Tottenham Hotspur edged out Leicester City 1-0 in their first Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) fixture of 2025.
A Janina Leitzig own-goal gave Spurs an early lead, before a close contest saw the scoreline unchanged.
In a quick turnaround, Lize Kop was comfortable in goal against her former team to make her first Tottenham appearance. Meanwhile, Nelly Las replaced injured Hannah Cain for the Foxes after scoring her first senior goal for the club during Wednesday’s Adobe Women’s FA Cup victory over Stoke City.
This afternoon’s result sees Robert Vilahamn’s Tottenham sixth in the league standings, whilst Amandine Miquel’s Leicester remain eleventh with only six points on their tally.
The Lineups
TOT: Kop; Neville, Bartrip, Bühler, Nílden; Raso, Ahtinen, Oroz, Naz; Spence, England
LEI: Leitzig; Bott, Thibaud, Howard, Ale; Cayman, Las; Momiki, Mace, Goodwin; Takarada
The Action
Tottenham opened the scoring with less than five minutes on the clock when Maite Oroz linked up well with Amanda Nildén, whose cross deflected off of Leitzig for an own-goal.
The Foxes threatened on the counter before long, but Kop’s low save kept the home side ahead. Janice Cayman should have had the equaliser in the 22nd minute, but the midfielder could not find the target from close range.
As the half-time whistle approached, Missy Goodwin looked to get on the scoresheet for Leicester. The shot was cleared successfully by Ashleigh Neville, though, for Spurs to try their hand at a counter-attack.
After the break, the Foxes backline showed some fight to nullify the threat of Jess Naz. It was a redemptive save by Leitzig in the 55th minute which kept Leicester’s deficit small, as Martha Thomas came on for Oroz and soon sent a curling strike from outside of the area.
Kop was called into action again after the hour mark, as a swift Leicester counter saw Goodwin find only the arms of the goalkeeper from only yards out.
The Foxes were desperate to claw their way to an equaliser, and Ruby Mace almost found the back of the net for them in the 75th minute. With Kop at full-stretch, the midfielder’s long-distance strike landed just wide of the woodwork. The goalkeeper would have to act again in quick succession, as Leicester continued to target Spurs’ left-hand side.
Captain Bethany England should have doubled Tottenham’s lead in the dying minutes of the game. Her long-range chip was beyond Leitzig, and appeared to bounce over the line before ricocheting back out off of the post – a turn of events which will surely see more calls for goal-line technology in the WSL.
Leicester looked deflated when final whistle rang out on the clash after nine long minutes of added time, marking a successful start to Vilahamn’s calendar year.
What We Learned
Leicester head coach Miquel has expressed that surviving relegation from the topflight is the season’s main priority, but the Foxes’ lack of squad depth remains a major concern. With Kop leaving for Spurs, the winter transfer window has been a quiet one.
Saori Takarada continues to assert herself in this Leicester squad. The forward roams into the midfield and controls the ball with ease, lying deep and contributing to the Foxes’ defensive efforts as well as their buildup play. Miquel’s side are certainly missing the finishing touch in front of goal – and this raises questions about the clarity surrounding Takarada’s role – however, they also benefit hugely from her versatility and work rate.
Las’ efforts during what was a challenging, and important, afternoon for Miquel’s side should be lauded. The 17-year-old defender did not look out of place in the lineup, which speaks to her ability to stand her ground in the WSL. However, it also highlights the shortfalls of their list. With Julie Thibaud coming into the starting eleven at the last minute for Sari Kees, Leicester’s bench consisted of just five outfield players and one goalkeeper, compared to Tottenham’s seven outfield players and two goalkeepers.
The Foxes did compete with their hosts, but Kop’s determination, poor turnovers in possession, and a lack of conviction in the final third made things harder. Just a point above bottom of the table Crystal Palace, it is becoming difficult to see how the Foxes will stay up comfortably if something doesn’t change.
That being said, small margins separated the two sides today, especially considering the fashion in which Leicester conceded the opening goal. Vilahamn’s North London outfit may have looked brighter to begin with, but the Foxes created chances that could have changed the outcome if they had been put away.
The Halfway Line Player of the Match: Lize Kop
Kop’s display was a strong one. In an impressive feat, the goalkeeper kept a clean sheet on her Tottenham debut, against her former club. Though Leicester should have threatened her more, Kop made multiple significant saves throughout the course of this match and showed unwavering focus.
