Arsenal women will be taking on Tottenham Hotspurs women at the Emirates Stadium this Sunday. Just before the midseason break, Spurs, our North London rival, defeated our Gunner women 1-0, which was one of their most discouraging performances this year.
Spurs defeated our Gunner women on December 16th, just 3 days after our girls beat them in the Continental Cup. The loss was quite painful for many, as it was a game where our Gunner women lost their grip in the title race. However, after the mid-season break, a stroke of luck favored them as they found themselves back in conditions where they could still compete for the league title. Yet, this newfound opportunity in the WSL title race faces a challenge this Sunday. Arsenal must secure three points to stay in contention for the WSL title.
Still basking in the lucky win over Arsenal, Tottenham women’s manager Robert Vilahamn is confident that his team can beat Arsenal again and warns Jonas Eidevall and his team to be prepared. He emphasizes that the game will undoubtedly demonstrate their progress. Some may anticipate them to adopt a defensive stance, but that’s not the case. They will put up a fight against the gunners.
“We hadn’t beaten them before, and that victory over them earlier in the season showed what we are capable of and shows what we want to do every game against the top sides.” said Robert Vilahamn in his pre-match press conference.
“It was proof that we are taking steps, and then, of course, to beat them again would be good and highlight that we are progressing forward even more. However, we know that it will be a really tough game.
“We know the rivalry between the two clubs, and we saw how much the supporters enjoyed the last game. We know how much it means, especially for me, coming from abroad. I hope we can show that we can play good football and not wanting to go there to defend and hope for the best; we want to show our fans that we are brave enough and go for the win.”
When you listen to the Spurs women’s boss, it’s clear they are determined to prove their worth.
Nevertheless, our Arsenal Women must give them a reality check. They need to avenge that shocking NLD loss in December. They must prove to WSL fans that the 1-0 loss to Spurs in December was simply their North London rivals being lucky. Showing Spurs who’s in charge of North London by beating them in front of a record crowd at the Emirates would be absolutely fantastic.
Arsenal must maintain their momentum in the title race over the next eight games to secure the top spot. The Gunners are expected to sustain the WSL title race, so Spurs are up for a tough afternoon at the Emirates.
