Will Manchester United or Tottenham break into the WSL’s top three?

Tottenham were playing in the second tier three years ago before earning promotion to the WSL.

A few months on from their debut in the league, they hosted Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in front of 38,262 fans – the highest crowd for a WSL match.

Since then the club have cemented their position as a top-flight club, with seventh, eighth and fifth-place finishes in their past three seasons – while they even attracted the services of USA icon Alex Morgan in 2020.

Performances on the pitch have been helped by backing off it. Spurs have new training facilities, were due to open the season at the men’s stadium again before the round of fixtures were postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and they have been ambitious in the transfer market.

Spurs feel they have added depth to the squad, particularly in midfield, and designed a challenging pre-season schedule competing in the Women’s Cup – hosted by American club Racing Louisville – in order to improve competitive experiences.

“We brought players that will add value to the team,” said winger Jess Naz. “We have done little things like making sure standards are set so we can bridge the gap between us and the top three.”

Former Manchester United defender Amy Turner was a shrewd addition from Orlando Pride, alongside German midfielder Ramona Petzelberger and ex-Chelsea striker Drew Spence, who scored on her debut in the win over Leicester last weekend.

Manager Rehanne Skinner said her team were “definitely pushing” to be in a position to qualify for the Champions League but has not put a timescale on it.

“If you’re not trying to get to the top of the table then what are you doing really? We certainly want to keep improving on the things we did last season,” she added.