Holdt hat-trick fires Tottenham into second as Palace crumble in 7-0 rout

A star is emerging at Spurs

Someone who is not suffering with a crisis of confidence in front of goal is Tottenham's Olivia Holdt. Since the start of February, only Bunny Shaw (12) has found the goal more times than her eight. The fluidity with which Spurs attack is fresh and exciting.

Crystal Palace held out for an entire half before feeling the full brunt of Martin Ho's wonderfully inventive side in a 7-0 drubbing, scoring six goals in a devastating 25-minute period. Holdt's hat-trick set the tone. A perfect treble of differing strikes. One from a neatly worked throw routine, an instinctive banger from a loose ball inside the box and another from a high turnover.

“To my eye, she is a great blend of talent meets determination and has adapted the demands of the league quicker than most. She is a scorer and creator of goals, who can carry the ball just as well as she distributes it.”

On her first Spurs start this season, Holdt gave Martin Ho plenty to think about as his side move up to second in the table. The challenge now is to stay there.

For a Tottenham side that has long chased a place among the WSL's front-runners, Holdt's ruthless efficiency in front of goal represents the kind of cutting edge that can turn eye-catching performances into sustained league position.