Seeking their first victory at home in the Barclays Women’s Super League since December’s 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion, Robert de Pauw made just a solitary change to his Aston Villa lineup as Kirsty Hanson replaced Lucy Staniforth.
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur were expectedly unchanged after comprehensively sweeping aside last season’s Championship winners Crystal Palace 4-0 to open their 2024/25 WSL account in fashion.
AVL: D’Angelo; Maritz, Parker, Patten, Tomás; Hanson, Nobbs; Grant, Dali, Bo Kearns; Daly
TOT: Spencer; Neville, Bartrip, Hunt, Nildén; Oroz, Summanen; Raso, Spence, Naz; Thomas
Victorious against Spurs in their last head-to-head encounter in the capital (1-2), Villa were denied the game’s opening goal after just seven minutes. Against the heavy backdrop of rain, the offside flag was cruelly raised to rule out captain Rachel Daly’s stunning strike to deny her the first goal of the campaign.
However, the deadlock was broken at the opposite end of Villa Park in the 23rd minute, somehow against the attacking run of play of the game so far, as Eveliina Summanen confidently converted from the penalty spot after Paula Tomás had clumsily introduced Drew Spence to the Villa Park turf.
In response, Kirsty Hanson’s solo run amid the retreating defence saw the Scotland international fire straight at Becky Spencer. At the same time, Martha Thomas – who netted a hat-trick on her last footballing visit to Birmingham – made her ambitious attempt to beat Sabrina D’Angelo from just inside the Villa half, but narrowly flew her strike off-target, as the visitors remained in control to head into half-time with a slender one-goal lead.
On a course to make it a hat-trick of Barclays WSL victories, including last season’s 3-1 win over West Ham United, Spurs were forced to withstand heavy pressure from the hosts at the beginning of the second half. First, Daly headed Jordan Nobbs’ delivery into the danger zone inches wide before summer signing from AFC Ajax, Chasity Grant, saw her enterprising cross-shot towards goal skim the top of the bar.
Attempting to turn their best form of defence into an attack whenever the opportunity arose, visiting manager Robert Vilahamn introduced Bethany England to partner Thomas up top in the 54th minute of play.
Activity was also present on the Villa bench as Robert de Pauw introduced Katie Robinson, Lucy Staniforth and Adriana Leon to try and fire his side back into the game. Expertly, de Pauw’s tactics paid off in the 78th’ as supersub Leon levelled the game with a sublime strike that nestled nicely into the far corner of the net – courtesy of Daly’s delightful defence-splitting pass.
Deservedly, considering their 16 attempts on goal up until the 88th minute, it appeared that Daly had won it for Villa, as she headed home Lucy Parker’s dipping ball that dropped from the Birmingham night skyline past Spencer.
However, heartbreakingly for the hosts, another second-half substitute rescued a late point for Spurs in the sixth minute of added time. England’s instinctive run to the back post allowed the striker to convert Amanda Nildén’s cross from close range to dramatically deny the Villains their maiden success of the 2024/25 Barclays WSL campaign, while Vilahamn’s side remain unbeaten heading into match week three.
