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Tottenham Hotspur Women were just minutes away from a historic win against Arsenal, but the 1-1 draw is still a massive result to be proud of.

Welcome to an emergency edition of Spurs Across the Pond. I was planning to wait until after the Conti Cup match on Wednesday for the next Spurs Women update, but if you caught the North London Derby this morning, you'll know why I had to share some immediate thoughts.

I believe we just witnessed the match of the WSL season so far. That definitely wasn't the expectation going into the match, considering our record against Arsenal since earning promotion to the top flight, as well as our most recent loss to the Gunners in the FA Cup. Even though Spurs have been on a clear upward trajectory this season, I wasn't allowing myself to hope too much. But of course, as a Spurs fan, you always hope--the kind that kills you. Except that this time, it didn't kill us!

The first half was certainly a struggle. Arsenal created a lot of chances, but our defense was up to the task and prepared for the onslaught. We reverted to a back-four formation for this game, after lining up in a back-three last time out against Manchester United. I want to give a special shoutout to our keeper today (with Becky Spencer injured), Tinni Korpela, for her superb performance between the sticks. She was my personal vote for Player of the Match. Combined with some timely interventions from the likes of Molly Bartrip, captain Shelina Zadorsky, Kerys Harrop, and Ashleigh Neville, we entered the halftime break with a clean sheet. Maéva Clemaron also deserves a lot of credit for her midfield performance. We didn't create much ourselves in that half, but remember:  going into the match, a scoreless draw seemed a more realistic goal than a win.

In the second half, we matched that defensive solidity with a renewed determination to get forward and find a goal. And once again, it was our lead scorer for the season, Rachel Williams, who found the back of the net. She was positively tenacious in her effort to bundle in the rebound from Kit Graham's saved shot. Even watching from home in the states on TV, I could hear the record attendance at the Hive erupting in excitement after Spurs took the lead. Now we had a derby!

The Spurs bench was pretty shallow today with injuries keeping the aforementioned Spencer out of action along with Jessica Naz and Cho So-hyun. However, our three subs brought some fresh legs to try to shore up the narrow one-goal lead, along with some good old-fashioned shithousery courtesy of Rosella Ayane (bless her). The last time Spurs tried to ride out a one-goal lead against Arsenal it turned out pretty disastrously, but we were much more composed this time. A second Spurs goal would have relieved a lot of the pressure and stress, and we came so close after a very similar scenario to the first goal, but Neville kind of lost her head, to be blunt. This, along with a defensive blunder that nearly proved costly earlier in the game, was the reason I can't quite justify her getting Player of the Match, despite her otherwise spirited and effective performance. Hopefully she'll have her shooting boots on next time a golden opportunity to score presents itself.

Speaking of subs, I'm wondering why Arsenal never brought on Tobin Heath (who didn't look very happy to be sat on the bench, I must say). I think the commentary team on my broadcast actually did mistake Jordan Nobbs for Heath, because I remember letting out a groan on hearing that Heath was about to enter the match. They do have a striking likeness! Even without Heath, Arsenal had an embarrassment of riches on their bench. Iwabuchi and Parris were of particular concern, if you recall their dominant performances against Spurs in the previous cup match.

But ultimately, it would be Vivianne Miedema (who else?) that found the equalizer in the very generous five minutes of stoppage time. Bartrip had done well to mark her the whole game, but her quality has an inevitability to it. She rose up for a header off a corner, and although Korpela was inches away from a fingertips save, she found the back of the net. It was gutting to concede in the dying minutes, but Miedema's not one of the best players in the world for nothing.

This marks the first time that Spurs have ever earned points in the Women's NLD. A win would have been utterly magical, but this is still a huge statement result.

It speaks volumes that we all felt so disappointed to end up with a draw, not just about the game itself (a draw does feel a fair result for both teams on the balance, with six shots on target apiece), but about the state of Spurs. It feels wild to say that Tottenham are legitimately challenging for Champions League qualification in just our third season in the top flight, but we remain in third place with today's draw--at least until tomorrow's games, with Brighton and Manchester United hot on our heels. We beat City. We drew with United and Arsenal. Chelsea will be the next big test in a season that has already exceeded expectations.

The result also stands out in the context of Arsenal's season. Spurs were the first team to take points off of Arsenal during this campaign, and also the first team to hold a lead against them. It's likely that Arsenal will still go on to win the title, but you never know--Chelsea might be writing a thank you card to Tottenham at the end of the season.

Oh and by the way, it was Rehanne Skinner's birthday today. A win would have been the best birthday gift she could ask for, but judging by her post-match interview (which is well worth checking out), I think she was still very proud of her team, as we all were. Happy birthday to the boss!

Speaking of post-match interviews, Rachel Williams' (super candid 😛) comments are a must-watch:

Williams and the whole team truly embodied the "To Dare is to Do" motto today. You couldn't ask for a more hardworking team, and I love to see the spirit of unity and leadership across the squad. Teams like this Tottenham Women's side are the reason Spurs fans never give up hope. I can't wait to see what else they do this season to surprise us.

Up next:  another Conti Cup group stage match, this time against Watford. I literally know nothing about Watford's women's team, so all I can offer up by way of a preview is that it would be great to see just a bit of rotation against this weaker side to save some energy for West Ham away next weekend. It's difficult since we have a few injuries at the moment, but for one example, I would love to see Ayane start the match so Williams can get a rest. It would also be refreshing to see Esther Morgan, one of our promising youngsters, in defense.

Thanks for reading as always, and cheers for the kind words on the newsletter that I've received of late. Getting to connect with fans near and far is a huge joy for me and the reason I write Spurs Across the Pond!

COYS