Vilahamn expects Spurs to draw against Crystal Palace
Vilahamn expects Spurs to draw against Crystal Palace Tottenham Hotspur head coach Robert Vilahamn says he expects a tough match when his team faces Crystal…
Tottenham Hotspur head coach Robert Vilahamn says he expects a tough match when his team faces Crystal Palace in a Women’s League Cup group stage match at the VBS Community Stadium This evening.
Spurs need just one point to seal their place in the Women’s League Cup quarter-finals.
The Lilywhites have already faced Crystal Palace this season. Spurs won 4-0 at the Gaughan Group Stadium on the opening day of the new Barclays Women’s Super League campaign. In the pre-match press conference, Spurs boss Vilahamn said he expected to face a much-improved Crystal Palace side this evening.
“They made a lot of good signings before the start of the season and they had to teach these players to play together under their manager,” Vilahamn said. “They had a few games to figure it out and I think after those first two or three games they were in almost every game.
“Crystal Palace are not a team that will obviously collapse, they have shown that they are ready to stay in the Women’s Super League. On their day they can beat anyone; With the players they have, they are good opponents.
“It will be fun to play them again and see where we are and where they are. It’s also nice to go into the cup with a good feeling knowing that a win or a draw will take us to the quarter-finals.
Crystal Palace’s hopes of qualifying for the Women’s League Cup are hanging by a thread. The Eagles could field a much-changed side against Spurs, but Vilahamn still expects the South Londoners to be a threat.
He said: “Whoever team they play, I actually think they have a strong team this year. They are very clear about what they want to do and they do it quite well.
“I think it will be more competitive than the last time we played them. I think it will be a much tougher game, but I hope we can play our way and win it.
Spurs were runners-up in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup last season. Vilahamn believes the club can learn from this experience and strive to win domestic cups again this year.
He said: “We got a taste of what we can do when we have a good run in the cup. I feel like we realized we can compete for trophies. I really realized that Tottenham are a sleeping giant and we have to find a way to get these trophies back. If we get a good result, we are actually only three games away from the trophy.
“Thanks to the experiences of last season, the way we played in the cups, we found ways to win. We are taking steps forward and I really want to win a trophy with the supporters of this club.
“We will do our best but we know that every match is difficult in this competition. We are getting closer and better and getting better in cup matches. The experience is good and I hope we can reach the final and use the lessons from the other final. [in the FA Cup].”
Tottenham Hotspur’s Women’s League Cup group stage match at Crystal Palace kicks off at 7pm this evening.
