Live Blog: Spurs Women take on Arsenal in WSL North London Derby
Arsenal Women travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for their final game of 2023
Live BLog Saturday Dec 16th
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Post match reaction from Jonas Eidevall to come, and player ratings will be up shortly.
A very first North London Derby victory for Spurs Women, and Arsenal's first defeat since the first game of the league season.
Full time: Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Arsenal
90+12' Last chance for Arsenal as Mead wins a corner! Spurs clear and break, and that is an incredible last ditch tackle from Lacasse to deny Ayane. 1-0
90+9' Cooney-Cross gets a strong shot away and it's blocked, before Catley goes down in the box asking for a penalty. The referee says no.
90+7' Russo turns and chips the ball into the box, where it is headed clear. Four minutes of added time remain. 1-0
90+7' Lacasse drives down the right, crosses into the back of Neville and Arsenal have a corner. 1-0
90+5' Rosella Ayane comes on for Celine Bizet. 1-0
90+4' Bizet wriggles her way through the Arsenal defence and Ilestedt clears her cutback. The midfielder is now down injured. 1-0
90+1 Miedema is on the end of Lacasse's cross and hooks the ball high and wide- a difficult effort. 1-0
90+1' ELEVEN added minutes following the medical emergency. 1-0
90' Cloe Lacasse comes on for Katie McCabe- she knows how to deliver a late equaliser. 1-0
87' Ilestedt comes close with another header, over the top of the bar. 1-0
86' Play will now resume with a Spurs goal kick. Are thoughts are with those who were affected in that medical emergency. 1-0
85' A change for Spurs as Ria Percival comes on for goalscorer Martha Thomas. 1-0
83' The physios have gone into the away end to attend to an incident in the crowd, after fans and players had signalled for their help. 1-0
82' Appeals for an Arsenal penalty are short-lived after Foord went down under pressure from two defenders- the ball had already beaten her and was flying behind for a goal kick. 1-0
80' Stina Blackstenius comes on for Lia Walti. 1-0
76' Another cross, another header, another miss. Mead again towards the back post but Russo's effort doesn't find the target. 1-0
74' Mead floats in an excellent corner and it's headed wide by Ilestedt- what a chance for Arsenal. 1-0
74' Catley cuts inside and sees her shot blocked. 1-0
72' Arsenal have a free kick high on the right wing. Catley crosses and Votikova claims. 1-0
70' A very blatant bit of timewasting from goalkeeper Votikova, who is promptly booked by the referee. 1-0
69' Arsenal Women have never lost a game to Spurs in their history... Cooney-Cross tries to keep that run going but her hooked shot doesn't trouble Votikova. 1-0
66' Pelova and Maanum are the players withdrawn by Jonas Eidevall. 1-0
65' Miedema and Cooney-Cross are being readied to come on for Arsenal. 1-0
63' Wubben-Moy receives the first yellow card of the North London Derby for a foul on Thomas. 1-0
63' Given away by Turner and Maanum sees her shot blocked. 1-0
61' Headed away before Pelova gets a cross back in. Russo connects acrobatically and her shot is saved. 1-0
60' It's a goal that could not have come more agains the run of play, so Arsenal have to keep creating these chances. They have a corner. 1-0
58' Goal! Spurs 1-0 Arsenal: Bizet gets into the box and squares for Thomas, who finds the bottom corner to net her seventh WSL goal of the season. 1-0
56' Not too far away from Frida Maanum- her shot skims the top of the net from the left hand side. 0-0
55' Pelova does well and finds Maanum, who shoots straight at the goalkeeper. Chances are plentiful for Arsenal at the start of this second half. 0-0
54' McCabe's long-range effort stings the palms of Votikova, who collides with her teammate James after making the save. 0-0
50' Russo heads wide from close range, and she should have done better! Great cross from Mead to set her up. 0-0
49' Walti skips away from Naz and drills the ball into Russo who lays it off for Maanum. Her strike is saved well by Votikova, before McCabe shoots over the bar from the resulting corner.
46' The second half is underway! 0-0
Beth England is withdrawn at half time, replaced by Jessica Naz.
Here come Spurs, first out for the second half.
Definitely not the prettiest of North London Derbies so far. Foord and Maanum have come closest to breaking the deadlock for Arsenal.
Half time: Tottenham 0-0 Arsenal.
45+2' Again Foord shifts the ball onto her right foot but shoots over the crossbar. 0-0
45+1' Three minutes of added time. 0-0
45' Clever from Pelova who picks up the ball on the edge of the box from a corner routine and tries to lob Votikova, who is up to the task. 0-0
42' Maanum draws a good save from Votikova, diving to her left to palm away a strong shot. 0-0
40' Good chance for Foord at the back post after she was played through by Maanum- Pelova was in the middle but Foord went alone and missed the target. 0-0
39' The first Tottenham shot in anger for a good while as Kit Graham shanks a half-volley wide from a very long way out. 0-0
38' Better again from Spurs as Wubben-Moy has to get a strong head to Bizet's cross. 0-0
37' Bizet crosses from the right and it skims the roof of the net, watched all the way by Zinsberger. 0-0
37' Still very little to report from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as both sides continue to frustrate each other in a tense affair. 0-0
33' Foord's cross evades Russo and is headed away. Arsenal lacking the numbers forward and that sharpness around the box. 0-0
31' Biggest cheer of the afternoon as Walti and then Russo are penalised for fouls in quick succession. Bartrip wastes the free kick though, picking out the hands of Zinsberger. 0-0
27' Neville comes forward but Ilestedt is there to halt Spurs' attack- she has been solid so far. 0-0
25' Spurs will just be the happier of the two teams midway through the first half, limiting Arsenal's chances so far with the exception of Foord hitting the post. 0-0
22' Mead slips around Neville and goes down just inside the box. No penalty says Cheryl Foster. 0-0
19' Spurs will be forced into an early change here- Bizet is good to continue after the tackle from Walti, but Buhler has to be replaced by Turner. 0-0
17' Off the post from Foord! Walti with a strong tackle on Bizet before releasing Foord down the left- she cuts inside and arrows an effort onto the far post. 0-0
16' Deep cross from Catley which Foord couldn't divert on target. 0-0
15' McCabe is fouled by Neville on Arsenal's right. Catley's free-kick is headed away before crosses from Mead and McCabe are dealt with. 0-0
13' Mead goes short to Catley who digs out a cross to the back post, where Russo heads wide. 0-0
12' Foord is afforded some time on the edge of the box and her shot is deflected behind for a corner. 0-0
11' England threads through Thomas who is forced away from goal by Catley, before Walti clears. 0-0
9' Russo wins the ball on the left and cuts it back for Foorf, who can only foul Petzelberger in the box. 0-0
7' England gets in behind and shoots straight at Zinsberger after she was played through by Thomas. 0-0
6' Mead gives away a free-kick in the Spurs half but Arsenal win the ball back. Catley and Walti exchange passes before a cross finds the hands of Votikova. 0-0
3' Arsenal enjoying possession and looking to use the full width of the pitch so far. 0-0
1' Underway! 0-0
Spurs will kick us off, in their white home strip. Arsenal are in their red.
Arsenal go into their pre-match huddle whilst Spurs go through some sprints and running on the touchline.
The teams are in the tunnel! It's Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal in the Women's Super League, and we've got all of the action to come on our Gooner Fanzine live blog, plus player ratings and post match reaction.
Ange Postecoglou and Daniel Levy are in attendance for this North London Derby!
The teams are back down the tunnel into the dressing rooms for the final pre-match preparations.
Arsenal have sold out their away allocation at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this afternoon, with 3,000 Gooners in the far corner and plenty more around the ground.
England international Bethany England returns to Spurs' starting eleven this afternoon, and will pose a significant threat upfront in tandem with Martha Thomas, who was too good for Arsenal's defence at times in midweek.
Spurs have never beaten Arsenal Women in the club's history, having only been promoted to the WSL for the first time in 2019.
Spurs will remain in sixth whatever the result, but can go level on points with 5th-placed Liverpool if they take all three points.
Avoid defeat today, and Arsenal will move top of the WSL before Chelsea play Bristol City on Sunday.
Spurs manager Robert Vilahamn's programme notes, discussing Wednesday's draw with Arsenal: "We played some really good football, attacking football, we dared to play out from the back, we dared to play through their press, we created some really nice chances and scored three beautiful goals."
Both sides have raced out of the tunnel to begin their warmups at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Arsenal came from behind on three occasions to draw 3-3 on Wednesday, before winning 4-3 on penalties to take home a bonus point, and move top of Conti Cup Group D.
Just one change for Tottenham from the side that drew 3-3 with Arsenal in the Conti Cup on Wednesday night.
Ellie Brazil is back in the squad for Spurs, who are without Linyan Zhang, Drew Spence, Olga Ahtinen and Eveliina Summanen.
The headline team news for Arsenal is that captain Kim Little doesn't make the Gunners' squad, after limping off injured against Chelsea.
Arsenal subs: D'Angelo, Beattie, Codina, Maritz, Cooney-Cross, Kuhl, Miedema, Lacasse, Blackstenius.
Spurs subs: Spencer, Zadorsky, Turner, Ale, Percival, Brazil, Pearse, Ayane, Naz.
Arsenal: Zinsberger; Catley, Wubben-Moy, Ilestedt, McCabe; Walti, Pelova, Maanum; Foord, Russo, Mead.
Spurs: Votikova, James, Buhler, Bartrip, Neville, Petzelberger, Graham, Thomas, Bizet, Clinton, England.
Team news is in...
Expect a similar starting eleven to the one which thumped Chelsea at the Emirates this afternoon. Arsenal fans are already making their way into the away end, and the DJ just to the left of the press box is attempting to start something of an atmosphere.
Arsenal made ten changes to the side that beat Chelsea 4-1 when they took on Spurs in the Conti Cup in midweek, with Katie McCabe the only player to keep her place.
Team news is less than 15 minutes away at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Good morning, and it's an early start for me once again! Welcome to the final Arsenal Women live blog of 2023, and what a game we have in store to end it on.