West Ham manager Rehanne Skinner reflected on her side’s narrow 1-0 defeat to Tottenham in their WSL opener, insisting there were positives to build on for the season ahead.
_“I thought we played really well, stuck to the game plan, and exploited their right-hand side, which created good opportunities in and around the final third,”_ Skinner said. _“But we could have been a little bit more ruthless in those moments.”_
She highlighted the importance of the club’s summer signings in providing depth and continuity, something she felt had been missing in previous campaigns. _“I’m really pleased with the squad and the way that we’ve grown it,”_ she said. _“We’ve added some different experience, quality, and positional depth.”_
There was no immediate update on Kinga Košmala, who was forced off after colliding with the goalpost. _“She’s tough, so for her to come off the pitch it’s obviously something we’re going to have to deal with and assess over the next 24 hours,”_ Skinner explained.
Looking ahead, West Ham face another London derby against Arsenal next week in front of their home fans. _“They’re a tough team to play,”_ Skinner admitted. _“It’s just the next game, we’ll prepare the same and get ready to go in and play a tough test.”_
Skinner also reflected on the broader growth of the women’s game following the Lionesses’ success at Euro 2025.
_“You’ve got to mention the work that England did again in the summer,” she said. “These things have a massive impact on the growth of the game.”_