After an impressive 4-0 against WSL newcomers Crystal Palace on the opening weekend of the season, Tottenham Hotspur will look to continue that positive start on their trip to Villa Park this weekend. Spurs manager Robert Vilahamn spoke to the media at Hotspur Way this afternoon to preview this fixture.
What did Robert Vilahamn say?
Getting off to a good start is vital coming into a new season, especially after last season’s breakthrough campaign for the Lilywhites. Being able to build on that success requires keeping confidence levels high and a positive atmosphere around the club. Vilahamn was happy with his squad’s reaction to their opening win and their desire to push on.
“It’s a good environment when we win games, but we are quite humble where we are to make sure we keep it up. It was really nice to win the first game, we’ve had a good pre-season, and you always want to get your first win soon after that.”
Embed from Getty ImagesIn terms of team news, Ella Morris will be in contention for the squad after missing out through injury last weekend, while Luana Bühler needs assessment ahead of Sunday to determine her status. On top of that, Vilahamn confirmed that Amanda Nildén is okay after being left with a black eye following their game against Palace, saying: “She has trained well, taking part in every session so she is fine, she’s a warrior.”
Last season Tottenham and Aston Villa finished sixth and seventh respectively, with both clubs looking to take the next step and push up the WSL table. FromTheSpot asked Vilahamn how he looks at Villa’s position in the league and comparisons between two sides with similar goals.
“The season before last Aston Villa finished in fifth place and they were one of the teams we thought whether we could beat them and be in the top half of the table, and we did that. We beat them quite early last season, and this year they have a new coach, they had a good performance against Chelsea despite the loss, so they will be one of those teams we compete against and want to finish higher than in the table.”
Embed from Getty ImagesOver the summer Villa confirmed they Villa would be playing all their WSL home games at Villa Park, becoming the latest side to move permanently to their main ground. Vilahamn praised their opponents’ approach and referred to Spurs’ plans to reach the same stage.
“If we get more games in the big stadiums with the great facilities it’s a good step, and to make sure we fill it with fans. We had some really good experiences at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium last season with a lot of fans as well. We have a strategy on how we want to improve there and have more fans and more games there over the coming years. It’s a good step for the players, the fans, the media, and the television, as when you look at the games it shows the high quality of the product.“
Their opponents this weekend are coming off the back of an opening day defeat to champions Chelsea, but their performance impressed many. That includes Vilahamn, who spoke highly of new manager Robert de Pauw and the quality in their squad.
“First of all they have some really good players, even on the bench, they made a few changes at halftime and a few changes tactically as well. They have different players that they can use in different positions, and they have a coach who can handle flexibility in his tactics, they had some good chances at the end so they competed with Chelsea for the whole game, and they showed they have quality players, a talented coach, so it will be a tough game.”
Embed from Getty ImagesOne of the most eye-catching signings of the summer came when Tottenham brought in Maite Oroz from Real Madrid on deadline day, adding extra quality to their midfield. She came straight into the starting lineup last weekend and Vilahamn spoke glowingly about her impact.
“The first training she just connected with everyone with the way she played. She speaks English as well which helps, but from the first minute on the pitch she’s been brilliant, and you can tell all the players love to play with her as she gets them and she can get the ball to them. I love those players; I love how she gets the ball forward. I’m extremely impressed by Maite, she’s on another level.”
Spurs’ clash with Villa kicks off at 16:30 on Sunday 29th September, and is available to watch live on YouTube.
