Stirring performance in N17 goes unrewarded

A valiant performance against the 2024/25 Barclays Women’s Super League winners came unrewarded as a first-half penalty from Catarina Macario saw Chelsea secure a 1-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

We started strongly in our first ever meeting with the Blues in N17 but, just after the half-hour mark, it was the visitors who opened the scoring as Macario converted from the spot after Ashleigh Neville was penalised for a foul on the forward.

Undeterred by going behind, we continued to apply ourselves well and had a number of opportunities to grab an equaliser - Charlotte Grant was denied on the stroke of half time while Lize Kop was in fantastic form at the other end to keep the deficit at one in the second half.

Despite pushing until the very end, we were unable to break down a stubborn Chelsea side as our final home game of the campaign ended in a narrow defeat.

Robert Vilahamn made three changes to the team that started against Liverpool last time out as he welcomed back Drew Spence and Eveliina Summanen from suspension, while Grant also came into the starting XI.

We started well under the sun in N17 as Jess Naz saw an effort blocked inside the box before a teasing cross from the left by Bethany England was just too far in front of the advancing Grant in the six-yard area. We continued to pile the pressure early on, Olivia Holdt on this occasion seeing her first time strike deflected over the bar after Neville’s cutback found the midfielder in the centre of the box. However, despite our positive showing in the opening half-hour mark, it was the visitors who broke the deadlock on 33 minutes.

Macario advanced into the box before eventually being brought down by Neville just inside the 18-yard line and, having won the penalty, the Chelsea forward stepped up to take the spot-kick, blasting her effort into the side-netting and sending Lize Kop the wrong way. But, with three minutes left on the clock in the first half, we should have grabbed an equaliser when Grant raced through clean on goal but Hampton produced a strong save to deny the defender one-on-one while, at the other end, Kop had to push Johanna Rytting Kaneryd’s effort on the turn to her left.

Looking for a response after the break, Eveliina Summanen was inches away from curling home her free-kick from around 20 yards out before we were indebted to Kop as, at full stretch, our number one pushed Maika Hamano’s curling strike around the post. Chances were few and far between for large parts of the final half-hour as we tried to overcome a resilient Chelsea defence while Kop had to remain alert as, in the final minute of normal time, she produced an outstanding double save to keep us in the contest. Getting down low to her right to keep out Ashley Lawrence's low effort, she was up quickly to block Sjoeke Nusken’s rebound at the near post.

Six minutes of injury-time was indicated, and we pushed everyone forward in search of a leveller. In the final minute of the six shown, we were awarded a free-kick just inside our half and goalkeeper Kop was sent forward, Summanen delivered the set-piece into a dangerous area and, after a Molly Bartrip’s flick-on caused a scramble inside the box, we were unable to capitalise as Chelsea cleared the ball, condemning us to defeat in our final home game of the campaign.

Match data

Goals: Chelsea – Macario 35.

Yellow cards: Spurs – Hunt 48; Chelsea – Kaptein 60, Nusken 70.

Referee: Melissa Burgin.

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Weather: Cloudy, 13 degrees.

Attendance: 9,999.