Tottenham Hotspur remain in the midst of relegation after their 2-2 action-packed 90 minutes against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday. Beth England came to the rescue twice for Spurs bringing them back on level terms in a completely different story to their 8-0 destruction of Brighton just months before.
Elizabeth Terland put the visitors ahead early on which was almost immediately cancelled out by England’s header 90 seconds later. Geum-min Lee slotted the ball past Rebecca Spencer in the 65th minute to retake the lead only to be cancelled out again by England’s thunderous strike.
Neither team deserved a loss, both teams left nothing on the table in their fight for survival in the top tier. Spurs were the better side in the first 45. Much better organisation, hunger and energy compared to the visitors. However, Brighton hit back in the second half and took control and it became a ruthless showdown at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The final whistle blew and players from both teams fell to their knees in exhaustion.
Relegation risk still real for Spurs
Four teams are at risk of relegation into the Championship: Spurs, Leicester, Brighton and Reading, all of whom are separated by three points.
Reading will attempt to close that gap against Manchester City on Sunday as they currently rock bottom of the table with a game in hand over Spurs three points behind.
As it stands, Spurs are ninth on 14th points but have played one more game over the other risk of relegation sides. Leicester and Brighton sit 10th and 11th both on 13 points after the Foxes’ 4-0 win over Liverpool early Saturday afternoon,
Tottenham have to face Manchester United next on May 7th, Reading on 21st and close their season against West Ham on the 27th in their fight for survival.
Crowd numbers and placement
With an expected 2,000-5,000 fans in the stands of a 62,000-capacity ground of Tottenham Hotspur stadium it's a bit lacklustre in the atmosphere especially when they’re caged into one side. For me, this is a two-fold problem. When the players walk out of the tunnel, the first thing they see? Empty stands. Is that inspiring? I doubt it.
Secondly. The TV broadcast set-up is fan-sided, so a zoomed-out pan of the action looks rubbish, giving the impression of no interest in the women’s game with a swarm of empty seats. Would it not be better for the players and onlookers from home to see the crowd’s reaction and the numbers on that far side? Manchester City broadcasts from the opposite side to the fans and attract similar crowd numbers, but it looks much more full.
Beth England to the rescue, twice
England joined the squad from Chelsea in the January transfer window and has started all nine league games to date with an eight-goal tally in new colours. To net the equaliser against Brighton, she leapt higher than every other player in the box, perfectly timed, for an infallible connection of forehead-to-ball within 90 seconds of going 1-0 behind. For the second equaliser, she took one touch, a look up and fired the ball into the top netting with ridiculous power and precision. What a quality player - she needs to be on the plane to Australia for this summer's Women’s World Cup.
First ever draw with Brighton
Spurs have got the better of the Seagulls five times out of their eight clashes and when it mattered most, both teams gunning for the three points, it ended in their first-ever draw, 2-2. A shock considering the last time out Spurs destroyed Brighton 8-0 at the People’s Pension Stadium, the biggest win of the season.
Eveliina Summanen also had a cracking game
Credit where credit is due, the Finnish midfielder took control in the middle of the park, her transitional play into the attack was epically fast with tremendous footwork Brighton struggled to get the ball off her even when swarmed in luminous shirts. Some questionable long-range efforts that could have been put to better use, particularly in the first half, but overall a fantastic performance.
NEW! Our Year: European Champions 2022 - The Official England Winners Book with a foreword by England manager Sarina Wiegman, this is the only official book of the historic triumph, reliving every kick of a thrilling tournament and telling the stories of the players who made it all happen.
Order now from: reachsportshop.com/https://reachsportshop.com/book/our-year-european-champion-2022/
