Last season, Spurs didn’t win if the striker didn’t score, but that they’ve eased their reliance on her goals is reason to be excited for the future

This time last year, Tottenham were still at risk of being relegated from the Women's Super League. A dreadful run of nine successive league defeats saw head coach Rehanne Skinner dismissed in mid-March, and it wasn't until the penultimate weekend of the season that safety was secured, thanks to a star performance from Bethany England at home to eventually-relegated Reading.

For Spurs to be in a first-ever Women's FA Cup final just 12 months on is quite a turnaround then, one which speaks to what a fantastic job Robert Vilahamn has done in his first season in charge – particularly given England is still working her way back to her best level.

Last term, the Lionesses striker scored a remarkable 12 goals in 12 WSL games to fire Spurs away from danger, with it difficult to see how they would've stayed in the division without her contributions in attack. Such form even saw her snatch a place in England's Women's World Cup squad at the last minute, having not been called up for eight months.

When England had hip surgery after that tournament, many worried for Tottenham. That Spurs failed to score a single goal in pre-season while she began her time on the sidelines only meant those fears grew. But this run to the FA Cup final, and a charge up into the top half of the WSL table, has shown what a great team Vilahamn is building – one that can get even better when a star like England is firing on all cylinders again.

GettyFinding a solution

How do you replace someone with a goal-per-game record? That was the biggest question Vilahamn needed to answer when he came into this role in the summer. It was never going to be straightforward, as England has experience and quality that is difficult to find, the type that cost Spurs a record fee exchanged between two WSL sides when she arrived from Chelsea in January 2023.

The Swede went about his transfer business well, adding to an already promising supporting cast for whoever would lead the line when he signed Grace Clinton on loan from Manchester United. But the identity of that No.9 remained up in the air – until deadline day. After Tottenham failed to score once in pre-season, while largely trialling Jessica Naz as a centre-forward, Vilahamn worked to bring in Martha Thomas from United, a decision that would pay dividends.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesFilling the void

Thomas arrived off the back of two difficult years in the north west, in which she failed to displace Alessia Russo in the starting XI on a consistent basis. The Scotland international started just one WSL match and scored only one goal in the competition in her second and final season with the club, so she was going to need to step up to help Spurs fill that England-shaped hole in the forward line – but she would surely be motivated to show what she could do.

And so it proved. Thomas scored six goals in her first four league games for Spurs, helping them to pick up nine points from an available 12. “If you look at the 10 WSL games so far, I don’t think another player in this league has been as good consistently in every game, in different ways, not just scoring goals,” Vilahamn said in December. “Her impact in this team has been massive.”

GettyWaiting patiently

There was every reason to be excited when England returned to the fold just before Christmas, then. “I’m quite flexible in my way to find new roles for players, so I’m quite sure that I’m going to find a way for them to play at the same time,” Vilahamn said in the weeks prior. “Good players can play together, and I can make sure it fits the way I want to play, so I’m kind of just waiting for that moment to play them both.”

However, it’s been tricky to get both England and Thomas out there at the same time. England understandably took some time to return to full fitness after hip surgery which “should have been an hour-and-a-half, but it took over three hours due to the extent of the tear,” she told earlier this season. Thomas has struggled with some injuries in the second half of this season too, meaning they’ve only started together on seven occasions. “I don't think they have played together when both of them are 100 percent fit,” Vilahamn even went as far as saying in April.

GettyDeadly duo in the making

While that’s frustrating, it also brings promise for the future. Spurs have had quite a season and they have picked up some really impressive results, upsetting Manchester City on their way to this FA Cup final while also securing an historic first win over north London rivals Arsenal in the league. And yet, there is so much more potential to unlock.

That’s especially true of the partnership between Thomas and England, which could blossom into the type that is difficult for any defence to contain. “We're looking forward to it,” Thomas said earlier this month. “I think we've shown glimpses of us playing together and being successful. Her experience alone and her qualities that she brings to a team, anyone would be lucky to have them, so to play alongside her is brilliant.”

“I think they are so clever so they can work together with other players as well, especially how they are as players and as leaders, because they are basically two of the strongest leaders in the squad,” Vilahamn added. “I'm looking forward to continuing to work with them and going into detail on how we can have the best benefit of them. Even if they haven't worked best when they played a few games before, there's a lot of reasons for that. That doesn't mean that they cannot play together.”