‘It feels really good, an important result’ – Pelova on her first goals for Spurs
Having been named in her first starting XI of the campaign, Victoria Pelova couldn’t have asked for a better impact than netting a brace in our thumping win over Crystal Palace.
A summer arrival following the expiry of her contract with Arsenal, it was actually the midfielder’s first goals in Spurs colours – a moment she admitted that lifted pressure off her shoulders – as we ran out 7-0 victors in south London.
Coming on as a substitute in our previous two Women’s Super League fixtures this term, Vic was handed her first start in our clash at Selhurst Park and was influential in our opening goal, clipping a lovely ball into the middle of the box for Olivia Holdt to volley home.
As Oli followed up with a further two goals, securing a hat-trick on the afternoon, the Netherlands international then opened her account with a lovely strike from the edge of the box and, after Amanda Nilden and Shekiera Martinez also netted goals, Vic wrapped up the scoring in the 90th minute for her brace and our seventh.
Getting off the mark in her new colours in north London, she spoke about the relief to finally get that first goal and how the importance of the result over the Eagles.
“It feels really good,” she told SPURSPLAY after the game, reflecting on her double. “It's nice that you don't have the pressure anymore to score that first goal, so it's really nice and obviously an important result for the team.
“It's hard to play against a low block, but Martin [Ho] said some good things at half-time of what we have to do, and I think we executed that well. You could see seven goals, [a number of] different goalscorers, so that's nice.
“We now have two tough weeks, with a lot of games, and I know at the end of the season, goals matter, it always matters, so I think it's good that we scored seven goals.”