Spurs captain Shelina Zadorsky looking forward to ‘must-win’ Reading clash

Tottenham captain Shelina Zadorsky is relishing their “must-win” showdown against fellow Women’s Super League strugglers Reading on Saturday.

Both sides will be desperate for victory in their fight to avoid relegation, with 10th-placed Spurs three points above rock-bottom Reading heading their penultimate game of the season.

Vicky Jepson’s Tottenham have hit a rough patch, picking up only two points from their last five games, while Reading have lost five out of six and were thrashed 5-0 at home by Aston Villa in their last outing.

Reading (H) pic.twitter.com/k4e2o12qs4

— Tottenham Hotspur Women (@SpursWomen) May 19, 2023

The match, which is part of a double-header at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the men’s team kicking off against Brentford at 1230pm in the Premier League before the WSL fixture takes place at 1615pm, could have huge implications for both clubs, but Zadorsky is looking forward to the occasion.

The Canada international told the club website: “We’re all excited, this is a must-win game for us and we’re very cognisant of where we are in the table and taking accountability for that as players.

“But in training there has been good energy and we’re really pushing to get a good result in front of our fans at home.

“We know how important the game is. We need to enjoy it and find a way to win.”

Saturday’s fixture is also huge for a Reading side whose last win was against West Ham at the start of March.

Positive MD-1 mood pic.twitter.com/6mTSv1yFes

— Reading FC Women (@ReadingFCWomen) May 19, 2023

A victory against Tottenham would see the Royals move off the bottom if Leicester lose to West Ham on Sunday, and manager Kelly Chambers knows what is at stake for her team.

She told the club website: “It’s a hard moment, as I see it every day the amount of hard work that goes in from my staff, the players are given me everything during the week, we’re all fighting.

“I think if we’re all brutally honest, many would have predicted us to be in the position we are in, some have said it from the moment we were promoted, but time and time again we’ve proved what we’re about and on Saturday we need to do it again.

“This Saturday there will be no place to hide.”