The following article was originally posted on the Spurs Women blog onDecember 15th 2023. Original post link: http://spurswomen.uk/2023/12/10/data-breakdown-week-8-recap-spurs-man-united-preview/
It’s been a fortnight since Tottenham Hotspur Women were beaten 7-0 by Manchester City Women, their biggest ever defeat in the WSL. In this edition of the Data Breakdown, I analyze Spurs’ approach in the game and highlight some of the reasons for such a heavy defeat. I then preview this week’s WSL game against Manchester United. As a heads-up, this piece is going to be heavier on the tactical side, than the data side.
Review: Manchester City vs Tottenham
Both teams fielded expected tactical shapes, City playing a 433 & Spurs a 4231. Although there was one important change that Robert Vilahamn made in his usual starting 11. Asmita Ale came in, to start her first WSL game of the season at right back & Angharad James moved up to the central midfield spot. I highlighted the ability of City’s wingers in 1v1 situations, to be the key to the game, in my preview. At the time the line-ups were released, Ale’s addition at RB seemed positive.
Despite playing away and the obvious threat of City’s wingers, Spurs stuck to their guns of pressing high up the pitch. We saw them play their usual 442 block without the ball, where the front two of Thomas & Clinton were happy to let City’s centre-backs have the ball when they were facing their attacking side. They were tasked with keeping the central City players always covered and not allow direct balls to them.
On the other hand, City also continued to build up in their familiar shape. During controlled possessions in the middle third, one of the fullbacks would tuck in to form a back three and the other inverted to join the midfield line. Below is a screenshot of one of the instances. You can see Spurs trying to squeeze the middle of the pitch and not allow the City CBs space to pass through the middle. The approach worked well enough until about the 20th minute of the game. Spurs were able to create a couple of turnovers from errant passes from the City backline. But there were also instances where the composure and passing ability of City’s players allowed them to make little rotations and play first time bumped passes through the middle. Khadija Shaw also helped City’s progression from time to time, because when she dropped deeper (as shown in the image below), she was rarely followed by Spurs’ centre-backs.
Tottenham’s pressing vs Manchester City’s buildup structure
In my opinion, Spurs’ approach to and execution of their high press on City worked fine, and was not critically responsible for the seven goals Spurs ended up conceding.
Below is the situation just before the first City goal. City were able to progress the ball to the final third of the pitch. Spurs’ wide players and the near sided CM were well positioned to cover the runs of City’s wide players. But Hasegawa drifted from her central position to the left channel, which created a 4v3 situation in that area. City were then able to make interplays and get the left-back, Ouahabi, in space to cross. Her cross was thumped-in by Shaw, who leaped above both of Spurs’ centre-backs to head the ball home.
Situation just before City’s 1st goal
For the second goal, once again City’s player rotations proved too difficult to deal with for Spurs. This time it didn’t need City over-loading Spurs. Jill Roord made a smart blind-side run in the space between the right back and the center back, with Summanen caught ball watching. Roord, with space and time once again picked out Shaw, who once again headed it in.
Situation just before City’s 2nd goal
City quickly added a third goal, giving Shaw a first half hattrick. This time it was from a direct play into Shaw, where she showed her strength to shield herself from her marker and score with her feet for a change. The game was pretty much done by half time, with City leading 3-0. But early in the second half, Shaw again displayed her strength. This time, making a powerful run with the ball, into the box, from a throw-in situation. Her cross got deflected and eventually found Hemp, who curled-in City’s fourth of the game.
The rest of City’s goals were directly a result of their wide 1v1 ability. Ale was caught in possession for the fifth, then Hemp beat her in a 1v1 for the sixth and finally Zadorsky, who came on as a left back, was dribbled past for the seventh. Spurs went into the game knowing about the threat from the dribbling ability of City players, but when it came to it they just could not keep up with them.
Deciding to press a quality opposition away from home is usually done for two reasons. You feel that you can pinch the ball high up the pitch and create chances from there. Or you want to delay the opposition’s attacks and prevent them from essentially camping out in or near your box. In the first half, Spurs were able to do a little of the former, but more of the latter. The three City goals had very little to do with Spurs deciding to commit numbers to the press. None of those goals were created by City being able to play through Tottenham and create a transition situation. Rather all were from settled play in the final third, where Spurs’ defenders proved unable to handle the opposition’s quality.
Preview: Tottenham vs Manchester United
Next up we play hosts to the red side from Manchester. Unlike City’s complex build-up patterns, United under Marc Skinner have got a relatively straightforward approach. The fullbacks remain wide and the deepest midfielder, Katie Zelem, acts as the pivot for their build-ups.
Manchester United’s pressing vs Manchester City’s pressing structure
Above is a screenshot of how United built up from the back in a recent home defeat against City. City, playing away from home, opted to push three players in their first line of press. The wingers positioned themselves in between the CBs and the closest full back, often trying to occupy that passing lane. Meanwhile, Shaw, in the middle always tried to keep Zelem in her cover shadow.
Whenever the ball was played backwards or when United defenders received the ball with their backs to the goal, it triggered City forwards to start pressing and to try to suffocate United. One such instance led to City’s second goal of the game. Shaw left marking Zelem to try press the back pass to Mary Earps. Her press was very well complemented by Hasegawa, who was quick to push up and not allow Zelem any space to turn.
Manchester City’s press just before their 2nd goal, vs Manchester United (Part I)
Manchester City’s press just before their 2nd goal, vs Manchester United (Part II)
Unlike City, who have genuine box to box midfielders and prefer to press in a 433, Vilahamn has so far opted to go for a 424/442 system off the ball. It will, however, be interesting to see if he makes any changes to the system, given that the confidence of the team will have been damaged by shipping seven away goals, but also there may be both missing and returning players.
If he persists with the same system, it will be fascinating to see how the Spurs midfield cope with being matched 1v1 against United’s attacking midfielders, one of which will be the majestic, Ella Toone. United like to leave space between their build-up line and the midfield line, which they want their midfielders and forwards drop into, so that they could receive the ball on turn and carry it up the pitch. Spurs would want to press United in such a way that they restrict that space between the two lines as much as possible, while also trying to win back possession from the duels in those areas.
Some points to keep in mind:
United have scored the most set-piece goals (5) in the WSL, this season, compare to the 2 from Spurs.
Ex-Spurs striker, Rachel Williams is their joint top scorers in the WSL, with 4 goals, despite having started all the games on the bench.
Spurs may be without Eveliina Summanen, who was injured against Manchester City and Grace Clinton, on loan from Manchester United in a deal that perhaps prohibits her playing against them. Both have started every WSL game for Spurs, so their absences (alongside those of Drew Spence and Olga Ahtinen) may force additional changes to the midfield. On the more positive side for Spurs, it looks like the team’s captain and irrepressible scorer, Beth England, will be back in the squad, although perhaps more likely to start on the bench.
Geyse, who was bought as the replacement for Alessia Russo, will be a key player to watch. She would bring a different challenge for the Spurs back line, compared to the physicality and strength of Bunny Shaw. Geyse, albeit not as physical as Shaw, can still shrug her marker and make powerful runs with the ball. She likes to drop deeper and carry the ball up the pitch, very much like a winger playing centrally.
Thank you for reading.
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