WSL preview: Albion head to Tottenham Hotspur

Albion play their penultimate away game of the season on Sunday with a trip to Gaughan Group Stadium in East London to face Tottenham Hotspur, kick off 2pm.

Team News

Apart from Charlie Rule, interim head coach Mikey Harris has everyone available including skipper Vicky Losada, who returns after serving a one-match ban in last week’s 2-1 loss against Everton.

View from the bench

Interim head coach Mikey Harris said, “The intensity we have trained with this week has been exciting. The group are fit, they are together and ready to play their part in the last three games. The players have spoken about staying hungry. There is always something to play for and we want to finish as high as we can in the league playing with an identity that reflects us as a group and the football club.

“Clearly we were disappointed with the Everton result last week. We didn’t deserve to lose, on another day we could have won. We showed progress in the areas we’ve prioritised but in some areas we were disappointed and will be looking to put right.

“Tottenham are a really good team. I’ve impressed with their style. We understand the scale of the task but we will go there looking to take the game to them.”

Last meeting

Player to watch

Grace Clinton has been one of the breakout stars of the season, culminating in an England debut and goal in the 7-2 win over Austria in February. The 21-year-old midfielder joined Manchester United in 2022 from Everton and spent last season on loan with Bristol City before linking up with Tottenham on loan last summer. She was on target in October when Spurs won 3-1 against Albion at the Broadfield Stadium.

Facts and Stats

Tottenham are unbeaten in four previous home games against Brighton and Hove Albion in the Women’s Super League (W3 D1), drawing this fixture 2-2 last season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Since winning both of their WSL meetings with Tottenham Hotspur in 2021 under Hope Powell, Albion have since gone four without victory in the competition against Spurs (D1 L3).

Tottenham have won two of their last four home games in the Women’s Super League (L2), just one fewer victory than they managed across their previous 14 home league matches (W3 D4 L7).

Albion are unbeaten in their last three away WSL games (W2 D1), their longest ever streak on the road in the competition; the Seagulls have scored 10 goals in four away games under Mikey Harris after netting just nine goals in eight away games under Melissa Phillips.

After going unbeaten on home soil in the WSL between April and November 2023 (W2 D4), Tottenham have since lost three of their last five home matches in the competition (W2), conceding 2+ goals in each of those defeats.

Brighton have failed to win any of their last seven WSL games against sides from London (D1 D6), only once have the Seagulls endured a longer such run - eight matches between September 2019 and October 2020.

Tottenham Hotspur have recorded 26 points after 18 games so far in the WSL this season (W7 D5 L6), only winning more at this stage of a top-flight campaign in 2021-22 (28 points).

After failing to score in her first eight WSL appearances of the season, Tottenham Hotspur’s Beth England has since scored in back-to-back top-flight games and could net in three in a row in the league for the second time in a Spurs shirt after netting in each of her first three matches for the club in February 2023.

This season in the WSL, Tottenham’s Grace Clinton has won more duels (137) than any other player whilst only Manchester United’s Katie Zelem (44) and Spurs teammate Ashleigh Neville (39) have won more tackles than her (38).

Only Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw (21) and Chelsea’s Lauren James (13) have scored more goals in the WSL this season than Albion’s Elisabeth Terland (12). Exactly half of her goals have come away from home this campaign, whilst she also scored in this exact fixture last season.

Match officials

Referee: Melissa Burgin

Assistants: Jon Ashworth-Sears & Aimee Keir