Tottenham Hotspur are unbeaten in the Barclays Women’s Super League season so far, with a 3-1 win against West Ham and a 1-1 draw with Liverpool. This is a positive start to their, which they are looking to continue as they face fellow London side, Crystal Palace, at the weekend.
Despite being a newly promoted team, Crystal Palace have also had a strong start to the WSL season. Their 0-0 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates last weekend was a particularly impressive defensive and their compact defensive structure is something that Tottenham will have to break down if they are looking to win in this fixture.
The most competitive WSL season
Crystal Palace’s results so far also highlight the competitiveness of the WSL this season. Speaking to the media before this London derby, Martin Ho described this season as "one of the most, if not the most competitive season in the WSL for a long time."
He explained that this is because of “more investment from clubs, as well as the quality of players being recruited or returning to the league” as well as the “individual development of each team and squad.”
Due to the competitiveness of the league, Ho explained that “there is never a game I go in to expecting to win” and that he makes sure his team “do not get carried away with one performance or result.” However, you “cannot take away hard passion, desire and fight, which can mean more than individual quality in certain games.”
When asked where he thought Crystal Palace might cause problems for his side, he responded that their “resilience and defensive organisation is very strong.” However, this is one of the reasons why his team’s ‘passion, desire and fight’ is important and his work on shifting the team’s mentality is significant.