By Rachel Cohen

In the immediate aftermath of Spurs’ final league game, this is a recap of the season in fifteen parts: from individual players shining, to the manager’s vision, vibes, draws and the Manchester exception.

1.    Getting results against teams above us

Spurs got results (in either league or cup competitions) from four of the five teams who finished the season above us. That included our first ever North London Derby win – beating Arsenal in the league (1-0). We also drew with them in the Conti Cup (3-3 at Boreham Wood), so even with their 1-0 win at the Emirates we finished the season honours even (with four goals scored by each team). Beyond that Spurs drew with Manchester United away in the league (2-2) and beat City on penalties in the FA Cup and had two 1-1 draws with Liverpool. We still have not managed to get a point against Chelsea but the two losses were tight (2-1 and 1-0) and in both we had numerous chances. There remains a gap, but this season Spurs have been increasingly competitive.

2.    Solid against teams below us

We did not lose to any teams that finished below us in the league except Aston Villa. Following from a very 4-2 dominant away win over Villa (in which Martha Thomas scored the first ever WSL hatrick by a Spurs player) our return home fixture was a candidate for most disappointing game of the season, losing 2-1. It was also a (relatively rare) game where our substitutes were not able to make much of a difference. But that exception aside our consistency against ‘lesser’ teams was a real marker of where we are.

3.    The Manchester Exception

In no games in the league or in either cup did Spurs lose by more than a single goal – except against teams from Manchester. Spurs lost against City 7-0 (A) and 2-0 (H) and against Manchester United 4-0 in our home league game and then again in the FA Cup Final. The salutary news here is that these were the only big losses across the whole season and that even against these teams we got results: with our first away draw against United and finally beating City on the fourth try. But high on most supporters’ wish list for next season is to improve our goal difference against the Manchester teams and, ideally, witness a thomping win against Manchester United.

4.    Too many draws

We drew eight of twenty-two games in the WSL. This included all of the games against teams from Liverpool (Everton and Liverpool). In most of these draws Spurs were the dominant team and we should have found a way to turn that dominance into a win. That was most obvious in the recent 2-2 away game at Everton in which Spurs had an xG (expected goals) of over four but failed to convert chances. In other games it was the production of good chances that was the problem as despite manager Robert Vilahamn’s claim to prefer 4-3 wins over 1-0 wins, in ten league games the team scored a single goal and in another five did not find the back of the net. On the upside, these were draws, not losses. But if Spurs are going to make progress improving the quality of chances is going to be key.

5.    Big roles for bit players

In previous seasons when players who were not getting a lot of minutes did come onto the pitch they tended to do little except show why they were not getting minutes. This season players came off the bench and played their way into starting positions (Jess Naz, Matilda Vinberg and Amy James-Turner as cases in point). And even where players have not become regular starters they have played important roles. Most obviously Kit Graham who during injuries to Drew Spence, Eveliina Summanen and Olga Ahtinen started a few games and produced excellent performances (those North London Derbies are not fading from memory quickly), and has since continued to come off the bench and have an impact (her game-winning goal against Charlton most critically). Other players also showed what they could do with limited minutes, whether that was Bara Votikova becoming the hero of the North London Derby in her first WSL minutes, Rosella Ayane scoring the winner against Sheffield United, Shuang Wang bringing moments of creativity and coolly slotting home her penalty against City or Ramona Petzelberger effectively filling in in a variety of positions in key games without fuss.

6.    Martha Thomas – big game player

There was a lot of scepticism that Spurs would be able to replace Bethany England when it was announced that she would be unavailable for the first part of the season with a hip injury. Enter Martha Thomas, scoring six in Spurs’ first four games. Her product slowed down a little as the season went on and Vilahamn worked out how to combine her with England and Naz (something that remains a work in progress). But Thomas came through at some of the most clutch times, scoring the winner at the Tottenham Stadium in the North London Derby and repeating the feat in the Semi-Final of the FA Cup. The assist she got in the final game of the season, in which her determination and fight to win the ball on the touchline was crucial, is a reminder of how important her offensive pressure has been in creating chances this season.

7.    Grace Clinton sparkles

A lot has been said about Clinton this season, but her ability on the ball is pretty sensational and there have been a couple of games where she has been unplayable. The first that comes to mind is the Conti-Cup away game against Arsenal where she repeatedly took on three or four Arsenal players and came away with the ball. There have also been games where she has become frustrated or gone missing and early in the season her defending was a little overly ‘robust’. But for all of us, watching her has been a pleasure. And seeing her combine with a variety of players in different parts of the pitch in the final game was evidence of how much she has developed both her own game and her relationships with teammates over the season. There are still things she can work on (passing; decision making), but it would be so, so nice if we were able to see her do that at Spurs.

8.    Jess Naz’s breakout

Jess Naz is the only player to have played in all 22 league games. She also featured in all ten of Spurs’ cup games. For much of the season she was used off the bench. Indeed, she started just ten of those 22 WSL games. But her contributions and confidence have grown and her goal and assist in the final game showed both how far she has come and how important she now is to Spurs. That is not just because of her goals and runs in behind, but also because of the work she does in pressing at the front and running back to defend. Most impressive, for people who have been watching Naz for a while, is the way that her strength has developed. This was seen in her final-day goal when she withstood an attempt to pull her down and regained her balance before taking aim and scoring. Her call-up as a reserve to the Lionesses team is both well deserved and something to warm the cockles of any Spurs supporter who has seen her suffer with injury and recovery. That she is young – still only 23 – and has the potential to get better is exciting.  

9.    Ashleigh Neville’s consistency

In a season in which lots of new players shone the persistent good form of Spurs’ longest-serving player, went somewhat under the radar. Yet, Neville is one of the first names on the teamsheet when she is available (she missed three games when she was not fit and did not start one other having just returned). And across most of the platforms that grade players she continues to be one of Spurs’ highest rated. It cannot be repeated often enough how big a ‘journey’ Neville has been on across her playing career given how late she turned professional. In the run up to the FA Cup Final Neville described signing for Spurs as the best decision she’d ever made. That she continues to shine in a new team under a new manager and new style of play and remains open to learning new things is nothing short of remarkable. She is a player who sometimes makes mistakes but as Vilahamn has said that does not deter her, instead “she just keeps going the whole game and just gets back to the game and [is] brilliant after that ….so I love working with her.”

10.  Eveliina Summanen as the rock

When Eveliina Summanen signed a new contract in November (until 2026) Robert Vilahamn said that it was important to him to know she would be here for a few years so that he could start building the team around her. He later described her as a ‘rock’. And by the end of the season, despite missing two games through injury Summanen has played more minutes than any other player, starting every game for which she has been available. While most of us want to forget her attempts to provide cover at centreback, when she’s been in her usual position in holding midfield Summanen’s off-the-ball work-rate has been impressive and she has demonstrated an increasingly ability to spot and make good progressive passes. She is the kind of player who gets relatively little hype but keeps things going. And, of course, her rendering of ‘Come on you Spurs’ is now legendary.

11.   England returns

When she returned from her post-operative rehabilitation in December Bethany England was initially off the pace, even if her goals were crucial in Spurs’ Cup run (starting the comeback against Sheffield United and scoring the equaliser against Manchester City). Off the pitch it has long been evident how much other players look up to her as a leader and player. That she was at every game, even while she was injured is a reminder that the Captain’s involvement has extended across the whole season and her will to win and ability to drive players on has been critical at key moments. Her willingness to play out of her natural position, with time as a 10 and on the wing, is indicative of her buy-in to what Vilahamn is building. But ultimately England’s importance is on the pitch and so it has been a joy to see her regaining her form in front of goal and ending the season with five goals in her last six league appearances.

12.   An eye for a signing

Vilahamn’s ability to spot players who might fit his system is seen in a host of excellent signings. Not just Martha Thomas and Grace Clinton, who have already been mentioned but also players like Olga Ahtinen who, especially prior to her MCL injury, demonstrated a wonderful passing range that was key to our early-season midfield; Amanda Nildén, who filled a key gap and oozes class on the ball; Charli Grant who has masses of pace and is exciting going forward; Matilda Vinberg whose directness and dynamism have been game changing; Wang Shuang who we’re perhaps yet to see the best of but is clearly a beautiful ball player.

13.   Breathing new life into existing players

There are so many players whose Spurs careers have turned around or at least progressed massively under Vilahamn’s management. Most obvious is perhaps Amy James-Turner who went from epitomizing the team’s dysfunctions last season to a fan favourite this – not just for her within-the-box defending but also that coolly taken penalty and minutes as extra striker against Manchester City. We’ve seen a similar revival for Becky Spencer, who seemed constantly exposed last year but this season has thrived in a team that prioritises playing out from the back and for whom her skill-base is an excellent match – her two penalty saves from Alex Greenwood and Chloe Kelly were the icing on the cake. Unlike James-Turner and Spencer, Celin Bizet had a pretty good 2022-23, but like them she has gone up a level under Vilahamn, and is confirming the promise we thought she might have when she joined Spurs, something highlighted by the fact that she ends the season in the top ten of the league in successful take-ons, progressive carries, carries into the penalty area, as well as tackles made and tackles won. Other players’ turnarounds or progress have perhaps been less dramatic, but there have been big improvements in lots of players’ games. For instance, Drew Spence has gone from the intermittent form of the previous season to (when she has been on the field) consistently impactful. If we focus on specific areas of play then the improvement has been most impressive in terms of the team’s passing, where almost every player’s pass completion percentage has improved year-on-year (with Molly Bartrip and Luana Bühler both featuring in the WSL’s top ten for pass competion).

14.   A Manager with a vision

Let’s be honest, too often visions sound like corporate bullshit. But in Robert Vilahamn’s case his desire to play football a particular way (and reiteration of the need to be daring) has felt like a lovely gift. The bonus has been his refreshing willingness to be clear about what he wants with players and with the media, an openness about things going wrong when they do, and a willingness to take responsibity for mistakes (most recently for Becky Spencer’s mistake in the FA Cup Final). Clearly the whole squad is on board, with players repeatedly talking about how much they enjoy and have learnt from playing under him. Both players and manager have framed his approach as about Vilahamn providing them with a structure in which they can play freely. Key to his tactical approach has been Vilahamn’s ability to move existing players into new positions to make the system work. That included Angharad James doing a job at makeshift rightback pre-Christmas, Kit Graham transforming into a holding midfielder and Bethany England into a winger. He has also been ruthless at times, cutting players who have performed poorly or sending beloved players out on loan. From everything that we can tell from a distance it seems like in most cases these decisions have involved Vilahamn having conversations with players that have been both honest and supportive, providing players with enough information to be able to make their own decisions and to work out what they can do to change things. And while we love all Spurs players most supporters will appreciate that touch of ruthlessness is crucial in a manager – and will continue to be as we enter the season for contract (re)negotiation. Vilahamn has said that, uninvited, he sent his CV to the club when he knew that Spurs were looking for a manager. We are all very glad that he did.

15. Immaculate vibes

From a supporter’s perspective, this season and last have been night and day. Not just on the pitch, but the amount and type of coverage Spurs have been getting, the club’s social media output, the mood in the stands and among supporters online. Obviously, it is easier for this to all come together when things are going well, but nonetheless in a sport in which there is so much negativity it is worth shouting out the good times. Those vibes have meant that, following an objectively pretty poor performance in the FA Cup Final the overwhelming supporter response was that it was fun getting there and we know there is more to come. The vibes won’t last forever, of course. Expectations will, rightly, increase and there will be downs. But it really does feel like Spurs are going into the break in a good position – both on and off the pitch.