On Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur Women will kick off their Women's Super League campaign with a home clash against Crystal Palace Women.
The Eagles are making their first appearance in the WSL after winning promotion from the Women's Championship last season.
Match preview
© Imago
Tottenham Hotspur would have been satisfied with their work in Robert Vilahamn's first season in charge after they achieved a sixth-place league finish and made an appearance in the Women's FA Cup final.
Unfortunately for the Spurs, their cup journey ended in disappointment as they fell to a heavy 4-0 defeat against Manchester United at Wembley.
After laying some positive foundations last season, Tottenham will be looking to kick on with a squad that has been bolstered by the additions of Katelin Talbert, Clare Hunt, Amanda Nilden, Ella Morris, Anna Csiki, Maite Oroz and Hayley Raso.
One of Tottenham's targets for the new season will offer a greater attacking threat on home turf after they scored more than one goal in just two of their 11 home league matches last season.
Spurs will hope to showcase their firepower in their first meeting with Palace since November 2019, and they will fancy their chances of claiming all three points after winning their last four competitive head-to-head matches.
Meanwhile, Palace have replaced Bristol City in the top flight after they held off the likes of Charlton Athletic and Sunderland to secure promotion last term.
The Eagles won 14, drew four and lost four of their 22 league matches to finish top of the standings and one point clear of second-placed Charlton.
As the only new side in the WSL, Palace's main aim will be to avoid an immediate return to the Women's Championship.
In an attempt to stave off relegation, Laura Kaminski has strengthened her squad with 14 new additions, including Brooke Aspin, Poppy Pritchard, Lily Woodham, Mille Gejl, Ashleigh Weerden and Katie Stengel.
Kaminski, who previously worked as an assistant coach at Spurs, will hope her new-look squad can spring a surprise to claim a win in her first match as a WSL manager.
- W
- W
- L
Team News
© Imago
Vilahamn has revealed that Amy James-Turner has sustained a concussion and will be forced to miss the opening match of the season.
The Tottenham boss also confirmed that he will be unable to call upon Morris and Shuang Wang due to "small" injury issues.
Spurs captain Bethany England will offer one of the main attacking threats, having scored 17 goals in her 26 WSL appearances as a Tottenham player.
As for the newly-promoted visitors, they are without the services of Hayley Nolan and Elise Hughes due to shoulder and knee injuries.
The Eagles were dealt a significant blow in midweek after it was confirmed that Chelsea loanee Jorja Fox had sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Tottenham Hotspur Women possible starting lineup:
Talbert; Buhler, Hunt, Bartrip, Nilden; Csiki, Ahtinen, Vinberg; Raso, Naz, England
Crystal Palace Women possible starting lineup:
Yanez; Atkinson, Aspin, Everett, Woodham; Riley, Potter, Gejl, Cato, Weerden; Stengel
We say: Tottenham Hotspur Women 3-1 Crystal Palace Women
Palace have certainly made an effort to prepare themselves for the top flight with a number of new additions, but the step up will still prove to be a challenge, and we think they could be given a reality check in their opening game against Spurs.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
