Tottenham Hotspur interim boss Vicki Jepson said it was a “difficult and emotional” day as Rehan Skinner was sacked after nine straight defeats in the Women’s Super League.
In just over two years, Skinner led the Spurs from a relegation battle to a dream of Europe and back again. The club seemed to have no choice but to relieve the popular head coach of her duties before taking over the WSL basement club. With Jepson and another goal from Beth England, the Spurs beat rivals Leicester City 1-0.
If this result brings relief at Brisbane Road, he risks disappearing in Saturday’s north London derby against Arsenal.
Jonas Eidevall’s side are in fourth place, five points clear of leaders Chelsea, but are not in contention for their first title since 2019.
“I would like them to win,” said former Arsenal striker Kelly Smith. “They are underdogs in fourth place, but the great thing is that all four top teams have to play against each other, so it could take until the end of the season.
Arsenal really took off after the Conti Cup final. [which they won 3-1]. This gave them a lot of credibility as they dominated Chelsea for large stretches of that game. I saw newfound confidence [in the 4-0 win] against reading.
Eidewall has since signed former England international Jody Taylor, 36, who has been a free agent since leaving the San Diego Wave earlier this year.
Admittedly, this is an unconventional solution to an attack decimated by the losses of Beth Meade and Vivianne Meadema to ACL tears. Arsenal were left with a few other options after Manchester United rejected two world record bids for Alessia Russo on the last day.
“It’s always hard when you lose world-class players,” Smith says, “but Chelsea haven’t had Fran Kirby and Pernille Harder for most of the season and they still manage to score points.
“Their squad is probably a bit stronger in terms of depth, but when you don’t have enough players like that, it takes a while for the team to get used to being without them.”
However, they are not lacking in goals, having won nine in the FA Cup against Leeds and scoring just one since the winter break.
While the Gunners have been quietly trying to balance a run of Champions League victories (a 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich in the first leg of the quarter-finals) with a struggle to stay in the game next season, Chelsea have failed miserably. under the Conti Cup. -The final.
When Emma Hayes described Arsenal as “a team that hasn’t won much in recent years,” it didn’t sit well, but she was right. “It can help Arsenal because they haven’t won a trophy in four years and it hurts,” Smith said.
“Their mindset has now changed to give them more confidence and confidence to move forward. It could help Arsenal, but it could also help Chelsea. [in the title race]because they’re upset and angry about missing cutlery and are known for winning trophies.”
In this light, struggling rivals Arsenal and Spurs would be worthy of a big podium, even if it wasn’t one of the most important derbies in WSL history.
But while the derby has previously been played at both clubs’ men’s stadiums, breaking WSL attendance records twice, this time it will remain at the Spurs’ regular home ground, Brisbane Road Leyton Orient, in part because Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium has a capacity of 62,850. . Saracens vs Harlequins.
Wherever it is played, the game has not always been kind to the Spurs. They have never beaten their rivals, the famous win in November 2021 was debunked due to Miedema equalizing in injury time.
Few would bet on this change. Although the Spurs have scored five goals since the move from Chelsea in January, they are not as dependent on England as is sometimes claimed, but the Lionesses striker remains their main hope for a shocking result.
Source: I News
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.