Foxes defeated in first WSL outing of 2026

Our Women's Super League campaign resumed with a well-deserved 1-0 home win over Leicester City on Sunday afternoon.

A first-half own goal from Foxes goalkeeper Olivia Clark, who accidentally diverted Eveliina Summanen's corner into her own net at the near post, proved to be the difference at Brisbane Road, although we could and perhaps should have scored more in the latter stages with Bethany England, Clare Hunt and Toko Koga going agonisingly close. The victory sees us climb to fourth in the table and extends our unbeaten run over our opponents to 10 WSL games.

Signe Gaupset was highly impressive on her debut and went close to scoring in the first half while we also saw Maika Hamano in a Spurs shirt for the first time after the break. Hanna Wijk and Matilda Nilden remained on the substitutes bench.

Our former defender Ashleigh Neville, making her Leicester debut following her recent transfer after nearly nine years with us, rightly received a rousing reception from both sets of fans as she completed 90 minutes for the visitors.

After four weeks since our last WSL game – a 3-3 draw at Manchester United – there was plenty of rustiness in the performances from both sides in the opening quarter-of-an-hour at a cold Brisbane Road. Olivia Holdt saw an effort blocked after good work from Drew Spence to win the ball back inside the opponents’ box while the visitors produced the first shot on target in the 21st minute, a routine save for Lize Kop to gather Emily van Egmond’s shot from just inside the area.

Neville, on her return to the capital, sent a half-volley wide of the target before Hannah Cain’s low drive was pushed around the post by Kop as the visitors pushed for an opener. However, five minutes before the break, we were the side to open the deadlock, although with some slight fortune, as Summanen’s corner from left landed right on top of Clark on the line and she was unable to keep the ball out, with it eventually bouncing into the back of the net to give us the lead at half-time.

That gave us plenty of confidence after the restart and we were on the frontfoot in the opening stages, Matilda Vinberg denied inside the box after excellent build-up play by Holdt and Gaupset before Summanen’s volley from the edge of the box was blocked. Hamano was introduced just after the hour mark for her debut as we pushed to double our advantage, but it was the Foxes’ substitute Noemie Mouchon who was a threat at the other end, with Toko Koga producing a well-timed deflect to the forward’s shot and direct into the hands of Kop following a charging run into the box.

Shannon O’Brien volleyed wide at the front post after Mouchon’s lofted cross deflected off Clare Hunt while Clark was on hand for the away side to keep the deficit at 1-0 for the closing stages of the game, as she got down low to save Bethany England’s glancing header before Hunt, on the rebound, crashed a shot against the outside of the post. With just one minute of normal time, Koga should have doubled our lead as a cross from the left by Nilden found the young defender completely free in the centre of the box, but she sent a first time side-footed volley wide of the target.

We continued to search for our second of the afternoon, despite Leicester still posing a threat for an equaliser, as England raced through one-on-one with Clark in the first minute of stoppage time, but her poked effort on the stretch was saved superbly by the foot of the away side's shot stopper. The referee eventually blew the whistle for full-time after a frantic end to the contest, giving us another three points at home in the WSL – extending our unbeaten run at Brisbane Road to six games in all competitions.

Match data

Goals: Spurs – Clark OG 40.

Yellow cards: Leicester – Tierney 82.

Referee: Sophie Dennington.

Venue: Brisbane Road.

Weather: Overcast with a cold breeze, six degrees.

Attendance: 1384.