Wingers Winning

It could have been a tricky weekend for Tottenham Hotspur with two derby matches, but I think it's fair to say we came out of it in a fairly positive mood. The Men's team, powered by one starter and one substitute winger, were able to come back from a devastating free kick goal concession to win comfortably against Crystal Palace. The Women's team were not as fortunate but held Arsenal to just one (controversial) goal and reinforced the defensive improvements of recent games.

However, the challenges will continue with this weekend's fixture: a six-pointer for Spurs Men and a knockout FA Cup quarter-final for Spurs Women.

In this issue: Crystal Palace recap | NLD recap | Previewing the weekend matches | News from around the Lane

Read on for all the recaps, previews, and news you need about Spurs.

PL Matchday 26 recap | Tottenham 3 - 1 Crystal Palace

Werner 77', Romero 80', Son 88' | Eze 59'

It was another solid yet uninspired first half, but the lads were able to rally for a second-half comeback as Brennan Johnson continues to solidify his "super sub" status.

Starting XI:

Ange Postecoglou had two major injuries to deal with. Emerson Royal got another start in place of Pedro Porro, while Son Heung-min returned to the striker spot in Richarlison's absence. Timo Werner got another start as a result of Son shifting to the center, while Rodrigo Bentancur got the nod over Pape Sarr.

Key highlights & takeaways:

• Micky van de Ven earned the fans' Player of the Match honors, and for good reason. He was everywhere in the defense and limited Crystal Palace to Spurs' lowest opposition xG of the season—a pitiful 0.32 goals.

• On that note, I feel a bit sad for Crystal Palace fans who probably thought they were going to see a more attacking-focused style after Oliver Glasner's first game in charge (a 3-0 home win over Burnley). While it's true that Glasner has the tactical nous to earn big results over weaker opposition, he also has a stubbornly pragmatic streak and won't set his team up to play bravely against a superior side. Palace have a few individual players who can create something special (like Eberchi Eze's free kick goal), but overall as a unit, they tend towards the prosaic. But if Glasner can steady the ship for a while and keep Palace solidly in mid-table ahead of a more ambitious turnaround, he'll have done his job.

• That realistic gameplan from Palace meant that Spurs were once again facing a low block. It took the team a while to break them down, but eventually found some solutions. Johnson made a huge impact off the bench, contributing two assists. For the first, he completely discombobulated Joachim Andersen along the touchline with his pressing and won the ball for a winger-to-winger connection, with Werner finishing the chance. Son was also integral to the goal by drawing Palace's defensive line away from the goal as Werner arrived to shoot.

This was Werner's first goal for Spurs, and significantly came after a pretty disappointing missed chance in the first half. It was good to see him stay focused and redeem himself with the goal.

On Johnson's second assist (for the third goal), he cleaned up a ball lost by Destiny Udogie—who was being double-marked—and used his first touch to progress the ball up to Son for one of his signature perfectly-timed onside runs and an effortless finish past Palace's keeper.

In between those Johnson-assisted goals, James Maddison (who'd otherwise had a quiet game) capitalized on a throw-in from Royal to chip a ball over the top of the defensive line with the outside of his boot, finding his fellow vice-captain Cristian Romero for a headed finish inside the six-yard box. This was Cuti's 4th goal of the season, if you can believe it.

• To circle back to Eze's goal, the free kick was given for a pretty needless foul by Bentancur just outside the box. This is definitely an aspect of Lolo's game that needs cleaning up. I think it's a shame that Guglielmo Vicario lost his clean sheet because he had a superb game, but Eze just has that quality of shot that you're not going to save.

• We should have had our own opportunity to score after a silly foul by Palace, but the penalty was inexplicably not given. It was a textbook example, so not sure how VAR managed to mess that one up.

• The other substitutes did not offer as much as Johnson, but it was still good to see Dane Scarlett get his first PL appearance of the season.

SAtP Player of the Match: Son Heung-min

Son transitioned back into the striker role with ease after several games at left winger, and his goal was vintage Sonny.

Son still leads the team in goal contributions with 19: 13 goals and 6 assists.

An honorable mention goes to Van de Ven for his flawless defensive performance.

Notable and quotable:

• The PL scoring streak continues and has now reached the equivalent of a full 38-game season. Speaking of Son, he ranked in the top 3 for both goals and assists during this period.

• Much like Alejo Véliz's first Spurs goal, Werner's milestone moment was slightly tempered by the fact that there was still work to be done.

I wanted to celebrate but then when I saw no one was coming over, I remembered it was still only 1-1 and we had to get another goal!

• An interesting quote from Romero about his improved discipline in the second half of the season:

It's something I've worked on. I've realised I've been picking up too many cards at some points here and there. When you're a defender, you have to tackle, my style has lent itself to picking up cards in the past.

Through working on it you can try to eradicate certain things, maybe daft yellow cards for protesting too much, or clashing with someone. With the style of defender I am, those clashes can be unavoidable sometimes if you have a face-off with someone.

I respect every opponent and team I play against and whatever clash happens it stays on the field. I've been working on it and hopefully eradicating some of those cards.

• Sonny told Brennan before the game, 'Just make sure you're ready, you'll make the difference. When you come on, you'll make the difference." Indeed he did!

• Ange gave Micky a glowing review:

Micky has been outstanding all year, and he’s growing all the time, we see it in training. The growth in him, his maturity, his physical capacity, there is just no ceiling for that guy. He was important today. We didn’t have to defend deep, they were going to try to play on the counter attack and there was going to be a lot of space, and that suits him because of his speed and ability to track people down. I thought he was really important today.

• But perhaps the most notable bit of the postgame was Richarlison doing interviews in a vintage Spurs kit.

I genuinely wish kitmakers would bring back this style of sleeve. There's just something comforting about them.

WSL Matchday 15 recap | Arsenal 1 - 0 Tottenham

Russo 49'

I wish this could have been a second comeback win of the weekend, but unfortunately, we couldn't take advantage of a stronger first half to get on the scoresheet at all. I firmly believe the assist for Alessia Russo's second-half goal was offside, but alas, no VAR in the WSL (yet).

Starting XI:

Robert Vilahamn made some interesting selection decisions for the away NLD. Becky Spencer was back between the sticks for her first WSL appearance since early December. It was also great to see Ashleigh Neville return from injury and straight back into the starting lineup. She replaced Charli Grant at right fullback, with Amanda Nildén keeping her spot. Kit Graham got another start next to Eveliina Summanen in the midfield. Finally, Jess Naz lined up at striker in place of captain Beth England.

Some of these choices were likely influenced by fitness, with a few players (like Grant and Ahtinen) dealing with fatigue or jet lag after the international break. Spencer and Naz were the two additions that seemed like true form-based decisions. Neville probably has the edge over Grant for the fullback role anyway, but there was always going to be some doubt as to whether she would start or come off the bench in her first game back. Meanwhile, fellow injury returnee Drew Spence was also in the matchday squad but would have to feature as a substitute instead.

As a side note, the more starts that Amy James-Turner gets in the centerback pairing next Molly Bartrip, the less sure I am that Luana Bühler is long for this squad. She came in just the day after Vilahamn's appointment so it was never quite clear if she would fit into his plans. I do think injury has been a big factor in her lack of game time, however. Like James-Turner, she has her strengths and weaknesses. Just something to keep an eye on as we enter the home stretch of the season and the summer transfer window begins to loom.

For what it's worth, James-Turner has made a surprising shift into the forward line in the late stages of the last two games, so it appears Vilahamn may be favoring her in the backline since she has a versatile skillset. Now, I'm not saying I agree with that line of thinking (there's a big difference between pitching in on offensive set pieces and becoming the focal point of the attack), but I suspect it's the reasoning behind his decision to start her over Bühler lately. Her defensive improvement in the second half of the season is a legitimate argument for her inclusion, although I still have some lingering concerns on that front, too. Writing myself a mental note to dig into this in a future transfer window preview post.

Key highlights & takeaways:

• It was a scoreless first half, but not without its intrigue. Spurs had to withstand an onslaught of corner kicks early on but settled down in defense for the rest of the game. You could argue that we had the better quality chances of the first half despite being under the cosh for a good portion. Naz rattled the crossbar with a strong shot after a superb turn in the box to lose her defender, and Thomas had a decent chance of her own (although she probably should have passed to either Naz or Celin Bizet in that moment). The mood was positive at halftime.

• So naturally, Arsenal scored a lucky goal just after play resumed for the second half. I say lucky because, by the eye test, it looked like a pretty clear offside by Beth Mead for the assist. I won't fully rehash the VAR to WSL debate here, but suffice it to say that I wish we had it for these black-and-white scenarios at least. Of course, there was some potential for a penalty on Mead if Russo had not scored, but it would also be a moot point with VAR able to call it back for the initial offside. With or without the possibility of VAR intervention, the poor marking of Russo was another example of a persistent issue for our defense.

• Vilahamn responded with a triple substitution in the 61st minute, and once again it seemed like post-international break fitness was a factor. That's the only rational explanation I can think of for why Ramona Petzelberger (not a fullback) replaced Ash Neville instead of Grant (actually a fullback). Olga Ahtinen for Graham was a more traditional swap. And Drew Spence was a sight for sore eyes after her lengthy injury absence, replacing Naz (which meant Thomas shifted up to striker).

There would be two further subs shortly after, England on for Thomas and Matilda Vinberg on for Bizet. Although we seemed to do a better job of possessing the ball after all of these changes, we didn't manage to produce any more threatening chances.

• It still says a lot about how competitive this fixture has become that Arsenal were content to merely play the ball into the corner rather than seriously try for a second goal. And thus, both the home and away NLDs ended in a 1-0 result for the respective home sides. North London isn't white or red at the moment—it's pink.

SAtP Player of the Match: Jess Naz and Martha Thomas

I'm going to cheat this time and give it to the attacking duo of Naz and Thomas. While I don't think their partnership is perfect (or the best use of Thomas' talents), it's an improvement over the England/Thomas partnership.

We had some friendly debate on the latest N17 Women episode about the surplus of attacking talent in the squad at the moment and how best to employ the individual players, but I think my main takeaway from the season so far is that Naz and Thomas have been the most consistent of all the forwards—at least in generating chances, if not always converting them. Bizet and Grace Clinton (whom I have yet to mention in this issue because she had a very quiet game by her standards) are close behind but have had more clearly defined roles for the most part, while Naz and Thomas have been in and out of the striker role and therefore dealt with more positional challenges. It says a lot about both of them that they've rolled with the changes, put their heads down, and put in the work.

Notable and quotable:

• Now, let's be honest about the fact that although Arsenal sold out of tickets for this match, the actual attendance was decidedly not a full house. Even I could see that from watching on TV. But Arsenal do deserve some (reluctant) credit from other clubs for demonstrating that a WSL team can draw large crowds for league games—and they shouldn't be the only club showing such ambition. Robert Vilahamn had some thoughts on why it's important to give women's teams the best platform to perform on, and this is the key part for me:

Today's boys and girls will group up and become the next generation of adults who have experienced both men and women playing in front of packed stadiums. This will be the new normal for this generation, and all amazing athletes, both women and men, will be respected for what they are, which is amazing athletes!

• Across the three games against Arsenal this season (two in the WSL, one in the Conti Cup group stage) Spurs were able to claim four points. Not a bad return for a team that had previously only earned one draw in the fixture's history.

• Lest I sound too positive after a loss, I will note that we haven't had a win in WSL play since matchday 11 against West Ham.

• We have also only kept one clean sheet for the entire WSL campaign. Fingers crossed we can add to that tally against Leicester on the 17th.

Previewing PL Matchday 27 — Aston Villa

This is a big one, not least because we need to exact some revenge for what Matty Cash did to derail Rodrigo Bentancur's return from injury. I'm not advocating for any violent challenges against the man, we just need to beat his team—and through quality football, not brute strength.

(This is why I'm frequently accused of being an idealist, in football as in politics/life. Oh well, I'll own it.)

It's a true six-pointer game with Aston Villa five points ahead of us on one more game played.

On a positive note, we have the rest advantage over Villa, who just played out a scoreless draw against Ajax in the Europa Conference League. Their recent league form has been beating bottom half of the table teams but losing to those in the top half. Ollie Watkins has been a real bright spot for them throughout. He's currently second in the Golden Boot race behind Erling Haaland with 16 goals and leads the league in total goal contributions with his 10 assists added in. We might need Cristian Romero to hold back on his attacking instincts this game and focus more on locking down Watkins.

They still have a few long-term injuries to key players like Emi Buendía, Tyrone Mings, and Boubacar Kamara. Meanwhile, Spurs received the good news that Pedro Porro is back in contention to play. And if Richarlison's latest interview with Brazilian media can be trusted, he'll be back this weekend, too.

I might be watching this one from behind the couch, but I have to have faith that we can win this crucial game in the top 4 race.

Previewing Women's FA Cup Quarter-final — Manchester City

Can I just refer y'all to my previous three previews for Manchester City? I jest, but this fixture is getting seriously old.

It is a fact that the results have gotten increasingly less embarrassing, but I'm not sure that's enough against a City team that has only strengthened as the season went on (despite that early loss of Jill Roord to the dreaded ACL). But as I mentioned last time, football math does not work like regular math. Trends can go out the window in an instant, especially in a knockout game. Let's prepare for a tough one while hoping for the best.

I haven't heard any injury news from City, but we've still got a fully fit squad (a miraculous thing to say after a derby match). What a concept! Expect to see Ash Neville start again, especially since she came off early in the Arsenal game. And to be honest, Drew Spence would be a welcome addition to the starting lineup to bring some fresh creativity and liven up the attack, which had become a little more formulaic in her absence. And for what it's worth, I prefer to see Becky Spencer in goal.

As with the Men's fixture, we have the rest advantage since City played midweek in the Conti Cup semi-final. They lost 0-1 to Chelsea to miss out on the final. Wouldn't it be delightful to eject them from the other competition?

That's really all I've got. Light your prayer candles.

News from around the Lane

• Just in time for International Women's Day, the club announced the launch of the club's first official supporters club for women and nonbinary fans, Women of the Lane.

The new group has two main points of focus:

• Encourage and support increased attendance of women & nonbinary fans at Spurs Men matches
• Raise awareness and promote dialogue around the issues of sexism & misogyny in football

Find the new group on Twitter and Instagram, or sign up to be a member here (I did!).

I will also mention that there's already a supporters club for fans of the Women's team, THWFCSC, which you should definitely follow for important ticketing & fan meetup info.

• The Women's team will be closing out the season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 18 against West Ham. I've probably mentioned by now how happy I am that we're not in a relegation fight this season because it means we don't have to worry about the result of this final game against our fierce rivals, but it's guaranteed to be a lively match regardless of the stakes.

I just wish we'd had more Spurs Women games in the main stadium this season. For all the genuine improvements the club has made around the Women's team lately, this is still an area where we're beginning to fall behind other clubs in the WSL. To me, it doesn't look great that the Men's U21s had just one fewer game at THS. None of this is to say that the Brisbane Road fixtures should be neglected, of course, and more can (and should) be done to promote attendance at Spurs Women's primary ground.

• An important message from Beth England on endometriosis awareness:

Her closing thoughts are something that every woman should hear.

• In Academy news, Leo Black has signed his first professional contract with the club. He mostly features for the U18s but has also made an appearance with the U21s.

I was going to round up a few bookmarks and touch on the season ticket pricing issue, but the day is already late, so I'll save it for a bonus issue sometime next week.

Buckle up for a stressful Sunday and as always,

COYS

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