29/05 - 20:00
Tottenham Hotspur host Chelsea in the WSL this evening where they could make or break Emma Hayes' final season as they look to bounce back from FA Cup defeat.
Despite earning a 2-2 draw against Manchester United in the league last month, Spurs found themselves outclassed on the big stage at Wembley going down to a 4-0 defeat.
With Chelsea needing a win to go back to the top of the table going into the final round of games this weekend, Tottenham have the possibility of putting Manchester City in the driving seat should they get a positive result.
It won't be easy, of course. Not only are Chelsea a top team but they have also defeated tonight's opponents in every game so far – 13 wins, with 39 goals scored compared to Spurs' 8 goals scored.
"In one way, it’s good that this game comes so soon after the last one because you want to play and see if you can get back on track, that’s the easy part," Robert Vilahamn said going into this game.
"Chelsea at home is a big game for us, so mentally and physically, it is not too much to recover and go into this game.
"They will have had a long training week which is good for them but we train to play two games a week and we should be able to do it. Hopefully, we find new energy tomorrow and have a good performance. We also have a big squad, so we can find ways during the game to make sure we have good energy.
"Hopefully, we can use the loss at the weekend to make sure that we have even more energy to go and beat Chelsea tomorrow."
But all the pressure will be on Chelsea to get themselves back on top and avoid a surprise trophyless season in Emma Hayes' final campaign.
"You can’t win everything all of the time," said the USA-bound coach in the build-up to this game.
"But to be in a position to compete for our fifth title in five years, I’d like to see another team do that over the next five years. The reason I say that is nobody really understands how hard that is to keep winning.
"To be in a position to compete for that, that’s all I wanted the team to be in. I just want them to enjoy the next two games."
Whether it will be enjoyment or nerves remains to be seen but even if Chelsea do manage to win and go top of the table the final day of the season won't be easy.
Manchester City face a trip to seventh-placed Aston Villa while Chelsea will take on newly-crowned FA Cup winners Manchester United.
Here's how the #BarclaysWSL league table looks ahead of the last week of fixtures! 👀 pic.twitter.com/aSBjT64oaH
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) May 14, 2024
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Maika Hamano 37' |
