Get the latest tactical insight on this weekend's WSL action, live on Sky Sports across our flagship channels; watch Spurs vs Arsenal, kick-off 3pm, on Saturday, followed by Man Utd vs West Ham, kick-off 5.30pm
Saturday 25 March 2023 21:26, UK
This weekend a bonanza of women's football is set to unfold live on Sky Sports, with the North London derby available to watch on our flagship channels followed by Manchester United's contest with West Ham.
How could the games be won or lost and the key players capable of turning the tide. We take a look...
Spurs might have notched their first league win since October 30 over Leicester City last weekend, but interim manager Vicky Jepson knows better than to get lost in the semantics ahead of a North London derby against fourth-placed Arsenal.
No team has dropped more points from winning positions in the WSL this season (nine). Conceding at least two goals in nine of their last ten defeats doesn't make that fact go down any easier either.
But where there's a will, there's a Bethany England, bringing flair and creativity to Spurs' attacking midfield, while Drew Spence and Angharad James drift in and out of the shadow-striker roles.
Will it be enough to keep the Gunners at bay? Jepson is hesitant to be conclusive.
"We've got to make sure we have purpose with our possession and we're finishing off chances when they arise."
Jonas Eidevall's team haven't been at their sharpest without Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema. But Stina Blackstenius, Caitlin Foord, and Frida Maanum have succeeded in keeping a steady ship in their absence.
Eidevall has changed things up by playing with an interchangeable front six while Kim Little sits as the deepest midfielder.
"We have been forced into it a bit," he said. "It is nice as well because we test, we see, we work out that we have great versatility."
It means that Arsenal often find a way to breach the defence and won't need a second invitation to score should Spurs squander more points.
The final instalment of this weekend's WSL action live on Sky Sports might not seem like the most intriguing match-up, but it would be foolish to not regard it as such, especially with Old Trafford as the backdrop.
Manchester United and West Ham are two teams sitting poles apart in both league positioning and form.
Marc Skinner's players have fought tooth and nail to be there or there abouts in the title charge this season, they are currently second, two points adrift of Chelsea and progressed to the FA Cup semi-finals last weekend with a 3-1 win over Lewes.
Victory came at a price, as Lisa Naalsund and Maria Thorisdottir sustained injuries that could prove pivotal to their title charge in the coming months.
Seventh-placed West Ham, meanwhile, will hope that it makes this Saturday's clash a more level affair. But the truth is, Paul Konchesky's side have only won two of their last 10 games and and head into the weekend without a victory in five in the league.
The 43-year-old spoke boldly ahead of the game, saying: "I don't want us to think about it as a day out, you can get lost in thinking about too many things around the game. Enjoy the experience, but concentrate on the game."
But the recent 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa proved that there are still plenty of kinks to smooth out. While they may be forgiven for falling short against an in-form Rachel Daly and Jordan Nobbs, the manner of the defeat, and the way in which the goals were conceded, was far more alarming.
Villa dissected West Ham's regimented back four with ease, using a possession-based form of attack that allowed them to pull opposing defenders out of position.
Daly and Nobbs were then able to pick their moments in attack that led to two sublime goals in either half of the game.
The Hammers did pull a goal back through Viviane Asseyi. She was the most dangerous aspect of their attack and managed to slip away towards the back-post to head the ball home with just 11 minutes left in the game.
If there's to be any respite for the visitors this weekend, it'll be through her.
March 25: Spurs vs Arsenal - kick-off 3pm, live on Sky Sports
March 25: Man Utd vs West Ham - kick-off 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports
