Tottenham Hotspur will take on Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this Sunday.
- Broadcast Details: Watch live on Sky Sports Premier League this Sunday; coverage begins at 11 AM for a 12 PM kick-off.
- Injury Blows: Spurs lose Hanna Wijk (MCL), while United remain without stars Dominique Janssen and Elisabeth Terland due to injury.
- Key Playmakers: Keep an eye on Tottenham’s Julie Blakstad and United’s Jess Park to dictate the game’s tempo and creativity.
Where to Watch
The full match will be broadcast on the Sky Sports Premier League channel. The build-up will start from 11 AM with the kick-off set for 12 PM.
Recent Form
Tottenham Hotspur have been on a bad run of games in the past month. Losing to opponents like Everton, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, they’ve lost their form since the start of the season. Manchester United haven’t had the best run either, losing matches and bowing out of the Champions League, FA Cup and losing the League Cup final.
But both sides have had the international break to step away from club football. They’re coming back with a fresh mindset and more determination to finish this season on a high.
One to watch for Tottenham Hotspur would be Julie Blakstad. She maintains an 80.4% passing accuracy and is a key playmaker for the side. Additonlaly she also wins an impressive 88.9% of her aerial duels and has proven excellence previously at clubs like Rosengard, Manchester City and IF Hammerby and for the Norwegian national team.
One to watch for Manchester United would be Jess Park. Coming in at the start of the season from rivals Manchester City, she’s really found her place on the pitch. She has recorded 6 goals and 5 assists in the WSL alone this season and averages an 83.3% passing accuracy. During this match, look for her operating in the pockets of space as she’s likely the one who will be dictating the tempo.
Players missing
January transfer, Hanna Wijk won’t finish the season after tearing her MCL. It’s a huge blow for Spurs as Wijk is statistically one of the best at moving the ball forward and came in as a mid-season spark for the side. In terms of long-term absentees, Clare Hunt, Jess Naz, Maite Oroz and Luana Buhler remain sidelined for this clash.
Dominique Janssen and Elisabeth Terland have both returned to individual training but won’t feature during Sunday’s fixture. Janssen’s physicality, elite ball progression, and tactical versatility are all attributes that Manchester United benefits from immensely. While Terland’s high-volume goal scoring and aerial dominance stats stand out hugely compared to others.
Managers Thoughts
When Martin Ho was asked about what to expect from the game with United this weekend, he said, “Competitive, a bit of needle, bit of bite in it and definitely one with high quality. I think both teams possess really good qualities and really good players. They have really good ideas of how they see the game, and we kind of have to go into this game with a totally different mindset now, build off the positive aspects of the performances we’ve had in the games where we haven’t come out with results in the last three or four. But, we’re in a good spell, energy is good around the group, and we know we have to perform at this level and keep building on what we’re doing going into next season.”
Marc Skinner commented on the tactical nature of the upcoming game and their fast starts, “I think it’ll be both [intensity and control]. But I think what I’ve seen from Tottenham this year is they are very quick on the counter. They’re very direct when they can be with good quality—it’s not just like hoof and run. So there’s obviously that. I think you can control them in elements, but I think you have to go toe-to-toe with them as well.”
