Key events
59 min: Arsenal put together some slick attack with one-two passes. However, Raso does well to initially repel the chance but Arsenal just keep coming.
57 min: Spurs win it back, they have every part of their game firing at the moment bar the final shot. This time they find Naz but she is then ruled offside.
56 min: Foord barges into Neville, her Spurs teammates check if she is okay and she doesn’t need treatment. Spurs have a free kick from the foul, the delivery is good and Walti sees it out for a corner. England is over the corner ball but the delivery isn’t good.
54 min: Hunt is shown a yellow card for a shirt pull and Arsenal have a free kick in a good position. McCabe takes the set piece again and it’s very similar to the ones she has taken all game, straight at Spencer who collects.
52 min: Spurs put a beautiful move together but Nilden’s pass back inside is mopped up by Cooney-Cross. They are knocking on the door and they look the more likely to score. If they are the next to hit the back of the net this derby will get tasty.
50 min: Naz escapes up the right and boos rain down as Catley hits the deck and a free kick allows Arsenal to clear. The hosts quickly win it back, this has been a bright start to the second half for Spurs but they need to capitalise on their momentum.
49 min: Foord has a good run but Hunt marks her well to see the resulting pass reach the feet of a Spurs player.
47 min: Tottenham have all of the early second half ball but they haven’t managed to do anything meaningful with it.
Back underway! Tottenham 0-2 Arsenal
Can Spurs fight back? Or will Arsenal seal bragging rights? All to come. Cooney-Cross is coming on for Arsenal, replacing Little.
Here’s news from elsewhere in the sport:
Elsewhere in the league, Brighton have beaten West Ham 3-2 with Fran Kirby scoring a late winner. Katrina Gorry had scored two goals in five minutes to equalise for the Hammers but Kirby was the Seagulls hero.
Half-time: Tottenham 0-2 Arsenal
It was a shocking start from Spurs who conceded in the first two minutes through Russo and Maanum doubled their lead. Tottenham have grown into the game with a great chance by England forcing a brilliant save from Van Domselaar. It’s all to play for.
45 + 3 min: McCabe gives away a free kick and the resulting delivery wins Spurs a corner. Summanen delivers the corner but it’s skied over the bar.
45 + 2 min: McCabe takes a free kick but it’s a weak shot which Spencer mops up.
45 + 1 min: Bartrip’s clearance sees another Arsenal corner, the camera angle made it look like that was going in her own goal but it’s wide. The corner is played short, McCabe crosses it in but Nilden sees it out for a throw in. Fox is then tripped by Raso who gives away a free kick. There will be two minutes added.
44 min: A lull in the game at the moment, end-to-end football but no clear shot from either side.
42 min: Caldentey takes the free kick but it is directly at Spencer who was able to save easily.
40 min: Spence blocks a cross with handball and she gives away a free kick. She is also a bit lucky as she is already on a yellow card but the referee doesn’t show her a second one.
39 min: Tottenham had a really positive spell there for a minute or two but they’ve backed off a bit now with Arsenal pulling all of the strings.
37 min: England takes it, the delivery is good but it’s punched away by the keeper. England sends it in again but Fox sees it out for another corner. Spurs wanted a penalty in amongst that with a foul in the box but it isn’t given. The corner is taken and Naz has a shot but Van Domselaar easily saves.
36 min: What a save from Van Domselaar, that was huge. Spence intercepts a ball and she passes to England who rockets a shot at goal but the keeper sends it over the bar. A corner to come.
35 min: Raso puts on heaps of pressure on Van Domselaar and the keeper only just manages to get it away. Some pressure ensues from Spurs but Arsenal clear their lines. Possession exchanges hands and then Spurs win a free kick where they can relieve some pressure.
33 min: Maanum sends it in again but Spencer reads it well to collect.
31 min: I thought the loose play out the back would eventually see them concede, this time Walti pounces and wins a corner. Maanum is over this one, it’s a great delivery but no one can turn it in. Foord gets contact but her shot is out for another corner.
29 min: England is back to her feet and I think she is okay to continue but when she reaches the sidelines, as she received treatment, she leans over on her knees and grimaces. She does re-enter the game.
28 min: Spurs wanted a free kick there for a challenge on England, she stays down as it looks like she has been hit in the face. The referee eventually blows but the Spurs captain has not moved yet. Hopefully she is okay.
26 min: Spence goes into the book for a foul on Foord. The challenge has given Arsenal a free kick with Maanum and McCabe standing over it, it is the Norway international who takes it but it is a poor delivery and it goes straight out.
24 min: Spencer looks so frustrated in goal, she has just signed a new deal with the club as she has documented her skills in goal but her form has slipped of late.
The defence again shaky for Spurs and Spencer has a poor attempted save too. The amount of space Arsenal players have is crazy.
GOAL! Tottenham 0-2 Arsenal (Maanum, 22)
It was coming.
21 min: Foord comes close again. She is desperate for a goal today. She has scored seven goals against Tottenham and she wants to add to her tally. Tottenham break forward through England and Naz but the resulting cross results in a Arsenal free kick with Spence fouling Russo, the chance is gone.
19 min: Spurs have had some possession but they do not look like a threat at all when they try and create an attack. That is in part to Arsenal’s pace, they are absolutely everywhere at the moment.
17 min: Nilden blocks a shot from Foord, a really good tackle again from the defender. It doesn’t take long for Arsenal to get back into the box with a McCabe cross but it is headed away. It feels like a matter of time before the visitors double their lead.
15 min: Arsenal rapidly get the ball through the team to carve Spurs open, the hosts’ defence has been better but they still aren’t up to the mark.
13 min: Spurs are continually playing out of the back despite the fact they don’t seem completely comfortable with it. They need to be more confident with their passes in that area because Arsenal are pressing and they could pounce on a loose ball.
11 min: Arsenal get in the box once again and it falls to Fox but her shot is blocked. The Gunners keep pressing but they can’t find a way through this time.
9 min: Raso has a good run and tries to pick out England but it has too much on it so Van Domselaar has time to rid the danger.
7 min: Nilden does really well to time her tackle on Foord in the box, some slick Arsenal passing meant she needed to dispossess her there as Caldentey was lurking. The tackle does concede a corner with McCabe sending it in. It’s not clean in the box but eventually Spencer collects.
6 min: There is no high press from Spurs, Arsenal’s backline have been able to pass between themselves for some time before they decide to move up the pitch. The attack ends in a goal kick but it has been all Arsenal so far.
4 min: Spurs also conceded after 20 seconds against Manchester City last weekend and it is the same old story. They now need to have a flawless game to get back into this.
A horror start from Tottenham, Arsenal completely dominant and Spurs’ defence is so weak. No one tracks Russo who strikes cleanly. Wow.
GOAL! Tottenham 0-1 Arsenal (Russo, 2)
Oh my word.
Kick-off! Tottenham 0-0 Arsenal
Here we go.
Is there a bigger game in club football? It is most definitely up there. The rivalry is re-ignited, Kim Little and Beth England are leading their sides out and so let’s get down to business.
The players will be out on the pitch soon with a good crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for this one. Can Spurs cause an upset? Or will Arsenal come out on top? All to come.
Leah Williamson and Kim Little reach their 150th WSL appearances today and they have joined a select group. They join Jordan Nobbs and Millie Bright for wracking up 150 games at one club.
Are you at a game today? If you are get in touch and let me know what the stadium food is like. One of my favourite social media accounts is football scran, which details what clubs have available. I must confess I have treated myself to a takeaway to get prepped for this mega day of football.
The North London derby is not the only rivalry re-igniting this weekend with the Merseyside derby taking place tomorrow. Tom Garry spoke to Everton manager Brian Sørensen about the match:
Spurs boss Robert Vilahamn has labelled Arsenal favourites this weekend, saying: “Arsenal have been in the game longer than us and won a lot. We are the underdogs, can accept that now, but in the long run in this derby, we want to be expected to win home games.”
Arsenal’s interim boss, who is making a claim for the permanent role, Renée Slegers said of Tottenham: “I think Tottenham are a strong team. They’ve been playing a top four opposition in quite a lot of games already, which are tough games. I think they might be stronger than the results they’ve had so far. So, we’re really respectful of them as an opponent, they have some individual qualities. I think they show great mentality and do things together. So, it’s going to be very hard opponent. But again, I think if we keep on bringing what we’re bringing, I think we’re a top team.”
The team news is in. Tottenham make two changes from their defeat to Manchester City last time out. Ella Morris and Matilda Vinberg drop out for Hayley Raso and Amanda Nilden.
Tottenham: Spencer, Neville, Buhler, Hunt, Nilden, Bartrip, Summanen, Spence, Raso, Naz England..
Arsenal, meanwhile, make one change with Beth Mead benched in favour of Mariona Caldentey. Leah Williamson and Kim Little make their 150th WSL appearances.
Arsenal: Van Domselaar, Fox, Williamson, Catley, Mariona, Little (C), McCabe, Maanum, Walti, Foord, Russo
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the North London derby in the Women’s Super League. This fixture last season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium created history as Spurs beat Arsenal for the first time in the league, the home crowd will be hoping for a similar result this afternoon.
However, that will prove tricky as Arsenal have hit some good form over the past few weeks. Last weekend they defeated Brighton, who are having a good season themselves, 5-0. The Gunners then followed that up with a thumping 4-0 win over Juventus in the Women’s Champions League. So Spurs do have their work cut out for them.
Tottenham have had a bumpy start to the season and are seventh after only two wins this campaign. But a victory at home in front of a bumper crowd could jumpstart some consistency to their season.
We will take a look at what has been said in the build-up shortly but first let’s take a look at the team news before kick-off at 1.45pm GMT.
