Key events
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Tottenham boss Vilahamn says Votikova started in goal: “She’s been training really well for a while, she had a good performance against Arsenal (midweek) so we’re trying to continue that momentum.”
So, is this Arsenal’s year? Tottenham will do everything in their power to ensure that is not the case. Read this article:
Kick-off time is strange for me in terms of snacks for the match as it’s lunch time but I’m going to have a late lunch to cover the match! So I think I’ll just go with yogurt, what snacks do you have to pack? Let me know by email!
Jessica Naz, who scored twice against Arsenal in midweek in the Conti Cup, made way for Beth England in the starting XI today. An understandable call with England captaining the club and needing some minutes after returning from injury. And it’s not bad to have someone of Naz’s level coming off the bench in a crucial north London derby! The other call that may raise some eyebrows is that Votikova remains in goal, it’s her first league start and Becky Spencer is on the bench. I’ll keep an ear open to see if Spencer took a hit.
Tottenham manager Robert Vilahamn said his team wasn’t going to hold anything back in the match: “We’re not going to try to block low and hope we can counterattack, we’re going to go out there and see if we can actually do it. I’m aware that they are very good, so if we feel that we are having difficulties, then we have situations in the game where we can be sure to take care of it, but the main thing for me is to show the fans who come the stadium in which this team wants to play the way we want to do and not try to focus on the opponents.
Jonas Eidevall, Arsenal manager said of two NLDs this week: “I don’t know if it’s difficult or not. Both teams learn when they face each other for the first time. It’s like a longer half-time break, where we can work on things on the training pitch. Both teams also experienced a quick turnaround between games. I think there will be details that will be changed, but I don’t imagine big changes from one match to the next when there is such a quick turnaround.
Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema could potentially making his 100th WSL appearance, starting from the bench today. His impact on the league since signing for the Gunners in 2017 has been immeasurable, but we can cite a few statistics. The 27-year-old is the all-time goalscorer with 78 goals and has the most goals and assists with 112 goals.
Team news is here! Tottenham made just one change to their midweek squad that took on Arsenal in the Conti Cup and sees Beth England replace Jessica Naz.
Tottenham: Votikova, James, Buhler, Bartrip, Neville, Petzelberger, Graham, Thomas, Bizet, Clinton, England
Arsenal. Meanwhile, they made nine changes to their starting XI, including Alessia Russo moving into the forwards and Vivianne Miedema dropping to the bench.
Arsenal: Zinsberger, Wubben-Moy, Catley, Mead, Maanum, Walti, McCabe, Foord, Pelova, Russo, Illestedt.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the Women’s Super League. The north London derby is one of football’s biggest rivalries and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is where it will be restarted today.
This is the second NLD this week as Arsenal and Spurs faced off in the Conti Cup earlier this week. The match ended 3-3 but Arsenal won the penalty shootout.
It’s not just pride that a victory would give Arsenal, it would also see them overtake Chelsea at the top of the table. The Gunners’ 4-1 win over the Blues last weekend saw them level on point, with Chelsea just one ahead on goal difference. Chelsea face Bristol City tomorrow.
Tottenham, meanwhile, would remain sixth in the event of a victory, but would move closer to the all-important first three places. They are currently just seven points off the Women’s Champions League qualifying places.
Before we dive into what was said this week, let’s take a look at some team news. If Vivianne Miedema plays today, she will be making her 100th WSL appearance. Teams should release their rosters shortly, so stay tuned for updates.
