By Rachel Cohen

In the final part of a series looking at how Spurs might line up in Sunday’s FA Cup Final, this blog looks at Robert Vilahamn’s options in attack. Previous parts looked at nailed-on starters and central defensive options.

Despite having a deeper bench this season, there are just five players who are likely to fill Spurs’ four attacking positions: right and left wing, #10 and striker. Those are captain, Bethany England, Martha Thomas (facing her former team), Jessica Naz, Celin Bizet Ildhusøy, and Matilda Vinberg. The question is, which four of those five will start, and in which positions?

Three of Spurs possible starters have played in at least three different positions this season: Bethany England spent her first season at Spurs as a striker. But since she returned from injury in December England has also had stints at 10 and (in Spurs’ most recent meeting with Manchester United) at right wing. Martha Thomas started the season as the sole striker, but with England’s return and Jess Naz’s increasing minutes has also sometimes taken up a deeper role, either at 10 (as she did in the North London Derby) or on the right wing (as she did in the FA Cup semi-final). Conversely, in the early season Jess Naz was primarily used as a substitute, coming in on either the right or left wing, but she has increasingly been used as a striker, including in the final period of the semi-final.

The positions of the other two attacking options are more straightforward. Celin Bizet has almost always started at right wing, although there have been periods during games when she has swapped and had minutes on the left. Similarly, Matilda Vinberg is typically a left winger, but has also had brief spells on the right. Their style of play is however quite different to one another. Vinberg is direct and a relatively traditional pacey winger. Whereas, as the season has gone on, and with Vilahamn giving her permission to roam, Bizet has been playing across the attacking third.

The other player who we have regularly seen in Spurs’ attack this season (more recently at number 10; previously on the left) is Grace Clinton. Clinton is, however, unable to play in the final because Spurs’ opponents are the loanee’s parent club, Manchester United.

Performance this season

In terms of goal contributions, all of Bethany England, Martha Thomas and Jess Naz have scored in both the WSL and FA Cup this season. As shown in the table below, Thomas has the most goals, and the most goals per 90 minutes. England has the best record (so far) in the FA Cup and is on a streak of 4 goals in 4 games. Naz has more assists.

All three have scored against teams lying above Spurs in the table (top 5); all have scored in games in big stadiums; and all scored in either the quarter- or semi-final of the FA Cup. In other words, all three have shown they can be ‘big game players’.

Table showing the goal contributions of Spurs’ main attacking options

	Goals	WSL Goals/90	WSL Goals + Assists/90	Goals vs Top 5
Martha Thomas	10 (7 WSL + 2 Conti + 1 FA Cup)	0.49	0.63	Chelsea x1
Bethany England	7 (4 WSL + 3 FA Cup)	0.43	0.43	Man Utd x1 Man City x1
Jessica Naz	6 (2 WSL, 3 Conti + 1 FA Cup	0.19	0.47	Arsenal x2 Man Utd x1
Celin Bizet	4 (4 WSL)	0.27	0.34	Liverpool x2
Matilda Vinberg	1 (1 WSL)	0.29	0.57	n/a

If we turn to the two wingers, they also have good goal records. But while Bizet has been a regular starter, ever-present, all season, right up until her recent injury, Vinberg joined the club in January and only broke into the team in the last few games. She has, however, seized her opportunity and her dangerous runs and assist won her player of the match in Spurs’ last match-up with United, a game that Bizet sat out injured.

Making Vilahamn’s Decision

The good news is that there are no bad options in selecting from these players. But as Vilahamn makes his decision there are a few things he will be weighing up:

1. Exploiting Naz’s speed: The manager’s earliest attempts to fit all three of England, Thomas and Naz into the team at the same time involved England and Thomas playing in the centre with Naz out wide. But more recently he has used Naz up front. This has been to exploit her ability to run onto balls, something that worked in the Semi-Final and which he tried away to Manchester United in the WSL. Should he choose to do this again, it means, however, that one of England or Thomas will start as a hybrid 10/striker. The question is then whether to use the other on the wing or stick with the more conventional wingers in Bizet and Vinberg.

2. Fitness: Some of the decision may be about fitness. Both Bizet and Thomas were out injured for a couple of games, only returning as substitutes last Saturday. We do not yet know if they are both fit enough and sufficiently sharp to play 90 minutes.

3. Partnerships: Another thing that may impact Vilahamn’s decision making is his focus on on-pitch partnerships. For instance, we can see that down the left Vinberg and fellow-Swede and left back, Amanda Nildén, have a good relationship. While Vilahamn has spoken about Ash Neville (at right back) building a good partnership with Celin Bizet. That said, Neville also has years of familiarity with Naz and when they play on the same side the two often overlap in attack.

4. Maximising Beth England’s finishing: Last season England showed that she was an extremely clinical finisher with 12 goals in 12 games. Recovering from injury, she started this season slowly but is coming into form again. Can Spurs afford to play her anywhere other than as close to goal as possible?

5. Pressing: The team has produced turnovers in dangerous and created goals as a result of well-timed pressing. In early season Martha Thomas excelled in chance creation from pressing and even in substitute appearances Thomas has displayed a remarkable work-rate and created chances from very little. Naz has also produced goals, and won a penalty, through pressing the keeper. In short, Spurs’ most effective pressing high up the pitch has come when either Naz or Thomas head the attack.

6. Defensive contribution: In the second half against Manchester United at Leigh, Spurs were on the back-foot and spent most of the time defending, with England and Naz, especially showing their ability to track back and put in challenges. In the Semi-Final we saw Thomas taking up a position as stand-in right-back. Should a similar situation arise, would Vinberg, who is newer to the league, be at a slight disadvantage?

7. Captaincy: England is not just an elite striker; she is also club captain and her on-field energy and motivational talks have been difference-making. Surely it is inconceivable that she does not start.

8. Sustaining the attack: This is a game in which attacking substitutes are going to matter – either because the team desperately needs a goal or as a defensive weapon to keep up pressure and prevent United attacks from forming. We have seen both Bethany England and Martha Thomas come off the bench and score in the FA Cup already. Similarly, earlier in the season Jess Naz changed the pace of WSL games when she came on.

Vilahamn’s decisions about the attack will depend on which of these (or other unkown) factors he weights as most important. Given that both Naz and England have started all of Spurs recent games, it seems highly probable that both get the nod. As the only natural left-footer it would also seem likely for Vinberg to be given another chance to bully United’s back line. If that is the case, the biggest question may be which of Thomas or Bizet, both of whom have had excellent seasons, start. Surely, whichever Vilahamn goes for we will see the other as an early substitute.

The more difficult part to predict is positions. Jessica Naz at the point of the attack with England just behind her and Vinberg and Bizet/Thomas on the wings would be a good bet. That said, given Vilahamn’s ability to solve problems in unexpected ways (Kit Graham to defensive midfield; Angharad James to right back) it would not be surprising if the manager arrives at a setup we have not even considered.

Likely Substitutes

Beyond these five potential starters there are players who have featured in Spurs’ attack, but rarely, if ever, started this season. That includes the creative Wang Shuang who has played minutes at 10 and at left wing. Her willingness to cut inside, and to take up a variety of positions fits well with Vilahamn’s desire for a lack of positional fixity, but she has yet to have more than a cameo role.

Rosella Ayane has been at Spurs for five years and scored Spurs’ last-gasp winner against Sheffield United but she has had relatively few minutes and is clearly not high in Vilahamn’s pecking order. She typically comes on at right wing but has played on the left or even as striker. Both she and Ellie Brazil bring pace, a slightly chaotic energy and intermitent moments of quality and frustration. Brazil was out most of last year with an ACL injury soon after joining the club, and has made very few substitute appearances, typically on the right wing.

Other players have been used in the attack but are currently more often played elsewhere. That includes Ramona Petzelberger who, in true utility player form, has played at 10 as well as in defensive midfield and right-back. While both Kit Graham and Drew Spence have had minutes at 10 this season but are now primarily used further back. Charli Grant has been brought on as a late attacking substitute, but is more usually a full-back. And, of course, Amy James-Turner has in two games moved up the pitch to play as an injury time striker.

It would be highly unlikely if any players other than England, Thomas, Naz, Bizet and Vinberg start but we may well see at least one or two of the above making substitute appearances or players like Spence or Graham being moved forward.

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If you have thoughts about who you think should head the attack reply in the comments.

And if you missed the first two parts of this series you can catch up:

Part 1: Nailed-on positions

Part 2: Options in central defence

Now, however, is the time to start getting properly excited. Spurs are playing at Wembley. It’s nearly upon us. And we are going to see the starting lineup for ourselves very soon. Not something we could have imagined at the start of this season.