All eyes turn to north London once more this weekend as the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hosts the WSL’s eighth edition of the north London derby. Over 20,000 are expected to watch an encounter featuring two sides at very different stages in their development as a growing Tottenham host WSL heavyweights Arsenal.
There are more than just bragging rights at stake. Arsenal are focused on mounting a challenge on Chelsea’s WSL dominance and a win would ensure they continue to stay neck and neck with the current champions. Meanwhile Robert Vilahamn’s Tottenham are looking to show they have closed the gap on their rivals and cement their position in mid-table, providing them with a solid platform to build on in 2024.
It is a fixture Arsenal have dominated with six wins and one draw in the previous meetings. They will be expected to continue that unbeaten head-to-head record, not just because of their recent impressive form but due to their strength in depth. The confidence amongst Jonas Eidevall’s side is running high after registering seven league wins on the bounce, the pieces of the jigsaw clicking into place after a relatively abject start.
They will be particularly buoyed by their demolition of Chelsea in front of a record-breaking crowd at the Emirates last Sunday. To a player, Arsenal outperformed their rivals with their intensity and speed on the transition. Victoria Pelova and Alessia Russo were standout performers in those departments. The former has been crucial this campaign with displays that have illustrated exactly why Eidevall signed her from Ajax last January. Her aptitude for resisting pressure, retaining the ball and breaking through an opponent’s lines is a key element as is the game intelligence and off-the-ball work of Russo. The England forward’s ability to trigger her side’s press and hassle the opposing defenders is an essential strength alongside her obvious technical ability.
These are just some of the elements Tottenham will have to be wary of. They come into this fixture on the back of two league defeats despite an eye-catchingly strong start to the season. Since his arrival in the summer, Vilahamn has instilled a strong identity in his side – the “Tottenham way” – that he rarely strays from. It is a style based on a desire to attack and possess the ball. While this can lead to their downfall at times – for example, their inability to solidify defensively in 7-0 and 4-0 defeats to Manchester City and Manchester United respectively – he is convinced that, while there might be short-term pain, it will eventually lead to long-term gain.
They will be particularly buoyed by their performance against Arsenal in the league cup in midweek that ended in a 3-3 draw. In a scheduling quirk that means they meet each other twice in the space of four days, it was a display of courage that will have given them plenty to build on coming into this weekend. “[Against Arsenal] I think you saw brave people who want to play football in the Tottenham way,” Vilahamn said. “I think we can match this team if we do that. But if we don’t do it, we are not there yet. We need to have a maximum level and we need to play our style otherwise we’re going to lose.”
They are not helped by a spate of injury problems that has seen his first-choice midfield decimated. Injuries to Drew Spence, Olga Ahtinen and Eveliina Summanen has left Vilahamn without his three stalwarts in the middle, forcing him to shuffle his personnel around. The return to fitness of captain Bethany England, however, is a particular boost after her 55-minute cameo against United last weekend while the impressive Grace Clinton is also available again.
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It is the first time Tottenham will play in their main stadium this season, a showpiece occasion with the club possessing ambitions to progress on and off the field. In Arsenal they will face a stern test of their abilities, but it arguably will not define their season. The pressure will be firmly on their opponents who cannot afford to falter if they are to really make a charge for the title in the second half of the campaign.
