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Signe Gaupset impressed on her Women's Super League debut as Tottenham defeated Leicester City to boost their push for a Champions League place.

An own goal from former Spurs defender Ashleigh Neville settled the outcome for the hosts, who already have more points than they earned in the entirety of last season and moving them alongside third-placed Arsenal in the table.

Neville left Spurs for Leicester on Thursday after almost a decade in north London, but could do nothing when Foxes goalkeeper Olivia Clark punched a corner against her head and in.

Leicester were happy to sit back and play on the counter, twice forcing Lize Kop into smart saves through Emily van Egmond and Hannah Cain before the break.

The second half continued in similar fashion, with midfielder Gaupset orchestrating Tottenham's attacks and combining brilliantly with Olivia Holdt and Bethany England.

The Norwegian international, 20, has joined from Brann and is widely regarded as one of the world's most exciting young talents.

"She should be pleased with that for her first game," said Spurs boss Martin Ho.

"We have only seen flashes of her today. I know what she can deliver, and she knows what she can deliver."

Leicester looked the better side after Gaupset was withdrawn with 25 minutes left to play, but were again denied by Kop when Noemie Mouchon looked for the bottom corner after powering into the box.

Substitute Mouchon looked to turn provider shortly after, but Shannon O'Brien - scorer of Leicester's past three WSL goals - fired narrowly wide from her cross.

Despite their sharp build-up play, Spurs did not muster a shot on target until the 81st minute when Clark pushed away an England header.

They wrestled back control thereafter, with Clare Hunt hitting the woodwork and Toko Koga firing wide when it looked easier to score.

Tottenham stretched their unbeaten home record in the WSL this season to seven games, with only Manchester City (21) earning more points at home than their 16 this term.

Despite a positive performance, Leicester's winless run away from home extended to 22 WSL games.

Although she didn't mark her debut with a goal or assist, new signing Gaupset showed glimpses of her undoubted talent.

She went straight into the starting XI and looked right at home, so much so that she was named player of the match.

Gaupset should have scored early in the second half following some neat link-up play with Holdt and England, but ran on to the former's through-ball slightly too early and was caught offside before Clark saved her effort.

Until her substitution the Norway international led her side for shots and touches in the opposition box, and looked like creating something whenever she was on the ball.

"It's fun to be part of this team finally," said Gaupset, who also worked under Spurs boss Ho at Brann.

"Everyone has been really nice and taken good care of me. I'm excited to be part of this amazing team.

"[The WSL] is more competitive than in Norway, it's a good challenge and fun to be part of. We will keep developing and become a better team."

Gaupset could have joined several European heavyweights, including Lyon and Real Madrid, but chose to reunite with Ho, whose only concern in the victory will be that his side lost momentum after her withdrawal.

"She [Gaupset] is adjusting to the team, the players, new environment, new culture and making sure when she gets on the pitch she plays with a bit of freedom because when she does she is at her best," added Ho.

"It's really important that she settles in quickly because you have games coming thick and fast and she will want to be part of that."

With Spurs now only behind Arsenal on goal difference, Gaupset will clearly be key to their hopes of securing Champions League football come the end of the season.

While their wait for a WSL away win continues, there is no denying boss Rick Passmoor is putting his stamp on his side.

The Foxes looked defensively organised for much of the match, which made Neville's unfortunate own goal all the more frustrating.

Her arrival heralded a switch-around at the back, with Sarah Mayling and her operating as wing-backs.

That system allowed the visitors to counter-attack at pace down the flanks and, on another day, Cain and Van Egmond might have taken the chances that came their way.

With a league-low seven goals in 12 games, scoring is still clearly an issue - as is the reliance on O'Brien to provide them - but Leicester's identity is becoming clearer with every match as Passmoor's players gain a greater understanding of their gameplan and style.

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Man City 2-0 Everton

Izzy Christiansen

Former Man City midfielder on Sky Sports

The battle goes on and on and on between Bunny Shaw and Brosnan in the WSL.

You always think it's inevitable with Shaw but not with Brosnan. She comes out and eats up the space and Shaw shoots it right at her and it's a good save with the knee.

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Chelsea 4-0 West Ham

Chelsea are gunning for a fifth goal here.

They'd hardly get a better chance to pad their goal difference than against a side struggling at the bottom of the table who are low on confidence having conceded four already.

The Blues know all too well how precious goal difference can be in a title race having pipped City on goals scored on the final day two years ago.

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Man City 2-0 Everton

Bunny Shaw wants her goal, but she just cannot find a way past Courtney Brosnan today.

She absolutely smashes that strike at the Everton goalkeeper.

SUBSTITUTIONS

Man City 2-0 Everton

That goal was Vivianne Miedema's last bit of action. Andree Jeglertz brings off the Dutch forward for Grace Clinton.

There's also changes for Everton, with Karen Holmgaard and Rosa van Gool replaced by Hikaru Kitagawa and Nicole Momiki.

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Chelsea 4-0 West Ham

Veerle Buurman has had little to do in the Chelsea back line but she's just had to put in a last-ditch tackle to prevent Shekiera Martinez from shooting at goal from the edge of the D.

A crunching slide tackle it was too.

'She doesn't miss from there'

Man City 2-0 Everton

Izzy Christiansen

Former Man City midfielder on Sky Sports

Miedema deadly.

Just a little moment is all it takes. Everton have been resilient but it's come again from a turnover of possession. City ruthless. A little dink from Bunny Shaw and it's a super touch from Miedema - she doesn't miss from there.

SUBSTITUTION

Chelsea 4-0 West Ham

Sonia Bompastor opts to make a trio of changes as we reach the hour mark.

Goalscorers Alyssa Thompson and Lauren James make way, as does Sjoeke Nusken.

On come Guro Reiten, Lexi Potter and Sam Kerr.

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Aston Villa 2-1 Brighton

That change is an odd one from Natalia Arroyo.

Kirsty Hanson is perpetually one of Villa's most dangerous attacking threats and she had just put the side a goal up.

Perhaps it's a case of managing minutes? She didn't look like she was carrying a knock though.

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Chelsea 4-0 West Ham

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd has tormented the left side of the West Ham defence.

She does so again here but her cross is turned behind for a corner that Chelsea can't make much of.

Tottenham Hotspur's belated show of spirit may keep the wolf from head coach Thomas Frank's door a little longer, but a damaging FA Cup defeat reaffirms the lingering belief his time in charge is only heading one way.

If there is scant consolation for Frank after Spurs slumped to a 2-1 third-round loss at home to Aston Villa, it is that the mood at the end was nowhere near as ugly as it threatened to be at half-time.

Dig beneath that and - barring a trip to Fantasyland in which Spurs win the Champions League - the rest of this season is now a quest for respectability, and for Frank, survival.

Spurs supporters sent their team off at the interval with deafening jeers ringing in their ears after they were brushed aside by a vastly superior Villa, who established a fully deserved 2-0 advantage.

Such was the lack of hope that thousands of seats inside the vast Tottenham Hotspur Stadium remained empty for even longer than usual at the start of the second half, fans resigned to Spurs' fate after a dismal first 45 minutes in which they conceded goals to Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers.

It was deeply uncomfortable for Frank, who not only felt the full fury of the Spurs fans he is failing to convince, but also the taunts of thousands of travelling Villa supporters revelling in his misery.

As well as the time-honoured "You're getting sacked in the morning", he heard chants of "Thomas Frank is an Arsenal fan" after he was inadvertently pictured drinking from a Gunners-branded coffee cup before the Premier League defeat at Bournemouth.

Helped by complacency from Villa, who came out for the second half looking like their work was done, Spurs at least competed and posed a threat, with Wilson Odobert's 54th-minute goal offering a lifeline.

The stadium threw its support behind their team, who finally posed a threat, although too often it was frenzied rather than composed when opportunities arose.

Frank clutched at what was offered by that improvement, telling BBC Match of the Day: "The second half is the one we take away going forward. It's what we would like to be. The energy, intensity, playing forward, being aggressive. We were dominating and created chances.

"Unfortunately we couldn't score the second goal which would have given us an extra opportunity in the extra time. It's always about trying to put two good halves together - that's the aim."

In the wider context, though, this was another bad day for Frank and Spurs, a club that always has big aspirations in the FA Cup.

Spurs are 14th in the Premier League and now out of this competition. Frank does not have the belief or support of many fans, meaning this was the latest day of disappointment for the head coach.

The reaction at half-time was highly toxic. The second half at least spared Frank a repeat at the end. It was more sweat than style, but still not enough to make up for the glaring inferiority and inadequacies of the first half.

A melee involving players and staff from both sides took some of the attention away from the disappointed reaction from the home support - Spurs were unhappy at Villa's celebrations in front of their elated fans, especially Ollie Watkins in close proximity to Joao Palhinha, who then clashed with Rogers.

"I think it's good passion. But we shouldn't be bringing this passion only when we are behind," said Spurs defender Micky van de Ven.

"If we start a game like this, it will be a whole different game. We were nowhere near in the first half like what we did in the second. We need to do this for the full 90 minutes. Then we will be a totally different team.

"We have had too many ups and downs. We have too many games that we play at a good level and then there are games where we are way below our level. That's what we need to work on and be more consistent."

Frank has not been blessed with much good fortune aside from his own difficulties, with striker Richarlison suffering a hamstring injury as he chased with Villa defender Ezri Konsa in the first half.

In the past week, Spurs have also lost Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur to muscle problems.

The Danish manager told Match of the Day: "I under the frustrations. The fans were amazing in the second half. That unity together - the fans and players - everyone was full of energy and feeding off each other.

"We need to think how can we come out aggressive enough and with passion and how can the fans push us forward in spells when we are a little bit down, which will come in every football match.

"We have a very tough spell. We need to regroup and continue to try to put two very good halves together with very good intensity."

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery speaking to BBC Match of the Day after their victory over Tottenham: "The first 45 minutes, we controlled the game like we planned. We created chances, we scored two goals, we dominated and we defended very well. The second half, Spurs started pushing more, they scored a goal. Progressively in the second half, we were feeling better on the field. Again, good positioning and dominating with the ball. Not creating big chances but getting the control of the game like we planned and how we did in the first half.

"Of course, in 90 minutes overall, I think we deserved to get this win and of course how the players responded on the field, showed the mentality we're building is really fantastic."

On his midfield: "Fantastic. Both players fantastic, and today played 90 minutes. Of course, the qualities and the skills of Buendia are really helping us a lot. And today, playing 90 minutes, with his versatile position, playing in a left side and inside as a 10, we did both during the match. In each position he's performing very well and his commitment to help, get his task done and focus, overall, is really fantastic.

"Especially today, the performance of Morgan [Rogers] and Buendia was really fantastic, and each one can feel comfortable playing with their qualities."

On making six changes: "Yes, we need players. We're in the Premier League, the Europa League, and this competition we are respecting a lot. Because last year we played the semi-final. There are thousands of supporters here with us giving us responsibility. The FA Cup is a way for a trophy, a way for Europe as well. Secondly, how we are managing the squad, different players, different moments, some players injured, some players coming back from injury like Pau Torres, and we need players for the next matches, the next competition, Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup."

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Tottenham manager Thomas Frank speaking after the FA Cup defeat: "Our second half was exactly how we wanted it to be. Energy, intensity, tempo, playing forward and the fans pushed us on. We got a goal and had chances for a second one. Unfortunately, we didn't get it and in the end, it wasn't enough. If we had played two halves like that, we would have won the game."

On Spurs fans booing the team at half time: "Of course I understand the frustration. Understandable. But I also think what was every nice to see in the second half was how unified the team and the fans were together. They fed off each other's energy. How we played and went forward - that's what we need to build going forward.

"In the second half, the passion, character and intensity that we played with, that's what we need to bring every game and every 90 minutes.

"It was exactly the opposite against Sunderland. We started fantastically in the first half but couldn't keep up in the second half. If we can put two halves like that together, then it would look much better."

On whether Richarlison has sustained a hamstring injury: "Yeah, it looks like that. We don't know yet of course.

"It's a bigger question for the football authorities. We have had a very tight schedule with five games in 13 days. Four [games] in 10 days for the third time this season. That's something we need to look into. Two off days in between games is a very short turnaround. It's not just us, but there are a lot of clubs who are dealing with that."

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Tottenham have lost two of their last three FA Cup ties against Aston Villa, going out against the Villans in the fourth round last season. The last team to eliminate Spurs from the FA Cup in consecutive seasons were Manchester United in 2007-08/2008-09.

Aston Villa have already won 2-1 at Tottenham in the Premier League this season. As a top-flight side, the last team they beat twice away from home in a single campaign was Norwich City in 2012-13.

Tottenham have progressed from 18 of their last 19 FA Cup third round ties, doing so in each of the last 11 campaigns since a 2-0 loss at Arsenal in 2013-14.

Aston Villa have won their last two FA Cup third round ties, having been eliminated at this stage in each of the seven campaigns before this.

Morgan Rogers has been involved in five goals in four appearances against Tottenham in all competitions (3 goals, 2 assists), scoring and assisting in Aston Villa’s 2-1 win against them in the FA Cup last season.