Dismal Villa show kits aren't only problem as Spurs inflict fourth WSL loss
Aston Villa’s lethargic start to the Women’s Super League season was woefully compounded on Saturday as a hat-trick from Tottenham striker Martha Thomas inflicted a fourth successive loss on Carla Ward’s side.
Pre-season headlines screeched that Villa Women were dreading the upcoming league season due to their poorly designed home strip. But the early dread was seemingly misplaced. The Midlands club sits marooned at the WSL table’s bottom, pointless, winless and with only three goals to tout.
The same descriptions cannot be afforded their opponents on Saturday. After Tottenham's 4-2 victory, manager Robert Vilahamn's new-look Spurs are perched unexpectedly at the top of the table after putting on another exercise in clinical finishing, supplied once again by summer signing Thomas.
That Villa, who finished fifth last season, would be the team languishing at the table’s bottom and struggling to sew together a cogent and clinical attack was tipped in few, if any, pre-season predictions.
In fact, the forecasts for Villa this season, despite finishing 10 points adrift of the top four and leaking 37 goals (only six other teams conceded more), were vertiginous, supplemented by Villa’s acquisition of England striker Ebony Salmon and former Manchester United winger Adriana Leon, plus the return of Golden Boot winner Rachel Daly, whose 22 goals from 12.7 xG last season was the highest-scoring overperformance since Opta began collecting xG data in 2017-18.
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Yes, the Villa corners of social media were awash with boldly confident forecasts.
And after four minutes at the Bescot Stadium on Saturday, those forecasts hinted at finally materialising as a dancing Leon was taken down in the area. Daly converted from the spot, lifting her goal tally to two this season.
Yet, a hatful of chances spurned kept the door open for the visitors, who wasted no time in reminding Villa how to find the back of the net as Rachel Corsie’s back pass was intercepted by Thomas in a dangerous area. The Scotland striker turned, spotted keeper Daphne van Domselaar off her line and lobbed the Dutch international from 35 yards out with a deft nonchalance.
Rachel Daly scored from the penalty spot to give Villa an early lead but struggled to assert her dominance against Tottenham (Photo by Morgan Harlow/Getty Images)The equaliser catalysed a hitherto meek Spurs, who found a second goal on the stroke of half-time through Ashleigh Neville’s header at the back post after a cross from Jessica Naz.
But Villa’s woes ultimately came in the shape of Thomas, who rampaged and defined the second half in her image. The 27-year-old's second arrived from a ricochet in the box following a corner, thrashing beyond Van Domselaar. She finished off her hat-trick with an exquisite strike from range curled into the top right corner with 15 minutes remaining.
It would be a crude misunderstanding to attribute all of Spurs' success to Thomas. A scintillating midfield of Olga Ahtinen, Grace Clinton and Eveliina Summanen combined seamlessly once again with Naz, Thomas and substitute Drew Spence.
But Thomas’ goals were all the more pronounced in their finality given the wastefulness of Villa’s attack. The absence of midfielder Kenza Dali through injury, and the three-match suspension of striker Kirsty Hanson due to her red card against Manchester United on the opening weekend, only underlined the anaemic nature of a performance which laboured to offer any hint of coherence or dynamism beyond a late consolation from Lucy Parker.
Villa boss Carla Ward insisted ahead of Saturday’s clash that there was “no pressure” on her side to glean a positive result ahead of the international break, but with zero points to show for, a turgid start to the season has unravelled much of the early hype.
For Tottenham, the victory is further evidence of the ostensible revolution that has taken hold at the club. Another comeback victory and a third successive match in which the team has scored at least three goals.
Indeed, despite the loss of last season's striking salvation Bethany England, Spurs not only sit top of the WSL table, but their striker sits top of the league goal-scoring charts with six goals in just four matches.
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