Tottenham Women duo Kit Graham and Rosella Ayane prove their point in 3-0 win against Bristol City Women
Robert Vilahamn has a tough choice to make after the performances of Tottenham Women’s Kit Graham and Rosella Ayane against Bristol City Women.
Spurs got back to winning ways after three consecutive WSL draws with a 3-0 win against Bristol City Women in the FA Women’s League Cup on Wednesday 22 November.
It leaves the north London side top of their group in the competition, ahead of arch-rivals Arsenal due to their superior goal difference, with the two sides set to meet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 13 December.
Vilahamn named a heavily rotated squad for the match against Bristol City, offering some of his fringe players a chance to demonstrate to their manager what they could offer, and two players, in particular, stood out above the rest.
Graham and Ayane grabbed the opportunity with both hands and put in goalscoring performances which will leave Vilahamn scratching his head over the next few days as he searches for a replacement for Olga Ahtinen.
Ahtinen has been a key feature of Tottenham’s midfield this season, playing 502 minutes in the WSL (FBREF). However, the Finland international is set for a spell on the sidelines after picking up an injury against Liverpool Women, which leaves a spot open for another midfielder to step into.
Graham made her case to take that spot with an impressive performance against the Robins, which started with the 28-year-old opening the scoring from the penalty spot in the 19th minute.
Her overall game was about much more than the goal though, with a particular 100 per cent stat standing out, as she completed five out of the five dribbles she attempted (Sofascore). In addition to this, she racked up an impressive xG of 0.94 with four shots on target and played three accurate long balls forward as well as one key pass.
On paper, that all-action display, for which Graham was awarded a 9.2 match rating, should be enough to convince her manager that she is the right choice to replace Ahtinen. However, Ayane’s even more highly rated display complicates things.
The Morocco international was awarded a 9.6 rating as she scored the other two goals on the evening while she also completed 85 per cent of her passes, a figure superior to Graham’s 70 per cent completion rate. Ayane also made one more key pass than Graham, completed her one dibble attempt, was successful with both of her long passes forward and made four interceptions in what was almost a flawless performance.
The 27-year-old has played just 72 minutes of WSL football this season and will be hoping that total increases after her most recent outing.
Vilahamn now has some time to think about his team selection before his side’s visit to high-flying Manchester City Women on Sunday 26 November, and for a game of that magnitude, he will need that time to make sure he gets his thinking right.
Whether he selects Graham or Ayane, both choices could certainly be justified, and although it might be a headache for the boss, it is most surely a headache he doesn’t mind having as his squad continues to push each other throughout what has been an impressive start to the season.
In other Tottenham news, there is no room for one key player in a combined Spurs and Aston Villa XI ahead of Sunday’s meeting.