Spurs ready to relish the challenge of Arsenal in North London derby says Skinner

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Rehanne Skinner has spoken about how much her team are looking forward to hosting the North London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend.

The last time that the two teams played each other was in November when they met at Meadow Park in the group stage of the FA Women’s Super League Continental League Cup. The match saw Arsenal defeat their North London rivals in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw.

The Gunners currently sit fourth in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League table while Tottenham Hotspur are in eighth place with 15 points separating the two sides.

Spurs manager Rehanne Skinner says that her team are looking forward to showing their ability against their rivals, but admits that it’s a shame that there will be no fans present.

“It’s an opportunity to showcase what we are about,” said Skinner when speaking in Spurs’ pre-match press conference in which FAWSL Full-Time were present. “That’s why I think it’s the biggest shame we don’t have fans in this weekend.

“That’s the way the players are approaching it. To showcase where we are, in a fantastic venue.

“I think for us that’s the route the players are going for with their mindset.”

In the lead up to the game, The Football Association announced a new broadcast deal with Sky and the BBC. The multi-million pound deal will provide an income stream for Spurs which could help them continue their growth as a top flight club.

In the long term, Spurs are aiming to close the gap between themselves and the top four. Skinner said that while the club hold big ambitions, closing the gap on the sides at the top end of the table will take time and her team must be realistic.

“The club is really ambitious and there’s so much work going in behind the scenes to ensure we get things right to be one of those top clubs,” said Skinner. “I said when I came in, it is a journey. It is a process we are working hard towards and that is
going to take some time.

“We are talking about teams that have been established for a significant amount of time. Naturally, there is a little bit of a gap at the moment and that’s okay. Ultimately, that’s the direction of travel we want to go in.”

The North London derby between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal is scheduled to kick-off at 3.30pm tomorrow afternoon and will be available for fans to stream live on the FA Player.

Article author: Connor Williams