“We have to go into the game and show we want and belong to be there” - Martin Ho previews Spurs’ clash with Chelsea

Spurs boss Martin Ho spoke to the media ahead of his side's trip to Kingsmeadow at the weekend to take on reigning champions Chelsea.

📸via www.tottenhamhotspur.com

Spurs have started this season under new leadership in inspired form, with four wins from five, winning both their away matches and sitting on 12 points out of a possible 15 and third in the table. The most recent being a 1-0 win over a promising Brighton side. 

“We’ve had some really good performances, some games where we’ve had to show both sides across the ninety minutes, but I couldn’t have asked for a better start.” 

Spurs’ next challenge is the biggest any WSL team can face arguably, taking on Chelsea, six time consecutive winners of the WSL, and have yet to lose domestically under Sonia Bompastor since she arrived last summer following Emma Hayes’ departure. 

“The squad they have and what they’ve done domestically, they’re renowned for winning, it’s what they do. More importantly, we have to focus on ourselves and impose ourselves in a better way than we have when we’ve played against the top clubs in the past."

“We have to go into the game with confidence and belief that we belong there and want to be there. For any kind, our away form plays a part in terms of where we will finish, still imposing ourselves with the ball, it’ll be the key when we go to places like Chelsea, having to be ruthless with it.” 

Touching back on Tottenham’s start to the season, it could be easy for anyone with the club close to their heart to get carried away, in what has been a drastic upturn in form since last campaign. Ho however, is keen to ensure players feet are kept firmly on the ground. 

“I wouldn’t say people are getting carried away, I try to remind them that there is still a lot of work to do being only five games in. We are very premature in this kind of era at the club, we want to continue the effective and better performances. We haven’t had many complete performances yet back to front, so that is something that we need to work on, it’s a reminder to the players we are on the start of this journey, if you want to keep pushing those top spots, you have to find something different every week." 

Lastly, Spurs are facing a side that have drawn their last two games, which for The Blues is something of a travesty, having nicked a point up in Manchester last week against United, before a tight 1-1 draw with FC Twente to open up their UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign in midweek. 

“You can look at it from both sides, they will have rested players for the Twente game, but they will be wanting a response from that, Sonia and the players will be disappointed with that performance but we have to be willing to stand up infront of that, impose ourselves on the game and focus on what we can control, how we can exploit them and how we defend, alongside focusing on what we can do in all areas against them.”