Wilma Leidhammar: The Birminghammar

 Wilma Leidhammar: The Birminghammar

Wilma Leidhammar joined Birmingham City for a league record fee in the WSL2 and hasn't looked back since. Her league debut ended with her scoring off the bench away against Portsmouth in late January which saw her leave Hannah Coan stumbling for balance before she dispatched a composed low finish to round off the scoring in a 4-0 rout. Leidhammar essentially came into a new look Birmingham central midfield spine as the season as she took over the number 10 role from club captain Christie Harrison-Murray, while fellow Damallsvensken alum, Asato Miyagawa joined Chelsea Cornet in the double pivot to replace Ji So-Yun, who returned to the Seattle Reign in January. In 11 league appearances, with 9 of those being starts, the Swede managed to score 7 times and added a completely new threat to this Birmingham City side.

In September 2025, I wrote about how Birmingham's wingers and full-backs were really the driving forces behind their attacking threat in the early stages of the season (and throughout really as Lily Crosthwaite ended up being named league player of the season) yet since the Swede's arrival, they added an extra goal threat through the middle which the strikers in front of her couldn't really replicate. They did have some rocky moments near the end of the season with the 3-0 home loss vs Ipswich being a particular anomaly, but that attacking midfield 3 of Veatriki Sarri, Lily Crosthwaite and Leidhammar was arguably the most complete attacking trident in the league.  

The joy of watching the young Swede comes from how effortless she makes football look when she's at her best, as she picks up pockets of space so easily to create dangerous passing options for her teammates to find her in behind the opposing midfield line. She's got quite a tall frame as well which she uses well when she receives the ball to block off defenders and bring her teammates into play. The Swedish u-23 captain is equally capable of receiving the ball on either foot and can even carry on her less favoured left foot to a decent standard to add an extra layer of unpredictability to her game. When she's at full stride, she doesn't look quick but there's a real elegance to how she plays as it almost looks like she glides on the ball as she has a very high level of technical security on the ball.

She finds space ahead of her and is at a good angle to receive the ball 

She then traps the ball on her left a little out of stride but is still able to burst forward.

With the ball, she then shields her opponent to create more space.

Even though this pass was offside, Leidhammar spots the run in behind which she quickly played on her left.

While they do have different roles in possession for their club sides, I think there's parts of her game that look strikingly similar to her cross town rival's starlet midfielder, Lucia Kendall. As alluded to before, Leidhammar has such a high technical floor when she's on the ball and her ambidexterity mirrors Kendall's game quite similarly and both of them have excellent spatial awareness when their team has the ball which allows them both to find themselves in excellent areas to receive the ball. The main difference between the two however is that the role they play in attack, Leidhammar has a freer role closer to her striker, whereas Kendall usually plays as part of a midfield 2 with more defensive responsibilities. 

One thing that she will find in the WSL this season though is that she's much less likely to find herself in quite the amount of space that she was against some teams this past season. Part of this was because, in the first few games that she played, she did come on as a substitute in her first game and teams weren't as aware of the threat she posed when Birmingham had the ball. I don't expect this to be a massive problem for her but it could be an adjustment now, especially since Crystal Palace and Charlton will be joining The Blues in the top flight, and Charlton are all too aware of her quality.

Speaking of that Charlton game, that really highlighted an aspect of her game that is another excellent part of her game; her aerial prowess/threat from set pieces. The opening goal of that game saw her position herself at the back post to nod home from a looped cross from Oceane Hurtre in the first half where she out-jumped Jodie Hutton. Her positioning for the goal also saw her take advantage of the space where Lily Crosthwaite would usually have been, but instead the English winger helped to create an overload in the middle/near post. 

Leidhammar is ready to jump for the ball before Hutton.

She jumps highest and is able to squeeze the ball in at the near post.

 

Her second goal against The Addicks really showcased her physicality in the box as she received the ball from Lee Geum-Min's mishit header with her back to goal and her first touch was perfect to allow the ball to run across to her right side where she could angle her body to be parallel with the goal before hitting the ball over the keeper and beyond the Charlton players on the line to win the game.

Her 1st touch allows her to shift the momentum of her defender. 

She's then able to rifle the ball into the top of the net in heavy traffic.

 

Despite her not registering a league assist yet, I think this an aspect of her game that is still good as she does have an eye for a killer pass near the box where she can slip through her teammates, but it's not the most outstanding element of her game. She constantly scans before receiving the ball which enables her to get a clear idea of where the other players on the pitch when she's looking for the ball and gives her the extra time to make the right read. Her scanning isn't just an asset for her offensively, she's at the very least average on the defensive end for an attack-minded number 10 that does track back and can cover passing lanes quite well.

Here she is on the shoulder of the defender and about to be played in down the line.

She sizes up her defender and spots the space in behind for Rebecca McKenna.

McKenna breaking into the open space.

Leidhammar plays the ball into the space for Mckenna but the chance comes to nothing.

 

Leidhammar was one of the best players in the league this past season and I really think that she can have an explosive debut season in English top flight football and potentially make some noise for next summer to attract interest from some of the bigger name clubs in women's football.

Spurs 25/26 retrospective and what I hope to see next season

This season has seen a marked improvement from Spurs' 11th placed finish 1 year ago. If nothing else they're a more watchable team than they were last season as they have been able to establish more of a threat whenever they enter the final 3rd which was an aspect of their game that was lacking last year. The counting metrics suggest that there's been a sign that the club is moving in the right direction to establish themselves as the best team outside of the top. 

Their attacking numbers have improved by 7 more goals compared to last season with 33 (with one game left which is a caveat throughout this). They've also conceded 7 fewer goals compared to last season with 37 compared to 44, but the defence overall has remained leaky and has meant they've been the 4th worst team for goals conceded in the division with 44. Another interesting stat in terms of goals is just how different their home and away form has been as they have so far scored 11 and conceded 12 goals at home compared to 22 scored and 25 conceded away. 

Recruiment successes 

Spurs recruited excellently in the summer and the winter windows with Toko Koga, Cathinka Tandberg, Signe Gaupset, Maika Hamano and Julie Blakstad all making a meaningful impact in their first season/half-season as Spurs players. The real standouts of the 5 players I've mentioned, though, have to be Toko Koga and Signe Gaupset. 

Koga was signed off the back of a stellar debut season in Europe with Feyenoord and was seen as a really exciting prospect in a position that Spurs have struggled to really nail down starters for in the past. Her presence was sorely missed during her time away with Japan at the Asian games from February to March as her and Clare Hunt had been the first choice starters up until that point and Spurs struggled for form. On the ball, she's one of the most exciting defensive prospects I've seen recently, and her level of technicality on the ball is rare for a 20 year-old defender. There have been times where she's either been caught out in terms of pace and strength but these are things that she can still realistically work on in terms of improving her positioning and general conditioning so that she's less likely to get knocked off in 50/50's.

Signe Gaupset was the brightest star in an underwhelming Norway in team in the 2025 Euros and already had a connection with Martin Ho from their Brann days. It was still a huge surprise when her signing was announced in November for a club record fee that's believed to be north of £350k. The Norwegian starlet was immediately placed into the starting xi in January against Leicester. She actually started as a LW and was unplayable with her desire to take on her opponent and attack the box. Ever since then she has been pushed back into a double pivot role where she has seemingly been vocal about the fact that she prefers to be a central player. Alongside Drew Spence, Spurs now have one of the most forward-thinking midfield lines which sees Gaupset look to get on the ball in central and deep areas to slink past opposing midfelders and constantly get Spurs up the pitch.

Olivia Holdt's superstar rise

Staying on the theme of individual levels, Olivia Holdt was able to establish herself as a player of the season candidate on the back of some excellent games despite not always getting the nod earlier in the season. Holdt was really the talisman for Spurs in the run up to December as the team's primary creator, and she became the main example in Spurs' resurgence as a team full of excellent ball-carriers. Her 1.8 successful carries per 90 (Fotmob) is pretty impressive given that she's a pretty high volume carrier on nearly 3 dribble attempts per game. The Dane possesses one of my favourite attributes in football which is that she's equally proficient on both feet when it comes to shooting and passing. Her goal in the 5-1 home loss vs Man City and her assist for Beth England away at Man United (more on this game later) are the best examples of this ease of play from Holdt. Holdt's goal catalogue this season has been really excellent and she's shown that she can score all sorts of goals, from long-range screamers to being able to run in behind/exploit space off the shoulder of her defender to finish 1v1's. When you watch her, you just think that she can make something happen which is why she's the best player that Spurs brought in during the Vilahamn era.

Some key games

The two games against Manchester United in the league feel like pretty big indicators to me that this team can really take the next step this season and be more competitive in the games against the rest of the top 4. Both games against the Reds were significant for different reasons: the first showed just how clinical Spurs could be as they put away 3 goals in 61 minutes before eventually succumbing to a 3-3 draw as the Lilywhites looked like they could've scored from every chance they got before United's late surge; the reverse fixture saw Spurs dominate the possession and create some really good chances towards the end but were let down by some poor finishing which saw them drop 2 points from what was a winnable game. The one thing I didn't mention about the 2nd game was that United still created some dangerous chances and did expose the Spurs back line too easily where they could have scored had it not been for the presence of Lize kop who had one of her most confident performances in a Spurs shirt.

United have cooled off a lot since December but they're still one of 2 teams we're yet to beat in the WSL or any domestic competition. The other team that we haven't beaten is Chelsea and in both of these games, Spurs were arguably unlucky not to at least take a point from either result. In the away game, Spurs defended pretty well and got into the final 3rd fairly well but were massively out-shot and couldn't really trouble Hampton. The home game however was much better despite the scoreline. For 40 minutes it really looked likem Spurs could get something with Gaupset really pushing Spurs up the field. Unfortunately Keira Walsh scored from a corner that wasn't well defended and then Spurs just couldn't really threaten Chelsea enough afterwards. Like United, Chelsea have been worse this season but they're still ahead off us financially and historically so it's a start to actually be more competitive in these games.

The players who have left this season 

In terms of players that have left since matchday 1, Spurs have allowed more senior players to leave on loan than they have for quite a while. Anna Csiki has had 2 loans this season to West Ham and Roma, Martha Thomas was allowed to join Liverpool in January on loan and Kit Graham was allowed to join Ipswich for the final 6 months of her contract on loan. Ash Neville being sold in early January was certainly a shock for most, especially since she was among the club's longest serving players and a firm fan favourite. Finally, in the week building up to the final home game against London City Lionesses the club announced the expiry of Charli Grant, Luana Buhler, Amy James-Turner, Josefine Rybrink, Kit Graham (as mentioned earlier), and, most shockingly of all, club captain Beth England. 

Now if I'm being a bit brutal the only one here that's a genuine surprise is Beth England. That's not to take away from the contributions of the others mentioned, but they had all either lacked game time due to injuries or players being brought in to take their spots. England's signing back in 2022 was a record fee for a transfer between WSL clubs and she near single-handedly saved the club from relegation in her debut half season. She leaves the club as an icon that has played a huge part in getting Spurs to where they are now.

I think the club in general is also trying to age the squad down, as Drew Spence is now the oldest player still at the club at the age of 33, with the 2nd oldest behind her being Martha Thomas & Molly Bartrip who are both 29. Of the 7 players that have been brought in, Julie Blakstad was the oldest at 24 and I think there's a decent chance that this a theme that will follow in to the summer window. 

What I hope to see next season 

Spurs really need to improve defensively if they really want to have a chance at cracking the top 4 and going for the Champions League slot. The squad, as it stands when Anna Csiki and Martha Thomas return from their loans, will have 24 senior players going into the summer and there is a decent chance that a few players will either get loaned out or sold. It feels like the recruitment will be very important to add in quality depth that can either immediately go into the starting team or be an able replacement for when injuries pop up. 

The main positions I hope Spurs recruit, in order of importance, are a number 6 that can add another layer of solidity in front of the defence and still be a solid ball-progressor, at least 2 centre-backs that are mobile and competent on the ball (ideally one of them would be left-footed), a back-up number 9 that is either at the same level or beyond Cathinka Tandberg in order to maintain attacking threat, and finally I wouldn't be opposed to bringing in a back-up keeper that's more experienced than Eleanor Heeps. Heeps has very little experience at this level, although she has been decent in the few games she has played for Spurs, so just making sure that there isn't a noticeable drop-off if/when Lize Kop isn't able to play seems a sensible move.

Structurally Martin Ho has stuck with the basic formation of a 4231 that has been a constant since his predecessor Robert Vilahamn, but he has developed this team into a team that is capable of pressing high and turning those moments when they do win the ball back into dangerous chances. The framework of the team isn't that rigid either as there's a fair amount of positional freedom for the midfielders and the wide players to drift into areas of space that aren't in their nominal zones to either create overloads or just exploit gaps and move the ball up the pitch quickly. Toko Koga and Clare Hunt have been given licence to be very aggressive when following the player they're marking out of possession which has been exploited against them at times even if they have largely been quite good at it, so finding a compromise to this risk could help put less pressure on their goal next season.

I'd like to see Ho try out a back 3 in bigger games next season - provided that they have adequate centre-back quality and depth - and also look into playing a 3 player midfield in other games, to have that extra player centrally in midfield to screen defensively, and match up to other teams that can look to outnumber Spurs in those midfield areas when they come up against 3 player midfields. Moving to a back 3 would allow Spurs to try out a 3421 where you can make the most of Ella Morris on the right who is incredibly attack-minded and, as we've seen since she's returned from her ACL injury, has left her flank exposed at times so this would allow an extra player further back to cover. Spurs' wingers also don't really flourish in wider areas, so by moving to have 2 players behind the 9 to act as 10's that can play in the inside channels, you allow the wing-backs to have more licence to create from wide while having 2 players infield of them who can have freer roles to exploit spaces in central areas. This might also be a way to move Signe Gaupset higher up the pitch where she can be at her best.

End 

To wrap up, this season hasn't been perfect and there have been games where Spurs have won in an ugly fashion, but they have also made themselves a much better team that looks set up for future success. This feels like another really important summer coming up. The worry I have is that because the club has yo-yoed so many times from one season to the next which makes me hope that the club is making sure to try to arrest that trend. 

Breaking down Sophie Peskett's performance vs Southampton 28/03/2026

Breaking down Sophie Peskett's performance vs Southampton 28/03/2026

The day I stop shouting about how good Sophie Peskett is, is the day that I die. Overly dramatic tagline out of the way, I think she's one of the best players in the WSL 2 and she doesn't get nearly enough plaudits online for how good she has been this season. Yes, the obvious part is that she plays for the team (Ipswich) that sit 2nd bottom in the league with only 3 league games to go in order to save themselves from a one season spell in the 2nd tier of women's football in England. That just doesn't do her, or the club, justice though as they have massively improved since the turn of the new year, helped by a busy January transfer window where they recruited 9 new players which have really allowed their performance levels to improve.

Peskett is one of the most direct wingers in the division, and this game was the best example of this that I’ve seen this season, as she constantly looked to take on her opponent in central and wide areas. Generally she is more of a touchline winger but, because she has such a high level of technical competence with her left foot, she looked to play in the inside right channel a lot as well to cut inside to either play the ball forwards to Princess Ademiluyi, who was Ipswich’s number 9 for the day, or to get a shot off in and around the box.

Peskett takes the ball near her own box and looks to take the ball upfield.

She moves towards the wide channel and slows down to bait Palmer in before bursting past her.

She then passes the ball up to Ademiluyi to try to establish play in the Southampton half.

Ademiluyi tries to trap the ball under pressure but Peskett's run got Ipswich into the other half quickly.

Speaking of Ademiluyi, she exhibited really good chemistry with Peskett as the England u-19 international so often found Peskett with 3rd player passes. Her hold-up play was excellent all game to hold off defenders. Ademiluyi looks like a really exciting prospect that is starting to establish herself in this Ipswich front line and she has a gravity around her that makes it nearly impossible for opponents to dispossess her when she traps the ball and her movement in the box ends up creating space for her teammates like Peskett to use. 

Ademiluyi contesting a bouncing ball with Peskett about to run beyond her.

Peskett looks to carry the ball into the boxin a 2v2 with 2 players behind her and Ashworth-Clifford to her left.

She gets a shout/is aware of the late run behind her from Kit Graham arriving near the top of the box.

Graham gets her shot off but gets blocked just in front of the goalkeeper.

Ipswich often push Peskett high up when they have a throw on their right flank and will often have their number 9 behind her to win the first ball. While they didn’t end up bringing Ademiluyi deeper for this throw, this did present Ipswich with one of their best chances all game and showed off how effectively Peskett can find space for herself and exploit it. 

Boswell finds Peskett in space from a throw.

The ball cycles to Leah Mitchell infield and immediately finds Peskett in the space behind 4 Southampton players and she scans to her right to show her where the space is.

She then runs into the space near the box with Palmer bearing down on her.

Again she shows her change of pace and awareness to move away from Palmer.

She then fakes onto her left foot again towards the centre of the box on her left foot.

She gets a well-hit shot off on her left foot that looks to be going towards the top corner but is well saved by Fran Stenson.

One of the things I have noticed when watching her is that she picks her head up when she has the ball and doesn’t get tunnel-visioned which shows as she made the right decision on the ball so many times this game. She really gave Southampton’s Aimee Palmer a tough game on and off the ball, which might seem strange on paper given that Palmer was one of the Saints’ double-pivots on the day. Ipswich really thrive when they’re able to hit teams on the counter-attack since David Wright has been in charge and this really makes the most of Peskett’s desire to constantly play forwards and into big spaces.

Colette Cavanagh wins the ball near the halfway line and Peskett is narrow to pick up the loose ball.

She looks to turn on the ball and attack the space in the centre of the pitch.

Another example of her slowing down to then create space approaching the box.

She cuts the ball across to Ademiluyi in the middle of the box.

One aspect of her game that maybe doesn’t get highlighted as much as her attacking capabilities is how she works as a presser in this team and her general off the ball play defensively. In this game she wasn’t perfect in terms of always tracking her full-back (Jess Simpson) but as the game went on she did largely hold her own and didn’t allow Maria Boswell to be isolated as often in the 2nd half. Her positional awareness is good defensively, which will occasionally see her move into the passing lane on the wide flank to cut out passes, but she’s also really shown a knack for being on the right end of turnovers in the opposition’s half where she’s been able to rack up easy assists. This game showed this exact scenario for her assist to Lucy Ashworth-Clifford in a moment that was foreshadowed in the first minutes of the game.

Graham plays a ball through towards Ademiluyi through the middle.

Ademiluyi and Goddard both go down near the box.

Peskett picks up the loose ball and takes the ball inside on her left foot past Collett.

Ashworth-Clifford is an offside position so isn't a viable pass option so Peskett opts to shoot under Stenson despite having more of the goal to aim for to Stenson's left.

Later on, Bourne fumbles her pass backwards allowing Peskett to nip between the 2 centre-backs.

She gets into the box to open an angle for either a shot or the cut across.

She gets her head up to see where Ashworth-Clifford is in the box.

Her low pass sets up Ashworth-Clifford to make the score 1-1.

One slight downside to her being so willing to use her left foot this game was that she often wasn’t able to get enough on some of her riskier passes which made it easier for the opposition defenders to cut out her attempts at progressing the ball. This game was also not the best showcase for her crossing, which has actually been pretty good this season. Part of this has been that she’s put less emphasis on attacking the byline and actually looked to cut the ball back/across the goal frequently in this game.

Overall this was a really positive performance from Ipswich’s star winger and it’s one that I’d encourage anyone with an interest in the WSL2 to watch as this was a really good showcase of a player that played to get the ball into the final 3rd and make chances for herself and her teammates. 

The curious case of Matilda Vinberg

The curious case of Matilda Vinberg

It's safe to say that Matilda Vinberg (affectionately referred to by fans and players as "Tilly") has had an up and down 2 and a half years since she signed for Spurs in January 2024. There was a decent amount of hype around her arrival as one of Sweden's brightest youngsters at the time, and Spurs seemingly managed to convince her to sign amidst reported interest from that season's league runners up Manchester City. Since she's been a Spurs player, she hasn't really been able to have a nailed on spot in the front line and, with her contract running out at the end of the season, I'm curious to see whether she will stay on as a Spurs player. 

 

Spurs' former manager, and fellow Swede, Robert Vilahamn brought her to Spurs during the January 2024 window. Her signing was helped in part due to them sharing the same management agency, but also the pathway to a starting spot in the Spurs front line was seen as more achievable compared to competing with City's wingers in England internationals, Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly. 

 

In her first half season her playing time was limited to 11 league appearances with only 4 of those appearances being as a starter. The season after, and her first full season for Spurs, in 24/25 she wasn't able to fully break into the starting xi as she started in less than half of her league appearances as she started 8 games and came on in 10 games as a substitute. Her goal and assist output hasn't been elite as yet which is somewhat expected given her spotty minutes before this current season but she has now registered a goal and 2 assists in the league in 25/26 which is currently her best return for Spurs.

 

Football of course isn't just about the numbers of course and Vinberg does bring value to this team. Stylistically she suits Spurs' approach of wanting technical players that are creative passers and can carry the ball in wide and central areas. As mentioned earlier she can play multiple positions in that attacking midfield line, and I think she even has the profile to get minutes at the 10 slot as an occasional alternative to Olivia Holdt due to her potential as a ball-carrier. This positional versatility is a big plus due to managers in the modern game needing players that can fill multiple roles within a team and, as you can see by her heatmaps since she has been at Spurs, she has popped up almost everywhere on the pitch to take the ball.

Vinberg's half season 23/24 heatmap

Her 24/25 heatmap

Her 25/26 heatmap

 

Typically she can play on either wing but has been used more on the left of a 4231 or a 442. Spurs' attacking midfield line have had quite fluid roles at times as well, as the wide players have swapped flanks mid-game, and they've clustered over to one flank to try to create an offensive overload on that flank. In terms of profile balance she does mesh quite well with Olivia Holdt and Signe Gaupset who occupy central areas and want to attack the oppositions back line and push Spurs into attacking areas. 

 

Vinberg often looks to get on the ball in the half-space channels and very often she ends up playing with her back to goal where she will either try to roll her opponent or lay the ball off for a nearby teammate. Her back to goal play is something that I think she will look to improve as she can easily get crowded out by opposition players which cuts off her potential passing options, and she generally looks more comfortable when she's able to get on the ball facing forward with space ahead of her where she can look to open gaps in the opposition lines.

 

Her profile contrasts against her teammates that she's competing with for the starting winger minutes in Lenna Gunning-Williams, Julie Blakstad, Matilda Nilden & Araya Dennis (Dennis is more of a utility player that can play further back or as a striker) who are more direct wingers that look to play wider than Vinberg. She profiles more similarly to Maika Hamano in the sense that Hamano also doesn't have quite the same emphasis on pace in her game and can create in half-space channels and in wider areas.

 

The 23 year-old has shown promise of being able to be a threat as a ball-carrier with her completing 1.7 carries per 90 at a 45% success rate, but where her real talent lies is in her crossing and her ball-striking. Her cross completion numbers are quite good at 0.99 per 90 with a 37% success rate, but her actual technique on her stronger left foot allows her to get real power and accuracy on her balls into the box from set pieces and in open play. She does have Beth England and Cathinka Tandberg to aim for who are both good in the air and physical players but crossing isn't currently an area that Spurs make the most use of as they average 4 completed crosses per 90 which is the 6th highest in the league so they're about league average.

One problem holding her back is her over-reliance on her left foot. I will admit that I do value players who are elite on both feet in terms of shooting, ball-carrying and passing higher than other players but it's a tool that can allow players that extra edge of unpredictability, especially in isolation moments. It's not to say that she can't use her unfavoured right foot at all, as she can pass with it to a decent level, but very often her first thought seems to be how she can get the ball onto her left foot in moments where she's either about to shoot or pass off to a teammate in the final 3rd. This also limits her when she's the starting right-winger as she can't make the best use of that byline when she's in the final 3rd due to her reliance on cutting onto her left foot.

She has shown glimpses of being a good presser when the opposition has the ball deep in their own half to pressure them into having less time on the ball but her positional discipline and her tracking back are areas that also could use some work, as Spurs in general (not to point the blame solely at her) are not great at defending in transition.

 

Overall I think Spurs should extend her contract in the near future rather than lose her as a free agent in the summer. This season she has been shown more faith by Martin Ho as she's finally cracked the 1000 league minutes mark which is higher than in either of her previous 2 seasons. Her renewal may not be seen as a priority over club captain Beth England, whose contract also expires this summer, or Olivia Holdt whose contract runs until the summer of 2027 but is seen as one of the league's best number 10's. There is also a chance that Spurs try to make Maika Hamano's loan move permanent from Chelsea which could impact Vinberg's prospect of being a starter, but that seems unlikely as the Blues seem set for something of a squad overhaul, and Hamano has a long term contract until 2029, so the Japanese starlet is probably not coming back to Spurs. 

 

The end of the current season also represents a really good chance for Vinberg to up her goal contribution numbers to continue to show how she's improved since her arrival in 2024. The difficulty of the end of the season also gives her the opportunity to prove that she can be important in big games as Spurs have to face Arsenal, Manchester United, London City Lionesses and Brighton in the league, as well as facing Chelsea in the FA Cup semi final.

Why the number 6 and right-winger positions aren't appreciated enough in the WSL & WSL 2

This isn't meant to be looking into a problem necessarily as the WSL and WSL 2 are stacked with talent in every position. However, the 6 and the right-winger roles seem to have less of an emphasis on them in the respect of having fewer superstars that primarily play those roles and fewer players have been developed to play in those roles. This is also partially wondering why I often see fans and pundits mention that certain players don't really suit their specific roles - particularly with players in the number 6 position - and why they'd be better served playing in a different role. This isn't to say that they're wrong but it's something that's made me think for a while.

The number 6 

The number 6 position in football is arguably one of the most important on the football pitch. Not every team plays with a lone 6 in the WSL or WSL 2 however, so there can be a perception that they're a luxury player as they're mostly key for teams that look to dominate possession and build out from the back. That said, they're typically the players that link play from the back line in order to get the ball up to advanced positions and are crucial in controlling the centre of the pitch. 

Being able to play on the half-turn in deep areas is often a big part of the required skillset in a number 6, although teams can skirt around this by having the 6 drop into the back line to act as an extra centre-back. This can allow them to face forwards on the ball easier and less regularly play facing their own goal.

The leagues lack natural 6's as more often than not the players that do act as the anchors in either 3-player midfields or double pivots are often converted number 8's or number 10's that lack defensive awareness when it comes to screening the defensive line which can be as dangerous in transition scenarios and in settled defensive possession moments. Converting more attack-minded or box-to-box midfielders into 6's isn't necessarily a bad thing, it can just be harder to coach those defensive instincts and in a competition where each team only plays 22 games a season, learning that role in one season can be a task that teams just don't have time for if they're near the bottom of the table.

One of the biggest reasons for converting more attack-minded midfielders into deeper lying players can be their attacking instincts and, if they have a good passing range, it can make good use of their vision to open teams up that are in settled blocks in tight games. Number 6's in the modern game also need to be comfortable calling for the ball when the ball is in deeper positions in order to get play moving quickly out from the defence into the middle of the pitch, which is a very common trait in more confident number 10's who are often the focal point of their teams as they're often press-resistant through being elite passers or they can carry out of pressure and move the ball upfield themselves.

Keira Walsh and Yui Hasegawa are the gold standards for 6's in the top tier (even though Hasegawa has been given a freer role this season by Andree Jeglertz at Man City) with Sophie Ingle & Chelsea Cornet being the standouts in the WSL 2 this year. Walsh in particular is often marked out of the game specifically by opponents as an effective way to shut down either Chelsea or England, by forcing the rest of her teammates to progress the ball without her as they'll often look to funnel the ball out to wider areas. 

In one sense, the 6 is basically like gold dust because it is a difficult to specifically train players to have such a rounded skillset, and to be sure that their technical floor is high enough that they can consistently keep possession and progress the ball under pressure in some of the most important parts of the pitch.

The right-sided winger/wide midfielder

This is something that I've thought about for a while at this point. The point I want to make isn't that there aren't any good right wingers in English football, because of course there are. I just think the position lacks specialists who are guaranteed to play there week after week. Lauren James is England's most talented player and does often play there for club and country, but like a few other players I want to mention, a lot of wide players (including superstars) end up playing across the left, the 10 and the 9 slots in some cases, without really being an out-and-out right winger. 

To reiterate the point from the section about 6's, I'm not trying to look at this as a problem. It's just an observation that modern football does put a lot of emphasis on positional versatility, and (maybe I'm wrong here) there's less of an emphasis on left-sided wide players to play the same sort of minutes on the right side. A reason for this of course is the relative lack of left-footed players in football in general and with wingers often playing on the side that allows them to cut inside on their strong foot as inverted wingers/inside forwards. 

I think I am biased towards players that are capable of using both feet to similar levels of proficiency to the point of not really being able to tell their strong foot. This level of technical proficiency though can also be why those sorts of players either occupy number 10 roles, or can fairly interchangeably play on either flank. Maybe there's also less of an emphasis on the right-winger area as a lot of right-backs in the leagues are basically wing-backs that do create a lot of the chances on that flank for their teams

Arsenal actually have 3 players where you can argue that right wing is their best position in Olivia Smith, Chloe Kelly and Beth Mead. Smith and Kelly are both very direct and pacy forwards that love taking the ball down the line and sizing up their opposing full back but both of them have been utilized on the left at times this season with Smith even being used as a 9 (which she did for a big portion of last season at Liverpool as well). Mead in recent months for club and country has been used almost as an extra 10 (from the games I've seen her in) taking up very central spaces to almost vacate the right flank for Emily Fox or Smilla Holmberg for Arsenal or Lucy Bronze for England, which is a valid tactic to use as she's very good in these central areas and can create space for herself and her teammates.

Dropping down to the championship though is where there are actually 2 specialists who are both enjoying really stellar seasons on the right, despite sitting at different ends of the league table (yes this is also an excuse for me to talk about Sophie Peskett again). 

Starting at the top of the table Lily Crosthwaite has massively benefited from her summer move from Durham to last season's runners up Birmingham City as at the time of writing she has 6 goals and 6 assists in the league. Between her and Veatrikki Sarri on the left flank, Birmingham have 2 of the best wingers in the league who can cause opposing full-backs nightmares with how direct they can be. Although they have swapped flanks in games before, they are much more likely to stay on their flank for most of the game and Crosthwaite has developed even more as a ball-carrier and has honed her goal scoring to really take advantage of being the most advanced player in transition moments.

The reason that Sophie Peskett stands out to me as a player is that she really is such a well-rounded player that can just as comfortably cut inside on her left, or go down the line against her full-back on her favoured right foot in a foot race. Peskett is one of the quickest players in the league and her off-ball and on-ball speed has been part of her completing a massive 4.7 successful dribbles this season with a success rate of (67%).  She has started some games on the left for Ipswich but has been primarily used on the right of a midfield 4 and has 4 assists to her name along with 3 goals this season.

 

Abbie Larkin player profile

Abbie Larkin celebrating after scoring against Birmingham City as she points to the Palace bench.

 

Irish attacking-midfielder/forward Abbie Larkin has taken the leap into a starting role for Crystal Palace this season after struggling to break into the first team last season in the WSL. Since then, in Jo Potter's first season as manager, the 20 year-old Larkin has played as a number 10 or as a 2nd striker behind/next to a number 9. Her role as a 10 isn't to be a creator however. At the time of writing, she's the joint top scorer in the WSL 2 on 7 goals which have shown off her excellent ball-striking and her excellent movement in the box to finish off crosses.

Palace are a really well balanced side this season and can create chances from the sides or through the centre and can combine fairly intricate build-up play with longer, more direct balls into feet, which allows Larkin to be a part of moving the ball from the middle 3rd into the final 3rd as one of their key ball carriers. Her dribble success rate currently sits at 78% on a high volume where she completes 4.0 carries per 90. 

It's especially noticeable that when she plays next to Kirsty Howat as 10's behind a number 9, that when one of them shows for the ball, the other will stay higher to either stretch the defensive line by either making a run in behind for balls over the top or to make decoy runs when Palace move the ball quickly through the centre.

In a more conventional part of her role as a number 10 she is keen to offer a passing angle for her teammate on the ball, allowing her to pick the ball up in between the lines with her back to goal and then turn to face goal with space ahead of her. Her ability to take the ball with her back to goal is a massive part of her game as she can then burst into space laterally and give runners the chance to get ahead of her. She often makes use of Palace's central defenders' & midfield pivots ability to play line-breaking passes into central areas to give them an out-ball up the field to allow her teammates to create angles around her, almost like what a traditional target forward would do. She's an intelligent player that can open up play with her link-up when she's near the goal by drawing her defender in towards her before flicking the ball beyond them to a teammate. 

This the sort of area where Larkin plays her best football/tends to operate with her back to goal.

Aimee Everett launches the ball up to Abbie Larkin against Southampton.

Abbie Larkin takes the ball with her back to goal with space behind her and infield.

Larkin spots the run of Annabel Blanchard into space inside and lays the ball off. Nothing comes from the play but she managed to help progress the ball near Southampton's box with her hold-up play.

Larkin really suits Palace when they look to play quickly and in transition moments where she can make good use of her ball carrying and pace to break into space in central and inside right channels ahead of her. She is also often keen to make herself available to her teammates as she can either drop in or tuck in to provide a short passing option when the ball is near the inside channels in the opposition half. Her spatial awareness is a big part of her being able to find space for herself and does mean that she can ghost into pockets of space left by defenders when they retreat back to deal with the ball being progressed in deep areas of the pitch. 

Her defensive work rate when pressing from the front as well as being willing to track back in transitional moments show good signs that she can be an effective front-foot presser that can not allow opposing defenders time on the ball in their own half. She's also very effective when scanning off the ball in defensive situations in her own half to cut off passing angles and not allow gaps to appear behind her when Palace are in a settled defensive shape.

She does play a fairly one-footed style that's fairly reliant on her being able to get past her opponent with her right foot when either going inside or down the line. It's not that she can't use her left foot at all as she can pass out with it and control the ball, it's just that she rarely uses it to shoot, while rarely using it whe she has an opposition player near her. Her pace is notable but she's not explosive and does take a bit of time to get up to her top speed. While she is able to score excellent goals from outside the box, she really needs to clean up her shot map as she can be prone to shooting from range too often when she has other options near her.

Palace still have 6 games to go until the end of the season and look poised to either play in the relegation/promotion play-off game against the bottom team of the WSL. They also have a very real chance to gain one of those automatic promotion spots and Abbie Larkin's goals, as well as her general presence in attacking midfield have given her a real platform this season to make a name for herself this season.