Brisbane Road is set for a battle for consistency on Sunday as Tottenham host London rivals West Ham in the final round of WSL fixtures before the winter break.
Spurs manager Rehanne Skinner found herself bemoaning her side’s listless approach as league stragglers Reading pulled out an obdurate but deserved win last weekend after Amy Turner’s own goal before the quarter-hour mark.
Incidentally, the Spurs boss’ grievances did not exist in a vacuum as just 200 miles north, West Ham manager Paul Konchesky rueing his side’s lethargic start as Liverpool’s early two goals proved decisive.
The defeats gifted both Reading and Liverpool with just their second wins of the season and left Spurs and West Ham with plenty of space for introspection heading into the final weekend of matches.
The struggle for more consistent all-around performances has been thematic for both sides this season, and the volatility is beginning to show. Both have registered just two wins in their last five matches, suffering three losses in the process. West Ham sit sixth in the league, pipped off fifth by Aston Villa on goal difference. Meanwhile, Spurs sit seventh, just three points behind the Irons, but the gap between the two sides and the table’s rampaging top four threatens to widen if neither knuckles down.
Sunday, then, provides an opportunity for both sides to end this year on a high. Spurs have continued to look dangerous in attack but a toothlessness in front of goal continues to undermine the positive attacking grind put in by Ashleigh Neville, Drew Spence and Jessica Naz. They have failed to find the back of the net in three of their last four WSL appearances.
West Ham’s less-than-stable defensive backline was caught in the cold against Liverpool, but the introduction of second-half substitutes, notably Hawa Cissoko, offered stability from which to build. Whether Konchesky opts to use Cissoko – who finished serving her five-match ban going into last weekend – from the start and push an unconvincing Kate Longhurst back into midfield could offer something in the way of a strong foundation for the Irons to capitalise upon.
History in the London derby rests with Spurs, but only just. Three of their first four WSL clashes with West Ham ended in triumph, but they failed to win their last two, drawing one and losing the other.
Kick-off for Sunday’s London derby is at 2.00pm from Brisbane Road.
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