View: Beth England offers Tottenham Women firepower they lacked before British-record arrival
Despite the high of completing a British-record transfer for forward Bethany England in January, it’s been a tough season for Tottenham Women.
Having previously played at Chelsea for seven years, back in January, England opted for a switch to London rivals Tottenham for a British-record fee to the tune of £250,000, as she looked to secure regular minutes with the upcoming World Cup this summer.
Throughout her seven years with the Blues, England claimed the Women’s Super League (WSL) title on four occasions, with Chelsea perhaps on course to do so again this season as they battle Manchester United at the top of the table (BBC Sport).
However, England has opted for a different challenge with Tottenham, as with just 12 points from their opening 17 games Spurs find themselves just two points off bottom-placed Leicester City, in a four-way relegation battle alongside Reading and Brighton and Hove Albion.
With just 20 goals all season, Spurs have struggled for consistency in front of goal all season, although with England reaching double figures in the WSL in three of her seven seasons at Chelsea she is certainly a welcomed arrival.
Despite appearing just seven times for Spurs this season, England is already the club’s top WSL scorer, with her five goals and one assist seeing her account for over 50% of Tottenham’s league goals since her arrival back in January.
Moreover, in registering 0.58xG and taking a respectable 2.96 shots per 90, England has offered Spurs’ attack the focal point it previously lacked; however, she could certainly be offered further support from her teammates (FB Ref).
Despite having appeared 17 times this season for the Lilywhites – 10 more than England, attacking midfielder Drew Spence is Spurs’ second-most prolific forward with an underwhelming three goals and two assists, alongside teammate Ashleigh Neville who boasts the same record but in one less appearance (FB Ref).
With just five games to go including hosting relegation six-pointers against Brighton and Reading, England will certainly need her teammates to step up to the plate in the attacking department if she and Tottenham hope to beat the drop.
In other Tottenham news, Vincent Kompany could also be an option to take over at Spurs