Tottenham Hotspur broke the domestic transfer record to pry Bethany England from Chelsea in January and this weekend, the Lioness will take to the pitch against her former side in a bid to end Spurs’ insipid five-match losing streak in the WSL.
If reigning champions Chelsea feel a need to take comfort in anything before heading into Saturday’s lunch-time clash, their WSL record against Spurs is a fine place to start. The Blues boast a 100% win record against their London neighbours, scoring 15 goals across their six matches while conceding only twice.
And the player perhaps most looking forward to Saturday is Sam Kerr, who has scored in all five of her WSL appearances against Spurs, netting six goals in total. Kerr has not scored more against any other side in the competition.
Not that Spurs manager Rehanne Skinner needs any reminder of Kerr’s prowess. Kerr’s brace in the FA WSL Cup quarter-final against Spurs is less than two weeks old. And with Kerr fresh off a hat-trick against Liverpool in the FA Women’s Cup, keeping the Australian contained should be the priority number one for Skinner.
For Skinner, Spurs’ dour Chelsea record and Kerr’s threat are exacerbated by their current WSL record of five losses on the bounce, their worst ever losing streak in the competition. But it’s the aggregate scoreline that paints the most explicit portrait of the challenge facing Skinner’s ranks before Saturday. Across the five losses, Spurs have lost on an aggregate score of 11-1, their sole goal arriving after 50 shots at goal.
A clinical edge has impressively evaded Spurs since they ran eight goals up against Brighton & Hove Albion at the end of October. Whether England and new arrival Mana Iwabuchi can help reverse those fortunes in the league remains to be seen. England is responsible for Spurs' only WSL goal since October, and has scored a total of two goals in three appearances for Tottenham since her arrival.
Meanwhile, Arsenal loanee Iwabuchi found her first goal in the 5-0 demolition of Championship side London City Lionesses in the FA Cup fourth round.
The pair combined well, while helping Spurs’ gain some goal-scoring momentum heading into Saturday. With a potential World Cup squad berth on the line, England will be gunning to prove her threat in front of goal is as lethal as ever. The seeds are certainly being sown. Scoring against her former club will only help.
Chelsea remain in a heated title race against Manchester United and Arsenal, with the former leading the charge ahead of Chelsea on goal difference, though the Gunners boast a game in hand over both Chelsea and United.
Emma Hayes’ side made no first-team signings over the transfer window, while both United and Arsenal bolstered their squads. Spurs sit eighth in the league, six points off seventh-place West Ham but with two games to play.
Spurs kick-off against Chelsea at Brisbane Road on Saturday at 12:30pm.
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