in that top four early on.