Here we are again. After two weeks off, Spurs head to the Emirates, and a crowd of over 55,000, for the second women's North London Derby of the season.
Tottenham were convincingly beaten in the reverse fixture. That, along with the performance last time out against Man Utd and the inconsistent nature of the season in general, doesn't give much ground for optimism. However, ahead of the weekend, manager Robert Vilahamn said that it "feels like we've had a good two weeks". He also confirmed Drew Spence and Ella Morris are both back in contention to play some part in the match.
Let's Get Physical
We know that Arsenal already have a wide pool of talent and Chloe Kelly is now part of that. Gunners manager Renée Slegers suggested that she will likely play some part in the game. One area where Slegers hinted that that her side might have an advantage is physicality in midfield, given the absence of Eveliina Summanen.
Readers will know by now I'm a fan of Maite Oroz's skillset, but she is certainly not not a physical presence like the Finn. The question then is whether others can help, particularly without Bethany England getting dragged too deep. Can Haley Raso get stuck in without risking a red card?
Zooming Out
This game is big for the fans, but Vilahamn noted it matters beyond that. "I need to, you know, zoom out and see it as a as a big, big game for women's football," he said. He added that the rival clubs need to "actually collaborate to make sure we grow the women's football. And if you look at it that way, it's a powerful message to show that we can sell out the stadium between Arsenal and Tottenham, and make sure we're going to be performing on that stage."
Vilahamn said he wants to help "make sure that we show that the women's football is already here. It should be in the future. Should be here, and people want to come and watch."
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Arsenal vs Tottenham Women Predictions
Is hard to be particularly positive as a Spurs fan heading to the Emirates. The women have only beaten their North London rivals once and haven't really looked like repeating the trick since that famous day at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last season. Indeed, they have often looked overawed in the highest-profile games. It's important that they don't just sit back and wait to get beaten.
Because the games crowds are getting bigger. The games are getting bigger. "This is the life we want to live," Vilahamn said. Time to step up then.
Here’s how they line up:
Arsenal: van Domselaar, McCabe, Catley, Williamson, Fox, Cooney-Cross, Wälti, Caldentey; Maanum, Russo, Foord
Tottenham: Kop, Nildén, Bartrip, Hunt, Neville, Maite; Vinberg, Naz, Csiki, Raso, England
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