One of the unsung heroes in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League so far this season is Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Tinja-Riikka Korpela.
The experienced Finnish international joined Spurs in the summer after leaving former club Everton and she has taken her opportunity with her new employer with both hands.
FAWSL Full-Time have been analysing the 35-year-old’s statistics so far this season and here are the key facts and figures behind Korpela’s performances.
In her six league games played, Korpela has been beaten on just four occasions. Her goals conceded per game average of 0.67 can only be bettered by Arsenal keeper Manuela Zinsberger (0.37). The same two keepers also come out on top in terms of save percentages with Zinsberger saving 85.7% of opponents’ shots on goal and Korpela saving 84.6%. The pair are some way ahead of the joint-third best shot stoppers, Brighton & Hove Albion’ Megan Walsh and Korpela’s teammate Becky Spencer, who have saved 78.6% of the efforts on their goal.
What Korpela could improve is her clean sheet record. The veteran has kept two shutouts in six games which ranks as the joint-seventh best record in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League.
Korpela is yet to concede an own goal or a goal from a penalty kick or free-kick this season but she has conceded once from a corner. There are six keepers yet to concede from a corner, however, only Chelsea’s Ann-Katrin Berger has played more minutes than Korpela. Berger (54.5%) is the only keeper to have successfully completed a greater percentage of long passes over 40 yards than Korpela (52.4%).
Berger and Korpela could meet when Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur contest the first match of the New Year in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League on Friday 7 January 2022.