Spurs Women: Mixed start to 2025
Welcome to another edition of my Spurs Women blog update, not as late as the last one!
Before this season resumed we saw two new faces come in, firstly Danish international Olivia Holdt signed from Mälmo based side FC Rosengård on a contract through to June 2027. Holdt had a decent stint in Sweden’s Damallsvenskan, she scored 25 goals in 47 appearances, 13 of those coming in their most recent campaign to help them secure the league title and maintain their dominance in the domestic league. She looks an interesting and exciting signing who looks quite versatile from being on the wing to playing upfront. Check out one of her goals here, what a run!
In addition, the club signed a keeper, a constant topic that fans have been debating in recent months. Twenty-six year old Dutch Keeper Lize Kope signed from Leicester City on a contract through to June 2028. The Wormer born keeper has 13 senior caps for The Netherlands and made over 100 appearances for Dutch behemoths Ajax before her move into the WSL with Leicester City, winning the Vrouwen Eredivisie title twice as well as playing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. She made 10 appearances for The Foxes.
Spurs Women resumed their WSL campaign against Leicester City at Brisbane Road last Sunday. The Last time both sides met in E10 and in the WSL was back in March last year, Matilda Vinberg scored in the 2nd minute of the game. A month later they met again but this time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the semi-final of the cup, Jess Naz and Martha Thomas scored late in the game and booked The Lilywhites’ place in the cup final against Manchester United (don’t worry I won’t mention the score in that one!).
Manager Robert Vilahamn once again changed his line-up compared with the previous game against Brighton. He went with a 4–2–3–1 formation (against Brighton he played a 4–4–2), Lize Kope made her debut between the sticks, Luana Bühler, Spence moved back into midfield, and Beth England was played upfront. Eveliina Summanen, a regular starter in Vilahamn’s squad is currently injured and will be out for five/six weeks, a huge miss for the team, the Finn so far this season has scored two and has two assists. In addition, new signing Olivia Holdt was recovering from an injury and didn’t feature in the squad.
Just like last season’s fixture, Spurs Women went ahead early. Maite Oroz dribbled onto the edge of The Foxes’ box and played a quick ball to Amanda Nildén, the Swede’s intended low-cross beat Leicester keeper Janina Leitzig to make it 1–0!
The away side nearly equalised, Saori Takarada stole the ball off Luana Bühler and played a quick ball to Janice Cayman who had an opporunity to pull things level, she put her effort wide to the relief of Spurs keeper Lize Kope.
In second half Spurs tried to extend their lead, Hayley Raso made a darting run on the left flank and played a through ball to Martha Thomas who intended to cross to Beth England but her effort was more on goal, Janina Leitzig palmed her effort away.
Despite going ahead and only having two shots on target, judging from the highlights there wasn’t a lot more to add, other than the game looked a bit flat but kudos to Lize Kope for getting a clean sheet, Leicester only had seven shots on target but she done well to deny her former club.
Robert Vilahamn mentioned after the game:
“Great win, I mean it’s an important win but a very rusty performance. You can tell that we haven’t played for five and a half weeks, and you can tell the relationships, the technique, and the details there is not working all time, but to win and to score a goal and have a clean sheet, I’m taking that everyday.”
Alluding to what Vilahamn said in his post-match interview, you’ll take them as a they come, luck was also definitely on Spurs’s side that day.
Spurs: Kop, Neville, Bartrip, Buhler, Nilden, Oroz, (Thomas 53) Ahtinen (Csiki 82), Spence, Naz (Grant 64), Raso (Gunning-Williams 64), England ©. Substitutes (not used): Spencer, Heeps, Bailey, Hunt, Ayane.
Attendance: 1,314
Moving onto the quarter final of the Women’s League Cup, Spurs Women faced London rivals West Ham United at Brisbane Road last Wednesday evening. The team were feeling hopeful after their opponents lost 5–0 to Chelsea in the league.
Manager Robert Vilahamn stuck with his previous formation, 4–2–3–1, Clare Hunt came in for Luana Bühler at centre back, Martha Thomas came in for Olga Ahtinen, Heeps also featured between the sticks for The Lilywhites.
It took Spurs only ten minutes to go in front, Martha Thomas rose up from Amanda Nildén’s corner kick and headed in past West Ham keeper Megan Walsh.
Thomas nearly got her second minutes later when she received a through-ball from Clare Hunt, she dribbled into the Hammers’ box and fired a low shot which hit the post and rebounded into the arms of Megan Walsh.
Spurs’s attacks continued, Ash Neville crossing in from the right and found Hayley Rasso open, the Australian chested down and struck a low shot which didn’t have enough power to bother Megan Walsh, who saved with ease.
Rasso who was one player in particular that was full of beans in the half, saw Martha Thomas in a good position and crossed in from her right flank, Thomas connected with a headed effort, again it didn’t faze Megan Walsh.
Despite the barrage of attacks from Spurs, the East Londoners equalised six minutes before half-time. Shekiera Martinez came in from the right-hand side and played a well-timed through ball to Emma Harries, the former Reading player crossed in to Seraina Piubel, the Swiss international slotted in from close range, 1–1.
The likes of Raso and Beth England once again tried to test Megan Walsh but the Irish international remained resilient between the sticks.
It took The Hammers just five minutes to take the lead, Kirsty Smith’s free-kick from about forty plus yards out flew and bounced past Spurs keeper Eleanor Heeps.
In the second half the likes of Raso and England again tried testing Walsh but their efforts lacked power to really trouble the West Ham keeper, Matilda Vinberg who replaced Hayley Raso in the seventy-ninth minute also failed to put one past her.
Former manager Rehanne Skinner came back to haunt her former club and West Ham face Chelsea in the semi-final, a tough clash for the Claret and Blue side.
For Spurs, the dream of reaching the League Cup final is over, they play Crystal Palace today (as of writing) in the WSL at Sutton United’s VBS Community Stadium.
Spurs: Heeps, Neville, Hunt, Bartrip, Nilden (Grant 46), Spence , Oroz (Ahtinen 46), Spence, Naz, Raso (Vinberg 80), England ©. Substitutes (not used): Spencer, Buhler, Ayane, Gunning-Williams.
Attendance: 992
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