Seamless Transition

Turns out we shouldn't have been worried about rotating too much for the Conti Cup game, because we saw the same attacking football from the Spurs Women "B team" as we've come to expect from the usual starters. We cruised to a win (and a clean sheet) and are now sitting comfortably atop our group—but the most difficult group fixture is still to come.

There's a quick turnaround again for the next game, with a daunting WSL encounter in Manchester looming. The Men's team also gets back in action this weekend after the international break, hosting an ascendant Aston Villa team in the PL.

Read on for a brief recap of the cup game, weekend previews, and another Pub Chat segment inspired by a chat with some fellow Spurs Women fans.

In this issue: Bristol City recap | Previewing the weekend matches | News from around the Lane | Pub chat

League Cup — Group Stage Matchday 2 recap | Tottenham 3 - 0 Bristol City

Graham (pen) 19', Ayane 29' • 72'

As expected, there was squad rotation for both teams due to this cup fixture being sandwiched between two WSL matchdays, but Spurs will come away feeling better about our quality of squad depth. The weakened Bristol City side was no match for Vilahamnball, regardless of the personnel carrying it out.

But let's look at that lineup now, because among the expected changes there were some interesting surprises.

Starting XI:

There were nine total changes from the team that lined up against Leicester last weekend, with Ria Percival and Jess Naz being the only players that carried over to start again in the midweek fixture.

As predicted, Barbora Votíková got the nod in goal, with a totally changed backline in front of her. After not being in the matchday squad for Leicester, Ramona Petzelberger got her first-ever start for Spurs and also completed her first 90 minutes for the club, joining Percival in the midfield pivot. I know a lot of fans, myself included, were excited to see more of on-loan forward Zhang Linyan, and she got the start at right winger. Naz resumed the striker role that she's played off and on all season.

Also intriguing was who did and did not make the bench. Academy player Milly Boughton made what I believe is her first matchday squad (it's really throwing me off that we also have a Houghton in the Academy...). Eveliina Summanen was left out of the squad entirely for some much-deserved rest. Olga Ahtinen and Beth England were expected to miss out but Drew Spence is also still on the injury report, while Ellie Brazil was a new addition to the absences after picking up a knock against Leicester. Otherwise, we had some really strong options to bring off the bench if needed

Also of note: Amy Turner took the captain's armband in Molly Bartrip's absence. She had one of the best performances we've seen from her in a Spurs shirt, but I also want to give some praise to former club captain Shelina Zadorsky, who looked back to her best after seeing her form dip for most of this calendar year due to injury and illness issues.

This match happened three days ago and in all the hustle and bustle of the holiday week I've forgotten some of the finer details, so bear with me in this recap. My main takeaway is that the whole team performed well—ranging from solid to superb. The only player who didn't make a huge impact in my eyes was Gracie Pearse, but I have a feeling she is going to need another loan in January to get some more experience in senior football, particularly if some of the incoming transfer rumors I'm hearing are true (more on that later).

For all intents and purposes, Rosella Ayane had a hat trick since she won the penalty that Kit Graham ended up converting. I do wonder why Ros didn't take the PK since we know that's a specialty of hers. But she went on to score two goals from open play, one of which capitalized on Naz pressing Bristol's keeper Benedicte Håland (no relation, I checked) and the other finishing on an assist from Petzelberger. In a season where we have already had some hilarious goal celebrations, her rodeo-style dance might just be my favorite.

The other standout moment from the game was the aforementioned Academy product, Boughton, making her competitive debut at just 17 years old. Apparently, she is Australian and just received her first call-up to the Young Matildas. She played on the right side of the pitch and overlapped with another substitute, Celin Bizet, to play both RB and RW.

Bizet, Ash Neville, and Angharad James all got some substitute minutes in their legs ahead of the weekend clash. Since Asmita Ale, Zhang, and Naz all exited the game early I would expect them to feature on the weekend as well, with Ale and Naz the most likely to start; Zhang showed a lot of promise on the ball but still needs a bit of polish when it comes to finishing and probably won't be relied on as a starter any time soon.

We end matchday 2 at the top of the group, tied on points with Arsenal but with the superior goal difference (yes, a true fact!). However, we still have both away fixtures left to play, including Arsenal—back-to-back with a WSL fixture against our North London rivals, as well. The final group stage match against Southampton isn't until after the winter break, but we'll have a better idea of where we stand after the Arsenal game on December 13.

SAtP Player of the Match: Rosella Ayane

Although Ayane was playing out wide in this match, she effectively led the line by either creating or finishing all of our goals. She showed that she still has a lot of chemistry with Zadorsky (awkward, but it must be said!) by bringing down the long-range pass from the centerback and drawing the penalty from a Bristol defender. Her first goal of the night, and the second for Spurs, was a tricky angle that she pulled off with some panache. And for the final goal, she linked up well with a player she can't have much on-pitch chemistry with at all since she's barely played, Petzelberger—showing once again the efficacy of Robert Vilahamn's attacking system where almost any player can slot in seamlessly as long as they understand the tactics.

Sure, we would like to see these players be able to perform at the same level against the top 4 opponents as well, but it's important to get the job done when called upon in these cup matches and other midweek fixtures. And Ros has always been a reliable squad player in this sense. As one of the longest-tenured players on the team, her experience and leadership are also key for these games. Hopefully she can use this performance as a springboard to show up more effectively in league matches as well, even if she continues to play primarily off the bench.

Notable and quotable:

• I love how Vilahamn constantly emphasizes how important it is that the team plays football the fans enjoy—and we have been enjoying it!

If you are going to build self-confidence, you cannot get that unless you score goals or create chances. You feel the flow. I want to play for the fans and fans love goals - so that’s what I’m going to do.

He also had some praise for his assistant and former Spurs Women interim head coach, Vicky Jepson:

She helps me a lot on off the pitch. She knows the league, she knows the country, she knows the players, she knows the opponents, she knows the stadiums. So having Vicky close to me is very much important to me to make sure I can be myself.

• In addition to leading Group D on goal difference, we are the only club in the group not to have conceded a goal.

• Across all competitions, we are on a nine-game unbeaten streak.

• If you haven't watched this clip of Eveliina introducing the players before the warm-ups, you simply must. It is peak comedy. Also featuring the strangest intonation of COYS I have ever heard!

Previewing PL Matchday 13 — Aston Villa

So... the injury crisis did get a little bit worse over the international break. Ashley Phillips, aka our only remaining backup centerback, picked up an ankle injury whilst on duty with the England U19s and will be out for around a month. Pape Sarr is day-to-day after getting a knock with Senegal (he scored his first international goal though, so congrats Pape!). But on a positive note, Destiny Udogie is good to go after sitting out on Italy duty out of precaution. Of course, we will still be without Cristian Romero and Yves Bissouma because of their suspensions, and James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, and Richarlison are all out injured (plus the longer-term injuries to Ryan Sessegnon, Ivan Perišić, and Manor Solomon).

Aston Villa are without two key players in Emi Buendía and Tyrone Mings, and Emi Martínez, Leon Bailey, and Nico Zaniolo are all questionable after picking up knocks with their respective national teams. Jacob Ramsey is available for selection.

One thing about Ange Postecoglou, and probably Unai Emery as well: there won't be any excuses when it comes to injuries. As Ange said:

The amount of times I hear managers saying: "I would like to play this way but I don't have the players…", I just think: "Just do it mate."

(Side note: someone at Nike really needs to call him about doing an advert. In Nike-branded Spurs training gear, of course.)

Ben Davies, almost certain to feature at left centerback again against Villa, has a new interview in The Guardian in which he talked about the recent downturn in results and how the squad is staying positive in the face of adversity:

When you’re doing well, people get excited by the first sign of any sort of wobble,” Davies says. “It’s no time for panic. If we focus on the next game every single time, don’t get distracted by things going on outside, the narrative, the question marks over style of play or personnel … if we stick together, we’ll hopefully be there or thereabouts at the end.

We are probably in a mini period right now when a couple of results haven’t gone our way. But we are all determined, knowing the manager has got our back, that we can bounce back. And we’re going to go at it playing our way of football.

Ange echoed his thoughts while reflecting on the Chelsea match, when the suspension/injury crisis first hit but our strategy and style of play did not:

If we are gonna grow and be the team we want to then we will have to expose ourselves and we exposed ourselves that night against Chelsea. Part of me felt a perverse pride because it showed these players are all in. Now it's up to me to show them the way forward and I will. The beauty of it is that I had nine men out there who totally believe in something. For me that's the biggest part of the battle. That's gold.

All of that is just to say: we have to believe. Aston Villa are a good team that can be truly great on their day, but we still have the tools to beat them if we stick to the Angeball plan.

Previewing WSL Matchday 8 — Manchester City

It's a bizarre turn of events where I feel slightly more confident about Spurs getting a result in this WSL match against Manchester City than I do about Spurs getting a result in the PL match against Aston Villa. But honestly, Spurs Women are in a pretty good place right now even with a few key injuries. Then there's the City conundrum to consider.

You never quite know which City team to expect in any given match. Are we going to get the team that's frighteningly good at chances but can't seem to finish them? Are we going to get the team that's looked like they've never played together even though they only had one incoming transfer this past summer? Or will we get the team that actually lives up to its full potential and is nigh unplayable? Again, you never know under Gareth Taylor's management. And he'll find a way to say something silly after the match regardless.

Momentum-wise, we'll be feeling good after our midweek cup fixture while City had a hard-fought draw with Leicester City (and the Foxes got the extra point from the penalty shootout, funnily). If you follow the transitive property of mathematics, we're due a draw since we just drew with Leicester ourselves—right?

As for the starting lineup, I would love to see Asmita Ale come in at rightback so Angharad James can play in the midfield in Olga Ahtinen's place. Drew Spence will still be out after all, so perhaps it would be good to see Kit Graham build on her positive performance in the cup with another start at the #10. That would likely bump Jess Naz to the bench so Grace Clinton could start on the left wing.

The good news is that regardless of the result, we can't go any lower than 6th place in the table after this weekend's fixtures. And then there's an international break before we get back to league play with another tricky match against the other half of Manchester.

News from around the Lane

• A pretty cool record for Spurs Men, as of the last PL matchday: 168 different players have scored for the club in Premier League competition, the current record for the league. We've added a few to the list already this season—Sarr, Maddison, Van de Ven, and Johnson.

• The January transfer window rumor mill is already churning, and we got some solid intel from Emma Sanders about a possible Spurs Women target.

(Peep that hint from Robert in the nested tweet that there will be players, plural, coming in over the winter break. You love to see it!)

Charlotte Grant (who goes by Charli) has been getting a lot of attention at her current club Vittsjö in the Damallsvenskan, even scoring two goals and contributing three assists this past season from the leftback/left wingback role. It would be great to have a true left-footed player for that position again, and would also free up Ash Neville to play at rightback where she had some success last season linking up with Celin Bizet on that flank. We thank Angharad James for her service in filling in at rightback to start this season, and she's done a much better job than I think any of us would have expected, but it was never an ideal scenario.

• I have also heard through the grapevine that we're interested in a young Swedish prospect, but nothing official in that way just yet. It's unsurprising considering that Robert Vilahamn is very familiar with the various talents playing in that league, having just left it.

Pub chat: NWSL Free Agency

While we're on the topic of the upcoming transfer window, I thought it was worth exploring the new NWSL free agency list as a possible recruitment source. Free agency is new to the league this year thanks to the bargaining of the NWSL Players Association.

There are two types of free agents:

• Unrestricted free agents have played at least five years in the NWSL and have contracts expiring in 2023

• Restricted free agents have played at least three years in the NWSL and have contracts expiring in 2023

Unrestricted free agents are, well, unrestricted, while restricted free agents can have an offer from a prospective club matched by their current club within seven days of the offer. There are also some free agents who have options on their expiring contracts to renew for another season if their current club mutually agrees to the option. As of November 20, free agents are now able to sign contracts with a new club.

The obvious benefit to Spurs in signing one of these players is that there wouldn't be a transfer fee involved.

Here's the full list of free agents in a convenient tracker format. Ali Krieger and Megan Rapinoe have been omitted from the original list since they announced their retirement. One player, Merritt Mathias, has already resigned with her current club, Angel City FC. There are two new expansion clubs, Bay FC and the Utah Royals FC, and both have signed a free agent already (Caprice Dydasco and Michele Vasconcelos, respectively).

Because of the tenure requirements to reach free agency status, many of the players on the list are, well, older players and therefore not realistic options for a team like Spurs trying to play a pressing-heavy style of football.

I now have to caveat that my knowledge of the players on the free agency list is affected by the fact that I watch a few NWSL teams more than others: the team I support, San Diego Wave FC, as well NJ/NY Gotham FC, OL Reign, and Portland Thorns FC. Because there is so much parity in the NWSL I can genuinely tune into any given game and enjoy the match, but those are the teams I watch the most simply because I like a lot of their players or am just more familiar with their squads through international play.

That being said, here are seven free agents I would like Spurs to consider:

Casey Krueger

Say the Charli Grant transfer doesn't happen after all... Casey Krueger would be kind of the opposite prospect, but arguably more effective in the short term. Whereas Grant represents a youth prospect who can be developed into the Tottenham mold, Krueger is an experienced player with national team experience. She's on the older end of the spectrum, for sure, but is still playing at the top level. Her leadership would be a real asset.
Why she'd come to Spurs: The Chicago Red Stars have been a hot mess the last few seasons, and even with a new ownership group that could still be the case in 2024.
Why she won't: She has a family that she may not want to uproot to live overseas, depending on how many more years she's planning on playing.

Tierna Davidson

Not that we really need another centerback, but a left-footed one... who would say no? Also, same logic applies regarding the Red Stars bad vibes.
Why she'd come to Spurs: She trained with Wolfsburg ahead of the 2023 season as part of her comeback from an ACL injury and might enjoy an opportunity to play competitively in Europe.
Why she won't: The argument that players are more likely to be selected for the USWNT if they play in the NWSL is probably less valid now that Emma Hayes is going to be the manager, but it could still factor into Davidson's thinking.

Crystal Dunn

Okay, this is probably the least realistic option on my list because she's Crystal freaking Dunn. She's going to have interest from many, many clubs, several of whom will probably be able to offer her such things as Champions League football or being closer to home (cough Gotham cough) which Tottenham cannot do. But we showed a willingness to offer a big fee with the Beth England transfer last January, so you never know what the club may be willing to do in terms of salary offerings for a potential free transfer to persuade a player as highly regarded as Dunn. She's positionally versatile but would be especially useful in our midfield, her preferred zone.
Why she'd come to Spurs: Maybe she just needs a new challenge?
Why she won't: We might still be too much of a "project" club for a player who's used to challenging for trophies every season.

Emily Fox

Fox is a rightback who can play at leftback in a pinch. At 25 years old, she's just the right age of player we're looking to attract to add to the other peak-age signings so far under Vilahamn. I've watched her a fair amount with the USWNT and she's always seemed pretty reliable.
Why she'd come to Spurs: She hasn't played overseas yet in her career and may appreciate the experience to aid her performances with the national team.
Why she won't: Although she's a free agent, she's only spent one season with the North Carolina Courage and may want to continue on with their promising project (they won the Challenge Cup and finished 3rd in the regular season table).

Natalia Kuikka

This one is a job for Agent Tinni (if you aren't familiar with this inside joke, may I direct you to the podcast I co-host, N17 Women?). Kuikka is Finnish, and we've had pretty good success with our Finnish recruitment lately. A rightback who can also fill in at centerback (useful in light of Luana Bühler's recent injury concern), Kuikka is pretty strong in the air and that's something we've been lacking in our defense. I've witnessed her make many a superb goal-line clearance, but she also likes to get involved in the attack, which would suit our front-foot style.
Why she'd come to Spurs: To play with her fellow national team players, and perhaps to get out of Portland before the Thorns ship goes down (I just have a hunch/hope, okay?).
Why she won't: Players do seem to stay loyal to the Thorns, which is annoying as a Thorns hater. I know I said I watch their games a lot, but it's a "keep your enemies closer" kind of situation.

Emily van Egmond

I gave myself the arbitrary rule to limit this selection to just one Wave player, and out of the four (Makenzy Doniak, Madison Pogarch, and Christen Westphal being the other three) I think I have the most faith in EVE. She's a decent threat on set pieces, and can play across the midfield as needed—though definitely better in an attacking role. She's got a great long-range shot, too. I also just love her unflappable attitude.
Why she'd come to Spurs: We have a decent history of Aussies, so maybe one of her national teammates might put in a good word?
Why she won't: The Wave have a pretty good thing going after just two years of play, making the playoffs semi-finals both seasons, so she will be tempted to stick around if she can negotiate a new contract. The San Diego lifestyle is about as close as you can get to being in Australia, too.

Emily Sonnett

Sonnett would be a wonderful option to provide competition to Olga Ahtinen—or supplant her if I'm being frank, at least as long as she continues playing at her peak. There are times when she plays slightly on the wrong side of the edge, but the rest of the time she's a potent attacking threat who won't neglect her defensive duties. A perfect box-to-box midfielder, in other words. She was one of the few bright spots in the USWNT at the last World Cup, mostly because she was one of the few players who showed any real motivation or willingness to take the game by the horns.
Why she'd come to Spurs: This would be another one of those "needing a new challenge" situations because I can't see any other concrete reason to tempt her.
Why she won't: I get the feeling she likes playing in Seattle, and there's a chance Vilahamn would still prefer Ahtinen for the DM role despite Sonnett's accolades.

There are a few other players that would make a really great pick-up for some team but aren't quite what Spurs need. For example, I like Simone Charley a lot but we don't really need another striker now with two top-quality options in Beth England and Martha Thomas—plus, Charley is coming back from an Achilles injury and is likely to want to resign with Angel City if she feels like she has unfinished business there. I also considered Sinead Farrelly, but she's almost too positionally versatile (mostly in positions we don't have a big need for) and is also 34 years old. And I pretty much ruled out every winger, even the ones I really rate like Maria Sánchez, because we just don't need any more wingers right now—especially with our current loans.

I would be remiss not to mention Rose Lavelle being on the list, but honestly, I don't think she is gettable—and even if she was, she has had a lot of injury issues in recent seasons. The same goes for Mallory Swanson, who is returning from a long-term injury but is also way too highly coveted for us to sign at this stage in the club's WSL journey. But if a miracle happened and we signed either of these players, I would legitimately cry tears of joy.

Whew, that got kind of long! But I hope y'all found it useful/interesting, if only from the perspective of learning more about the NWSL and its players.

I know this is a weekend where neither team is really expected to win because of extenuating circumstances, but picking up points in either fixture would be huge. See y'all on the other side.

COYS

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