One Point at a Time
If I were looking at Spurs Women's schedule in the Women's Super League at the start of the season and making results predictions, realistically, I would have expected to see at least a draw against London City Lionesses last weekend and a loss against Arsenal this past weekend. Well, neither fixture went the way I expected, and although we find ourselves earning just one point across the two games, there's some reason for optimism looking forward to the rest of the season.
In this issue: Arsenal recap | Transfer Talk | News from around the Lane
One of those reasons is the possibility of larger home support at the team's primary ground, Brisbane Road, after a record attendance for the North London Derby. I'll get into that below. However, Martin Ho and the players will have to wait to see if a sustained crowd boost comes to fruition.
Spurs Women take a break from league play for a few weeks, but still have one more fixture to go before the actual international break begins: the final League Cup group stage match at Bristol City. We haven't played them in over a year since they were relegated from the WSL at the end of the 2023/24 season, but there are some familiar faces in their squad who previously played in the top flight, including one former Spurs player in Esther Morgan.
Spurs Men are returning from their own international break with their first NLD of the season, this time an away fixture. We've had mixed results in the London derbies so far in the Premier League campaign, but getting even a draw at the Emirates would be a real statement result for Thomas Frank's team, particularly with the current injury woes—which have lessened slightly after the break.
Read on for my assessment of the Women's NLD and the latest club news, including a surprise early edition of Transfer Talk.
WSL MD 9 | Tottenham 0 - 0 Arsenal
The main talking point from this scoreless draw, at least from the Tottenham perspective, is the cohesive team effort on defense. Although Arsenal edged the possession battle and did a better job of creating in the final third, Spurs limited them to just four shots on target, all of which keeper Lize Kop handled. When super sub Olivia Smith started causing issues on the left defensive flank for Amanda Nildén, her teammates pitched in to provide extra cover. The upshot was that we earned our fourth clean sheet of the Women's Super League campaign—a league-leading tally for shutouts.
Spurs were not as successful on the attacking end, with the wingers still struggling to produce crosses and the central players often busy with hold-up play and defensive duties. We created just 0.16 of xG, compared to Arsenal's 1.76 (again, let's heartily appreciate that clean sheet!). It's clear that the squad is going to need some smart additions in the winter transfer window if we want to better compete with the top teams in the league in the attack, not just the defense. Thankfully, there's good news on that front already (see below).
Those chance-creating deficiencies definitely seemed to be taken into account for the approach to this game, which seemed to be "do not lose," in contrast to the "try to win" strategy of the London City Lionesses game. Some pragmatism is required as we attempt to bridge the gap to the best teams in the league, where we are objectively outmatched at the squad level. Still, Martin Ho didn't have the team completely bunker down in the second half, opting instead for some attacking substitutions. They weren't ultimately effective in finding a game-winning goal, but they understood the assignment when it came to defending from the front.
Let's touch briefly on some stats about the newly set attendance record for a Spurs Women game at Brisbane Road:
For all that I have been critical of Spurs' marketing (or lack thereof) for the Brisbane Road games in the past, this is tangible progress. The players did their part in hopefully retaining some of the newcomers by putting in a performance worthy of a return visit, but the club must also do more to make the stadium feel like a true home ground.
Ho appreciated the noisy home support, even if it made his job more difficult:
They were unbelievable. If I’m shouting and the players still can’t hear me, then it’s loud—and I’m shouting a lot from the side of the pitch!
He added:
The fans have really bought into what we’re trying to do and the direction we’re going. Even away from home, they’ve supported us well. London City was a big turning point—from start to finish, we out-sang and out-cheered the home team. Then, against Arsenal, having [nearly] 7,000 in the ground was a great feeling for the players and for me. The visibility and connections are there, and we want to keep bringing those fans back and attracting new ones. It’s important for pushing the team and women’s football forward, and for generating bigger attendances.
Kop was thankful for the encouragement from the large crowd:
The support is so good. Sometimes you hear them during the game and it gives you so much energy—you can feel it in your body. It’s important in tight matches like this, helping us get a draw, so thank you to everyone for coming—I’m really happy.
Notable & quotable:
• This was our first draw of the WSL season—coming against the reigning European champions, as we all would have predicted...
• Speaking of the Champions League, Spurs contributed to a three-game winless streak for Arsenal in all competitions that included a squandered 0-2 lead at Bayern.
• This was only the second time we've been held scoreless in the WSL this season (the other was the 1-0 loss at Chelsea).
• We had previously gone 81 straight games with a scoreless draw in the WSL—three full seasons plus a few extra games. Wild!
• We have already doubled last season's clean sheet total (four this season so far vs two all of last season).
• We picked up our joint fewest yellow cards in a single game this season (only one), while Arsenal only had only yellow as well—ironic for a derby match.
• Martin Ho acknowledged that earning a draw against a top team can't just be a one-off in the season:
I think it doesn't make us a great team by just getting a point against Arsenal because you have to consistently deliver that. You have to deliver that performance and that application every single game. We can have off days because we're human and we'll make individual errors. But if we can have a lot more games like that, then I believe we can really push. Any game we go into now we've got to go and be competitive. I don't want us to be a team that sits off the top three teams.
He also reflected on the encouraging start to the season:
I'm enjoying it for now. At times you have to give yourself a reality check and see just how far you've come. But you've got to stay on the tracks.
• Lize Kop credited the team's flexibility in achieving the draw:
In the first half, we possessed the ball more and played with confidence. In the second half, we had to be better out of possession and defend the box, and I think we dealt with that really well. We adjusted when we needed to, and that’s why we got a result.
Transfer talk
• Spurs Women got a head start on the January transfer window, announcing the signing of Signe Gaupset from SK Brann. She won't be eligible to play until January, of course, but this ensures she can get into training as soon as possible and hit the ground running when matches resume after the winter break.
While her talent is not in doubt, what position she will actually play for Spurs is a hot topic of debate. Her new kit number, #8, may provide a clue, but the 20-year-old midfielder can play anywhere across the midfield and could even do a job at winger, judging by her skill near the touchline in a compilation of recent match footage. Her highlights also show that she's a willing shooter, something that we can never turn down at Spurs.
This move reunites her with her Norway teammate, Cathinka Tandberg, as well as her former manager at Brann, Martin Ho. The latter remarked on why Gaupset was a priority target for the transfer window:
We’re thrilled to welcome Signe to Tottenham Hotspur and to bring a player of her calibre into our environment. She is a terrific person before anything else, and an exceptional footballer whose professionalism, ambition, and personality will strengthen our squad... A player with her potential naturally attracts attention, so we’re incredibly proud she chose our project and believes in the direction this team is going. We’re excited for everything she will bring to Tottenham Hotspur Women.
The respect goes both ways, with Gaupset excited to further develop her game under Ho's coaching:
I know him [Martin] as a coach and he is really good, so it has been important for me, and I kind of know what to expect. We worked really good together. He demands a lot, but I like that. I think he can get even more out of me.
Spurs broke their Women's team transfer record to sign Gaupset for a fee of £378,000, having broken the previous records twice in the summer for Tōko Koga and then Cathinka Tandberg. We are still being outspent by the typical top 4 teams as well as upstarts London City Lionesses, but this is a good show of ambition and intent from the club to continue ramping up the squad talent level. Gaupset, for all her promise, is still an up-and-comer, so the real proof of making the transfer market leap will come in signing a true win-now, marquee player rather than banking on potential. We'll see if we get there this January.
In the meantime, we can still be very excited about Gaupset and what she can offer this growing Spurs Women team. She will enter the WSL full of confidence, coming off a strong showing in the last Euro tournament and winning the most recent Toppserien title with Brann, also being named the Norwegian league's player of the season. And like Tandberg and Koga before her, she doesn't seem to be lacking any self-belief.
• In the Men's Academy, goalkeeper Dylan Thompson has signed his first pro contract with the club.
News from around the Lane
• Jamie Donley scored his first senior international goal for Northern Ireland, netting the game-winning penalty against Luxembourg.
• Elsewhere in the World Cup qualifiers, Spurs alum Troy Parrott completed a crucial hat trick at the death against Hungary to send Ireland to the playoff. You simply have to watch the Irish commentary of his game-winner if you haven't already.
• The club website has an article explaining all the Spurs-related scenarios in the UEFA World Cup qualifier playoffs.
Tottenham Hotspur
• Eveliina Summanen was nominated for Women's Super League Goal of the Month for November. Vote here!
Up next:
November 23 | Spurs Women @ Bristol City
Team news — Charli Grant (knee) and Araya Dennis (knock) ruled out; Luana Bühler, Ella Morris, and Maite Oroz remain out of selection
Notes:
• The match will be available to watch live on SpursPlay
• Spurs only need a draw to advance as group winners thanks to Birmingham City winning the extra penalty shootout point against Aston Villa on Friday.
November 23 | Spurs Men @ Arsenal
Team news — Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Mohammed Kudus, Randal Kolo Muani, and Pape Sarr available for selection; Radu Drăgușin, Kōta Takai, Archie Gray, and Ben Davies all in team training but not available; Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski out longer term, along with James Maddison
I'm not going to go into the Men's NLD with unrealistic expectations that we can keep the good vibes from the Women's edition going, but I hope we at least get a good performance we can be proud of. See y'all on the other side!
COYS
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