WSL: Tottenham secure opening 4-0 win as Crystal Palace debut marred by red card | OneFootball

A Hayley Raso masterclass helped give Tottenham Hotspur a perfect start to the new Women’s Super League season as they dispatched newcomers Crystal Palace 4-0.

Jess Naz, Drew Spence and Olga Ahtinen also got on the scoresheet for Spurs, who are looking to push on from last season’s sixth-place finish. As well as a hefty defeat for Crystal Palace on their WSL debut, the occasion was further marred by a Brooke Aspin red card in stoppage time.

Starting XIs

Tottenham Hotspur

Spencer; Neville, Bartrip, Hunt, Nildén, Oroz, Summanen, Raso, Spence, Naz, Thomas

Crystal Palace

Yañez; Green, Everett, Veje, Gibbons, Potter, Riley, Gejl, Blanchard, Weerden, Stengel

How it went

There were a plethora of debuts at Brisbane Road, with Spurs giving a total of four, while Laura Kaminski’s side had 10.

The hosts had the better of the opening exchanges, but were restricted to half chances in the first 10 minutes. Raso was impressive from the first whistle, consistently finding space and causing problems for the Palace defence. The Australian international was rewarded after 19 minutes when she picked up Eveliina Summanen’s through ball. Jinking her way into the box, Raso tied Palace’s Fliss Gibbons and Katrine Veje in ribbons before firing her shot into Shae Yañez’s far corner.

Palace looked solid in large spells of the first half but failed to trouble Becky Spencer in the Spurs goal. For the hosts, it threatened to be a frustrating afternoon as they couldn’t add to their lead in spite of their first half dominance.

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Yañez was called into action again on the stroke of half-time. Firstly, she saved comfortably from Martha Thomas after she was put through by Drew Spence. A piercing run from her own half by Amanda Nildén opened up the Palace defence. The Swede played a clever one-two with Thomas before laying the ball to her right to Raso who was denied by the onrushing Yañez.

Spurs open floodgates in second half

The second half was a very different story as Tottenham’s intensity blew the Eagles away. With seven minutes gone, Naz broke away to finish a move she helped initiate and double the Tottenham lead.

It was her touch on a loose pass from Lexi Potter that helped deflect the ball into Drew Spence’s path. With Naz continuing her run into the Crystal Palace half, Spence played a first time ball through. Bearing down on goal, Naz shrugged off the challenge of Veje to get an initial shot away that was brilliantly saved by Yañez. Luck wasn’t on the American’s side as the ball squirmed loose, allowing Naz to roll the ball home.

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Raso was still proving to be a source of joy for Robert Vilahamn’s side. On the hour, she took Spence’s through ball in her stride and drove into the box, cutting in on her left foot. Gibbons was again left for dust as Raso unleashed a shot that was heading towards goal before somehow being turned away for a corner by Veje.

The wave of Tottenham attacks were becoming more frequent and more dangerous. Yañez was being seriously overworked on her debut. It took until the 74th minute for the visitors to register their first shot as Annabel Blanchard’s effort from a narrow angle rolled past both the outstretched leg of Spencer and her far post.

A tough debut for Crystal Palace

Tottenham’s third goal of the day came courtesy of a wonderful flick on from England to Spence, who slammed the ball home with 15 minutes to play.

Still, the home side poured forward. Olga Ahtinen was next to be denied by Yañez when her swerving drive from 25 yards was well tipped over. Ahtinen eventually got her goal though and in spectacular style too. She unleashed from outside the box and there was nothing Yañez could do as the ball hit the top corner.

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The Palace agony was complete deep into added time when Aspin saw red. She picked up a first yellow card for a foul on Anna Csiki, she then inexplicably kicked the ball into the Hungarian while she was on the floor to earn a second.

The full-time whistle signalled the end of a good afternoon for Spurs who travel to Aston Villa next. For Laura Kaminski and the Eagles, there were positives in the first half to draw upon. But a tough start to life in the WSL doesn’t get any easier. Next up for them, it’s the small matter of Chelsea at Selhurst Park on Friday night.

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