Key events
Half-time: Arsenal 2-0 Tottenham
It feels like Tottenham could be playing this North London derby forever and fail to land a blow. Arsenal have been so superior to the point that they will be annoyed they haven’t scored more.
45 min: Williamson, Maanum and then Russo – that combo sets up a header wide from the goalscorer. Two minutes are added on for Spurs to suffer through.
43 min: Maanum tries a backheel at the near post from the latest corner. They win another one as a result: Arsenal, of course. McCabe drifts the next one in and Maanum this time heads over. It came off Hunt perhaps. Hunt’s been on the crime scene an awful lot today.
41 min: The next objective for Tottenham is not to concede more. They are back in heavy numbers.
39 min: There’s a real gap between these teams. It’s ached at times. Tottenham have a long way to go to breach that top four. Camping on their goalline hasn’t worked but it might well have been the only course of action.
37 min: First yellow card. Anna Csiki left one on Russo and the Tottenham player is punished.
Goal! Arsenal 2-0 Tottenham (Caldentey, 35)
The pressure finally tells. Caldentey takes one shot, and then the rebound comes off Hunt and she has chance to shoot. Saka and MLS were up and celebrating. So was the dog.
33 min: From a corner, Kop almost drops a rick but bails herself out. In the stands, Bukayo Saka in female and canine company, sits in shades. Myles Lewis-Skelly is there too.
32 min: Tottenham cough up two attempts for Arsenal to chase that second. It ends up with Kop scraping the ball behind, and Russo being denied.
30 min: It remains Arsenal all on the attack but with a little less threat. Neville and McCabe are throwing themselves into it, so that’s good.
27 min: Some dispute over the goal. PA Media say Hunt OG, while the WSL say Russo. Watching it again, Russo’s touch was going in. Does the WSL have a dubious goals committee? The Goal Accreditation Panel, it’s called in the Premier League.
25 min: Applause as Chloe Kelly begins her warm-up. She scores bangers. Meanwhile, the kiss of death on Lize Kop, who has gone down injured. It may be a ploy to help Spurs regroup but she seemed to rick herself making one of those many saves.
24 min: Arsenal seek that second goal. It can’t be long in coming. Kop makes a fine save from Foord’s hooked half-volley. Kop’s been playing well.
22 min: Foord gets away down the right after Maanum’s ball but the cross skews behind the goal.
20 min: The possession stats show Arsenal have had over 68% of the ball. But here’s a rare attack, with Nilden on the overlap before Leah Williamson supplies a captain’s assurance with her tackle.
19 min: All Arsenal now, Tottenham all at sea, Russo going close again.
17 min: Arsenal almost get a second when Bartrip plays a hospital ball to Foord. Raso, this time, sweeps up, but there’s real panic in that Spurs defence.
Goal! Arsenal 1-0 Tottenham (Russo, 15)
There’s no stopping Russo, is there? Not against Tottenham. Raso slips and Cooney-Cross’s ball is a pearler, and with glancing header, Russo scores – via Hunt’s hip.
14 min: A Neville foul on McCabe, and from the free-kick, it’s the same player who toe-bungs it over the bar when it comes out. Yes, toe-bungs.
13 min: Robert Vilahamn, the Spurs coach, is asking his team to push out with his gloved hands. It’s a cold day out there. Has been for weeks now. What with it being winter.
11 min: Tottenham keeper Kop makes a fine claim from a Gunners corner.
10 min: Arsenal pick up the pace. Tottenham defending deep on their six-yard line.
8 min: Foord’s flick almost finds Russo, who turns and Hunt does well to stop anhy shot coming in.
7 min: Williamson is robbed by an alert England. Raso speeds away and Cooney-Cross is forced to foul. The free-kick, sadly, is a total waste from Oroz.
5 min: Arsenal’s build-up play is rather slower than Tottenham’s. Patience a virtue? Foord eventually unleashes a shot that’s blocked. Tottenham will have to do plenty of blocking, by the looks of things.
3 min: Tottenham, with Beth England to the fore, out on the flank, have begun with intent.
2 min: Leah Williamson, playing her 250th appearance, plays the ball out from the back.
Away we go…
1 min: So, over 55,000 here, we are told. The knee is taken and the North London derby is live. Tottenham push up, and Oroz, from distance has a go. It flies well over.
The players are coming out, with Leah Williamson at the centre of the festivities. Now here comes North London Forever. Whatever the wevver.
Arsenal manager Renee Slegers spoke to BBC Sport about Kelly’s return: “She has been a really good addition to the squad. She’s got fire inside her and she has been showing that in the training. Hopefully, you will see some of that on the pitch today.
“She has integrated easily and smoothly with the rest of the group. She already knew a lot of girls because of her spell with Arsenal before and also from the England squad. We have seen the quality that she can bring in the final third during training. I am also very impressed with her willingness to work hard in training.”
Tottenham manager Robert Vilahamn spoke to the BBC: “We need to have a really strong defence today. We need to make sure we are very disciplined. We will get a few chances but we need to be sure that we are very clinical with that. We need to do it together today.”
Bad news for Arsenal is that Manchester United already have a 1-0 lead over Crystal Palace.
Yes, Chloe Kelly is on Arsenal’s bench with Kim Little. Goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar and defenders Leah Williamson, Steph Catley and Emily Fox, all return. Lia Walti also comes back with January signing Jenna Nighswonger deserving a quiet night on the bench.
For Spurs, Martha Thomas and Josefine Rybrink drop to the bench, while Anna Csiki and Matilda Vinberg come in.
Confirmed – here are the teams
Arsenal: van Domselaar, Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe, Walti, Cooney-Cross, Russo, Maanum, Caldentey, Foord. Subs: Zinsberger, Codina, Ilestedt, Reid, Nighswonger, Little, Mead, Kelly, Blackstenius.
Tottenham Hotspur: Kop, Neville, Hunt, Bartrip, Nilden, Vinberg, Oroz, Raso, Csiki, Naz, England. Subs: Spencer, Grant, Morris, Buhler, Ahtinen, Rybrink, Spence, Holdt, Thomas.
We believe Chloe Kelly starts on the bench today.
Here’s the WSL table. The usual four are well clear. Chelsea are doing their usual – if better.
Jonathan Liew investigates why Tottenham’s women’s team are not competing as they might.
Preamble
If Chelsea stay beyond reach, still plenty to play for at Arsenal. Tottenham, less so, and we’ll get to that in a moment. Three points could be enough to see Arsenal overtake Manchester United in the table, and close the gap on league leaders Chelsea, though perhaps more realistically keep in the Champions League hunt. A crowd of 55,000 is expected at the Emirates, it’s a big day in north London.
Kick-off is at 12.30pm. Join me.
Article by:Source: John Brewin
