WSL: How Tottenham turned their fortunes around after disappointing season

After seven games of the season, the Women’s Super League table is beginning to take recognisable shape.

The top four are comprised of the four sides who have occupied those positions in the final standings of the past four seasons – Chelsea, Arsenal and the two Manchester clubs.

But to say the ‘big four’ have the title race and battle for Champions League places sewn up would be inaccurate – thanks to the impressive start made by Tottenham Hotspur.

Before Sunday’s match against Manchester City, Spurs are just one point behind the top three, only trail fourth-placed Manchester United on goal difference – and, according to manager Robert Vilahamn, hold no fear of the established order.

“I think there’s some kind of respect for those top four clubs when you speak to people in this league,” he said.

“For me, it’s just another team and you know you can beat them. Tottenham is not a small club.

“I have respect for them but I think we have national team players who can perform so why should we have too much respect? I see stuff we can handle to beat them.”

But after a disappointing 2022-23 campaign, which saw Spurs flirt with relegation and only secure safety in their penultimate match, how have they turned their fortunes around so quickly? BBC Sport analyses their impressive start.

‘I want to make sure we score goals – that’s the Tottenham way’

In some ways Tottenham’s lofty position represents a stunning turnaround from last season’s struggles.

But it is also a return to form for one of the league’s strongest squads, just 18 months since Spurs recorded their highest-ever WSL finish.

Tottenham ended the 2021-22 campaign – the club’s third season in the WSL – in fifth, five points above sixth-placed West Ham, Rehanne Skinner’s side appeared to have a strong platform to challenge for European qualification in 2022-23.

Things did not work out that way. After three wins in their opening five games – including an 8-0 victory at Brighton – Tottenham entered a dismal spiral of nine consecutive league defeats which cost Skinner her job.

Interim boss Vicky Jepson led the team to crucial victories over fellow relegation candidates Leicester and Reading to secure their top-flight status, but a ninth-place finish was well below expectations.

Vilahamn, appointed manager in the summer, appeared to face an uphill battle to avoid another scrap at the bottom of the league – but the early signs have been positive.

Since losing to champions Chelsea on the opening day at Stamford Bridge, Spurs have gone six league games unbeaten – while playing an attacking brand of football which has led to plenty of goalmouth action at both ends.

Vilahamn’s team showcased their entertaining style in defeat against Chelsea – despite losing 2-1, they had 15 shots, including 11 on target, against the Blues.

Spurs are averaging two goals every game in the league so far (with 14 from seven matches), the fourth-highest figure in the division and more than Sunday’s opponents City.

“I would rather win 3-2 than 1-0,” said Vilahamn. “Of course we want to have a clean sheet and we want to make sure we can do that, but we know what to develop to do that.

“For me, it’s more on how we can score more goals actually. I won’t put too much effort into getting that clean sheet. I want to make sure we score more goals. That’s the Tottenham way.”

‘It will be interesting how England gets back in’

Those goal numbers are especially eye-catching given the absence of star striker Bethany England.

The Lionesses forward was recruited from Chelsea for a reported £250,000 in January and netted 12 goals in as many WSL games in the second half of 2022-23 to help secure Spurs’ top-flight status.

Martha Thomas has picked up England’s mantle after joining from Manchester United in the summer, and leads the WSL’s scoring charts with six goals from seven games.

Spurs have also been bolstered by the midfield creativity of Grace Clinton – recently called up to the England squad for the first time – the evergreen energy and adaptability of wide player Ash Neville, plus the skill and confidence of Celin Bizet, who ran from her own half to score a magnificent goal against Liverpool earlier this month.

Suddenly, Tottenham’s uptick in form becomes less surprising.

“I’ve been really impressed with how they have started the season,” former England defender Fern Whelan told BBC Two before Spurs’ WSL draw with Liverpool.

“Last season they really underperformed with a really good squad. You can’t take away the fact that they have a striker in top form in Thomas, but the style of play is so much better.

“They try to dominate the ball, play out from the back and create a lot of chances.”

“When [Bethany] England is fit it will be interesting to see how she gets back into the side after Thomas’ great start to the season,” added ex-Lionesses international Fara Williams.

“I would probably try to get my best players all in the line-up as best I can but it is a difficult one, you want to find a formation that fits and suits everyone.”

‘Me and Ange want to play in a similar way’

Spurs’ high tempo, possession style is exactly what Swedish coach Vilahamn wanted to introduce.

“If you are going to build self-confidence, you cannot get that unless you score goals or create chances,” he said. “You feel the flow.

“The fans like to see goals and chances. If we don’t try to get into the box or just try to make sure they don’t score, we don’t really get a good energy unless we get a clean sheet.

“For me, we need to score more goals, create more chances. That’s how we should develop.”

A latecomer to women’s football who had never previously coached outside of Sweden, Vilahamn wanted to draw on the style which brought Champions League football to previous club BK Hacken – as well as that of the other Spurs manager appointed in the summer.

“When they recruited me there were the same recruitment staff recruiting Ange [Postecoglou, Tottenham men’s manager],” he told BBC Sport earlier this season.

“So they talk about how Tottenham want to play; they look for those coaches. Me and Ange are probably playing in quite a similar way. We lead in a certain way, which is also quite similar.”

The frustration for Vilahamn will be that Spurs’ start should have been even stronger.

They have drawn their past three matches 1-1 against Everton, Liverpool and Leicester despite dominating play. From 54 shots across those games, they only scored three goals.

Against Everton and Liverpool they let leads slip, while at Leicester they were thwarted by a string of saves from keeper Janina Leitzig and their own poor finishing.

“We have to improve because we should score a few chances,” Vilahamn said after that game. “It is too bad we didn’t win but it was a great performance.”

If those performances continue, then the WSL table might look as pretty in May as it does in November for Spurs.