View: Tottenham Women continue to impress in WSL but defensive frailties are emerging
Tottenham Women continued their decent start to the WSL season with a draw against Liverpool at Brisbane Road on Sunday 12 November.
Celin Bizet Ildhusoy’s 27th-minute goal for Spurs was cancelled out by fellow Norwegian Sophie Roman Haug in the 66th minute of the clash, meaning Robert Vilahamn’s side dropped down to fourth in the standings with Manchester United thrashing West Ham and moving up to third.
Despite Spurs holding a solid position in the WSL after six games, there are definitely some flaws being exposed in Vilahamn’s side that need to be addressed if they want to stay in what could be a title race.
At one end of the pitch, Tottenham Women are firing on all cylinders with 13 goals. Only the three teams above them – Chelsea with 18, Arsenal with 14 and Man United with 17 – have netted more.
Martha Thomas’ form this season has been fantastic with the Scottish international currently leading the race for golden boot with six goals in as many starts.
However, it’s the defence where cracks are seemingly starting to appear with Spurs yet to keep a clean sheet and conceding eight goals, which is the joint-worst record out of the clubs currently in the top half of the WSL.
According to stats by FBRef, Spurs have an xGA of 10.1, which is only marginally lower than bottom-placed Bristol City, who’s is 10.7.
It means Spurs’ women team should have conceded over 10 goals this season, which is lower than their actual goals conceded of eight.
That signifies that Tottenham Women are conceding fewer goals than they should, which is usually the sign of a good goalkeeper or, quite simply, good luck.
FBRef shows that goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer has saved 81.5 per cent of shots aimed at her this season in the WSL. No goalkeeper with four or more appearances in the top flight of women’s football this season can boast a higher record.
While that stat doesn’t take into account how good the shots have been at Spencer, it’s fair to assume that she’s holding her own and performing well due to Spurs’ overall xGA.
If it’s not the goalkeeper that’s the issue, then what is it?
Tottenham Women have won more tackles (88) than any other team in the WSL this season with 60 of them being in the defensive third. Only bottom-placed Bristol City (63) and 10th-placed Everton (62) have had to make more tackles in their own third than Spurs, who have also made the second-highest number of interceptions this season (67).
FBRef also shows that Spurs haven’t made a single error that’s led to an opposing shot this season either.
Spurs’ ailing defensive record seems to all be coming down to Vilahamn’s style of play, where he’s doing exactly the opposite of what Ange Postecoglou is doing with the men’s team and employing a very low block.
It means that Tottenham are inviting pressure on themselves, soaking it up and then using their pacy wing players to get the ball up the other end of the park to counter-attack and score.
That’s seen in this phase of play in Spurs’ 1-1 draw with Liverpool at the weekend.
Yana Daniels can be seen in possession at the top of the above image and Spurs have at least seven outfield players back behind the ball.
Daniels is invited to make the cross into the box and that ultimately allows Liverpool Women to get their goal thanks to Haug’s header.
Spurs’ low-lying back line meant that four Liverpool players were able to get into the box and attack Daniels’ cross.
It’s a tactic that is sometimes working but in almost every game this season, it’s also cost Tottenham a goal.
Would they have been better served by pressing higher up the pitch and not allowing Daniels to have as much time to put in such a sumptuous cross? Or where they right to play the odds inside their own box and try to win any ball that comes their way.
Either way, there are risks but ultimately, the form of Spurs’ attackers means that their defensive issues are currently not coming to the fore as they’re picking up points and are unbeaten since the opening day.
In other Tottenham Women news, Thomas has been shining in the absence of Beth England.