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Tottenham news: Something is finally stirring at Spurs

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We are witnessing a significant mood shift at Tottenham, reflected inside this magnificent arena since the psychological barrier of the vital first league win was crossed against Coventry City.

Head coach Roberto de Zerbi told Match of the Day after his side's victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday: "The passion we showed - we didn't lose the focus, the concentration. We made an incredible reaction when we lost the ball.

"We could have scored more goals, but we created many chances. We have to be more nasty, especially in the last third of the match, especially in the finishing. I'm happy because I knew before this would be a tough game."

De Zerbi pleaded for patience for his big summer acquisitions, with midfield duo Sandro Tonali, a £100m arrival from Newcastle United, and £85m signing Mateus Fernandes, who came from West Ham United, both starting slowly.

While any optimistic verdict on Spurs in recent times always comes with natural caution attached, the expensive pair are now showing signs of why De Zerbi was prepared to pay such prices to make them part of his transformation.

Tonali started to come to life against Coventry and against Palace he was pivotal with his running power, physicality and creation. Fernandes was lively throughout, always looking for the opening, the pass that could make a difference.

And once again, to the usual rapturous reception after his long injury absence, Dejan Kulusevski delivered a lively cameo as substitute, a real threat as he also forced a fine save from Palace keeper Dean Henderson.

There is a sense that something is finally stirring at Spurs, that the £300m spent in the summer might just reap a reward – as you would expect for such a lavish outlay.

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Women's Super League LIVE: Build-up, team news, text updates & radio commentary

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That's all from us

FT: Charlton 0-6 Chelsea

Thanks for tuning in today for all of our coverage of Sunday's Women's Super League action.

That's it for this live page, but you can find all of our latest women's football stories here.

Want to have your say on who you think will win the WSL this season? Head to our Fan Chat page.

'Learned a lot from that game'

FT: Charlton 0-6 Chelsea

Charlton Athletic

Charlton manager Karen Hills said: "You see how quickly they started, found their rhythm really well. We struggled to deal with some individual players. I thought their rotation, movement was quality, Fair play to them.

"You expect that from a Champions League team, WSL opposition, international players. We feel a bit disappointed that given them the goals early on and second half they probably took their they took their foot off the gas a bit but we kept going.

"They’re a quality outfit and I’ve said to my players, ‘what have we learned from that? How can you as individual learn from what you’ve seen because we playing against the top players and you never threw the towel in’. That’s all I can ask for. If we have learned some good lessons today that will help us going forward.

"It could have been a very different game if they kept the level they were playing in first 15 minutes, credit to them but we rode out some of those really uncomfortable moments. We knew we would suffer. The message this week has been ‘we reset and try to keep going and to stick together' and they done that for me today. I am pleased. 6-0 is not a flattering score but what I would say is we definitely learned a lot from that game.

"A lot of these players are new to this league and they will have to get up to speed, it will take them time. This league is unforgiving, it doesn’t give you the time and you are playing against world-class international players. It will only make you better. We have to stay with it, keep believing in ourselves and try to pick up points from teams around us."

'It does not look good' - Bompastor on James injury

FT: Charlton 0-6 Chelsea

Chelsea

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor, asked about the importance of boosting the goal difference, said: "That's an element that's really important. We want to come into every game and play from minute one to the end. We played with a lot of intensity and deserved to score until the end.

"The game was really positive in many ways, the result and in terms of performances we had some really good moments. We controlled the game well today and it was an opportunity to give players minutes.

"It was a first official goal for Giulia [Dragoni] and you could see the emotion in her face so I'm especially happy for the goal she scored."

On goalscorer Nathalie Bjorn: "We have many stories in this game and Nathalie is one of them. To captain, start and score is a big boost in her confidence. We're trying to bring players back as we have many games, big games are coming, and when you have many players available you can start and finish the game in a different way."

On an injury to England forward Lauren James: "I spoke with her at half-time and it does not seem to be positive. She felt her hamstring. It does not look really good, we will see. We have some hope but it does not look good. When I spoke to her she didn't have a good feeling."

'Difficult one to take'

FT: Charlton 0-6 Chelsea

Charlton Athletic

Charlton defender Ashleigh Neville said: "It is very difficult to concede six at home. We knew it would be tough at the beginning. I can’t take it away from them, they are an incredible team.

"There are some positives to take but it is a difficult one to take conceding six goals.

"The first 20 minutes was a bit of a shock, it took us that long to find our shape. We need to start better, we can’t be conceding four goals that early because it puts you on the back foot.

"If I'm being honest the group are incredible, we knew it would be hard from the start. It's a massive learning curve here but we are learning every week."

Spence 'very proud' to break WSL appearance record

FT: Birmingham 1-4 Tottenham

Emma Sanders

BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Tottenham midfielder Drew Spence says it is a "very proud moment" to become the Women's Super League's all-time appearance record holder.

Spence, 34, started in Tottenham's WSL game against Birmingham City on Sunday, making her 217th appearance in the competition.

She overtook ex-Chelsea captain Millie Bright and is the only outfield player at Tottenham to play 90 minutes in all of their WSL games this season.

"I've been around for a while! I'm incredibly proud to be able to do that and it's not just a proud moment for me, but also for my family," Spence told BBC Sport.

"It's [about] all the hard work that I put in throughout the years. When you're younger, you don't really think about these types of accolades.

"It was all about winning trophies. Now it's happened, it's such a massive part of my career and something that I can be proud of to look back on.

"I know the sacrifices - looking after yourself and making sure that you're available all the time. I know how hard it is to keep that motivation for so many seasons."

Read more on Spence's WSL career

Guarino praises 'incredible' Asseyi

FT: West Ham 4-1 Liverpool

West Ham United

West Ham manager Rita Guarino said: "Very happy, very proud of the team, we deserved this win. From the first minute we played a very good game with pressure, with defending, attacking, the effort we put in this game.

"We were able to use the space we needed to create this type of opportunities so I'm very proud.

"We need this kind of energy [against Manchester City next week] and it's not simple to go away in the house of the champions."

On two-goal Viviane Asseyi: "She missed a hat-trick unfortunately but very happy. She is an incredible player so very happy for her and very happy in the way the team helped her to make this type of performance."

'Unacceptable'

FT: West Ham 4-1 Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Gareth Taylor said: "A flat start, we gave away a decisive penalty in the first five minutes and then you are always facing an uphill battle.

"They were very direct, we had a lot of play but we still need to do more with it in the final third as that scoreline should've looked closer.

"They [West Ham] always seemed to come out with the ball, which is unacceptable from us.

"Your initial feeling is frustration and disappointment and we have to dust ourselves down and get ready for a game at Anfield [against Arsenal] next week."

'We all need to be better'

FT: West Ham 4-1 Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool captain Grace Fisk said: "We were way off it in a lot of departments, competing, small actions, duels, they were better than us.

"Disappointing as I feel performances have been really positive, even if results have not gone our way, but we were way off it it so a disappointing day.

"They started well and we didn't, that happens in football but we never got to grasp the intensity of the game. We lack creativity at the moment and that has been a problem.

"They were really clinical and at half-time we were three-nil down. We came out believing but it did not happen. We all need to be better. I don't think anyone can hold their heads up this week. We will come back fighting for sure."

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Spurs: Luca Williams-Barnett impresses against Crystal Palace

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'Luca Williams-Barnett. If you don't know him, get to know him!' - BBC
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'Luca Williams-Barnett. If you don't know him, get to know him!' Video, 00:01:18'Luca Williams-Barnett. If you don't know him, get to know him!'

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Highlights - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Crystal Palace

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Up Next. Response after red card 'builds mentality' at Spurs. Video, 00:01:30Response after red card 'builds mentality' at Spurs

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Are Spurs finally finding elusive consistency under Roberto de Zerbi?

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Are De Zerbi's Spurs finding elusive consistency? - BBC
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The long wait is over. After almost 21 months, Tottenham Hotspur have won three Premier League games in succession again.

Spurs cruised to victory on Saturday against Crystal Palace, who were reduced to 10 men after 13 minutes when striker Jean-Philippe Mateta was sent off for an ill-judged lunge at Micky van de Ven.

It means Tottenham have moved into the dizzy heights of the top half of the table.

Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke scored as Spurs built on a platform established by their first league win of the season at home to Coventry City, then fortified by the outstanding victory at Chelsea - only Spurs' second league triumph at Stamford Bridge in 36 years.

But the prevailing mood inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before kick-off against Palace, undoubtedly shaped by the past, was that the visit of a struggling side represented a banana skin rather than an opportunity.

Tottenham's players weren't having that, though. Not a bit of it. Instead, Spurs grasped gratefully at the helping hand offered by Mateta's recklessness to end up convincing winners.

Three straight wins represent riches indeed. The last time this happened for Tottenham was in February 2025, more than 600 days ago.

Three wins is as many as Spurs had in their previous 26 league games combined, in which they drew 10 and lost 13, going back to midway through last season.

And, if a further indicator was needed as to just how poor Spurs have been in recent times, this is the first occasion when they have recorded back-to-back home wins in the league for two years.

This latest sequence represents consistency of the sort that has eluded Spurs in recent years, the previous incarnation being the consistency of regular defeats and two successive 17th-place finishes in the Premier League.

We are witnessing a significant mood shift at Spurs, reflected inside this magnificent arena since the psychological barrier of the vital first league win was crossed against Coventry.

Head coach Roberto de Zerbi told BBC Sport's Match Of The Day: "The passion we showed - we didn't lose the focus, the concentration. We made an incredible reaction when we lost the ball.

"We could have scored more goals, but we created many chances. We have to be more nasty, especially in the last third of the match, especially in the finishing. I'm happy because I knew before this would be a tough game."

De Zerbi pleaded for patience for his big summer acquisitions, with midfield duo Sandro Tonali, a £100m arrival from Newcastle United, and £85m signing Mateus Fernandes, who came from West Ham United, both starting slowly.

While any optimistic verdict on Spurs in recent times always comes with natural caution attached, the expensive pair are now showing signs of why De Zerbi was prepared to pay such prices to make them part of his transformation.

Tonali started to come to life against Coventry City and here he was pivotal with his running power, physicality and creation. Fernandes was lively throughout, always looking for the opening, the pass that could make a difference.

And once again, to the usual rapturous reception after his long injury absence, Dejan Kulusevski delivered a lively cameo as substitute, a real threat as he also forced a fine save from Palace keeper Dean Henderson.

There is a sense that something is finally stirring at Spurs, that the £300m spent in the summer might just reap a reward – as you would expect for such a lavish outlay.

The statistics confirmed Spurs' superiority, although Crystal Palace battled gamely with their numerical disadvantage, never looking like a side who had given up on head coach Pierre Sage, although he will now come under increasing scrutiny as they lie in the bottom three with only two wins from nine league games.

Spurs had 34 shots and faced just two, the biggest shot difference (32) they have had against any opponent since such Opta records began in 2003-04.

It is also the biggest for any side since Liverpool had 36 shots against four from Wolverhampton Wanderers in May 2024.

Spurs also had 79.4% possession, their second highest on record in a Premier League match after they had 80.2% against Newcastle United in August 2019.

It all left De Zerbi delighted as he talked with renewed optimism and ambition, saying: "Listen, we are Tottenham. We can't forget to be ambitious, to be hungry, to win games in a row, and to make our fans happy.

"At the same time, we can't forget two weeks ago where we have been in the table, to change the last two to three seasons of this club. Three games in a row is not enough. We have to keep this behaviour, this spirit. This condition to prepare every game in the same way.

"After the international break, we spoke together honestly, and decided to change the mood quickly because in football, you can't ask for time, especially if you have good players like we have. I think nothing has changed, but the mood, spirit, the relationship with the players are totally different."

The mood has shifted and - for now - the curve looks to be moving in an upward direction for Spurs and De Zerbi.

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Premier League: Roberto De Zerbi post-match interview

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Up Next. Response after red card 'builds mentality' at Spurs. Video, 00:01:30Response after red card 'builds mentality' at Spurs

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Premier League LIVE: Chelsea v Man Utd, Man City v Brighton, Spurs v Palace, Bournemouth v Leeds, Villa v Fulham, Brentford v Forest, Coventry v Sunderland, Hull v Ipswich

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There are eight games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

How to follow the Premier League weekend across the BBC

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