Tottenham Hotspur

Facing the group leaders and in need of a win to progress, we had it all to do at the Gtech Community Stadium. And that task was made all the harder five minutes in as we found ourselves 2-0 down after conceding twice inside the same minute, first through Melvine Malard before Anna Sandberg found the back of the net.

Jess Park gave United their third and fourth goals a minute either side of the break. Cathinka Tandberg got us on the scoresheet quickly after that fourth, but the Red Devils responded and had their fifth, sixth and seventh goals by 24 minutes with Lea Schuller, Julia Zigiotti and Maya Le Tissier all getting in on the act.

Olivia Holdt pulled another back for us before Park completed her hat-trick with United's eighth. We had a great opportunity to pull another back in the final minutes when we were awarded a penalty but goalkeeper Sophie Jackson blazed over from the spot.

United were dominant from the start. Having already scored five against West Ham and four against Aston Villa in their opening games, the Red Devils were once again sharp and on the front foot as they looked to make sure of their place in the semi-finals.

From the off they caused us countless problems and by the fifth minute were two ahead thanks to great finishes from Malard and Sandberg.

Despite their lead, they never let off, going on to rattle the crossbar, force Eleanor Heeps into two brilliant saves to deny Malard and Maya Le Tissier before Jess Park clipped in to make it 3-0 before the break.

We should have been on the scoresheet amongst all the United pressure but neither Tandberg or Holdt could beat goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce. And we were made to pay for that immediately after the break as Park found space to drive into and finish.

We did pull one back seconds later as a superb backheel from Signe Gaupset put it on a plate for Tandberg to fire through Tullis-Jouyce but on 19 minutes United had hit us on the break through Schuller to restore their four-goal advantage.

Minutes later, Zigotti got in on the act with a tap in before Le Tissier glanced home a header to see United score seven.

We pulled back another goal with four minutes remaining as Holdt fired in with a trivela finish but, as they had done all game, United responded almost immediately, Park getting her hat-trick on the break as we pushed for further goals.

We should have had a third with just over a minute remaining. The referee awarded us a penalty after Malard was adjudged to have handled in the box. Goalkeeper Jackson was given the responsibility of the spot-kick but she blazed over.

Spurs: Heeps, Morris, Bartrip (c), A. Nilden, Holdt, Tandberg, Pierre. Substitutes: Jackson, Mace, Hills, Summanen, Gauspet, Oukriss, Dennis.

Manchester United: Tullis-Joyce, Le Tissier (c), Park, Terland, Naalsund, Zigiotti, Turner. Substitutes: Rendell, Sandberg, Lundkvist, Malard, Awujo, Wangerheim, Schuller.

Toni stepped in for Guglielmo Vicario, recovering from hernia surgery, in Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge at Sunderland on 12 April.

His first appearance since a testing night against Atletico Madrid a month previously, Toni impressed despite our narrow defeat at the Stadium of Light and went from strength to strength in the next six weeks as we fought to preserve our Premier League status.

The highlights were a flying save to keep out Joao Gomes’ late free-kick secured a 1-0 win against Wolves at Molineux on 25 April, two saves in the 2-2 draw against Leeds on 11 May – the second, lighting reactions to tip Sean Longstaff’s shot onto the crossbar, has been nominated for Premier League Save of the Season – and finally, another superb tip over to keep out Tyrique George’s effort in added time against Everton. Put those together and Toni has saved us five points.

Speaking to us after securing that vital 1-0 win against Everton, Micky was full of praise for his goalkeeper. “Antonin, unbelievable save, again,” he said. “I think it's the only save of the game, I can't remember him making another big save like that, he has a lot of big moments also with corners and set pieces, but when you step up in this moment, it's massive for us.”

It was put to Micky that Toni had done what all great goalkeepers do – made saves when they matter. “Yeah, he's stepped up,” he added. “When we needed to rely on him, he was there for us and he played a massive role as well. He did an unbelievable job since he came on.”

Coming in our 1-1 draw with the Whites at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this month, the forward opened the scoring with the effort on 51 minutes.

From a corner on the right, Pedro Porro lofted the dead ball into the middle of the area but it was headed away by Leeds' Luka Bijol. His clearance only went as far as Mathys though who was primed to strike on the edge of the box.

Having already scored against Leeds this season, the Frenchman stopped the ball dead with his first touch before taking one step and whipping the ball deliciously into the top right-hand corner of the net.

Such was the quality of the strike, it has just about taken top spot in our Goal of the Month vote. Mathys' strike took 42 per cent of the vote with Conor Gallagher's effort at Aston Villa taking 36 per cent. Toko Koga's long-range winner against Brighton & Hove Albion winner came third with 10 per cent of the vote.

Watch Tel's stunner against Leeds United

Striker Mason came on as a late substitute to make his senior debut for the Republic of Ireland in their 1-0 home win over Qatar on Thursday evening.

The forward, previously a regular at Under-21 level, replaced ex-Spur Troy Parrott in the 90th minute as his side saw out the closing moments.

Tyrese, meanwhile, earned his first start for Jamaica as they defeated India 2-0 in the semi-finals of the Unity Cup at The Valley, home of Charlton Athletic, on Wednesday.

The central midfielder, who made his senior international bow for Jamaica in March with a substitute appearance against DR Congo, completed the full 90 minutes as his side booked a final date with Nigeria at the same venue on Saturday evening (7.30pm UK).

Elsewhere, Malachi Hardy and Tynan Thompson both came off the bench for England Under-18s as part of wholesale changes in the 57th minute as the Young Lions secured a 2-1 win over Greece in Cyprus on Thursday.

Two goals within the opening seven minutes got us off to the perfect start at the Gtech Community Stadium with Academy product Araya Dennis bagging our first before Ella Morris rattled in our second.

West Ham were awarded the first penalty of the tournament just before the break, which Estelle Cascarino duly converted to halve their deficit, however that lasted just a matter of seconds as we went straight up the other end and restored our two-goal lead through Signe Gaupset.

After the brief break, we then added a fourth with birthday girl Eveliina Summanen tapping in from close range to make sure of the win.

After defeating on opening day with Aston Villa running out 6-3 winners on Thursday, we bounced back at the first time of asking as we dispatched the Hammers to keep ourselves alive in the tournament.

Knowing a defeat would have left us unable to progress to the knockout stages, we made sure we started well.

Dominant throughout the clash, Dennis got us up and running with her first goal at the tournament. The young forward lashing in from just inside the area with just four minutes on the clock. We then didn't have to wait long for Morris to get involved as, from a pretty much identical position inside the area, the full back powered the ball home.

In an end-to-end game, West Ham did have their opportunities and should have probably been level by the break had Vivianne Asseyi been able to keep her effort on target when one-on-one with Eleanor Heeps before the goalkeeper then pulled off an incredible save to deny Tuva Hansen from point-blank range.

They did get on the scoresheet with a minute left of the first period with the maiden penalty of the tournament. Ruby Mace was adjudged to have committed a foul in the box and, after the referee pointed to the spot, Cascarino rifled home.

However, we didn't let that goal dampen our spirits as we went straight up the other end to restore our two-goal advantage through Gaupset. The Norwegian is enjoying quite the tournament so far with three assists and now a goal to her name.

After a frenetic first half, it was a much more quiet game in the second with both goalkeepers rarely troubled.

Eleanor Heeps did have one impressive save to make, denying Asseyi on the volley with a superb use of reflexes on the line but had little to do after that.

But it was a similar story down the other end where, bar Summanen's tap in on 25 minutes after Cathinka Tandberg had rounded Megan Walsh, the Hammers stopper was also largely untroubled.

The win moves us up to second in our group behind Manchester United, ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference.

We face United in our final game and it is likely we will need to win that game if we are to go through to the knockout stages.

Spurs: Heeps, Morris, Bartrip (c), Nilden, Gaupset, Holdt, Tandberg. Substitutes: Jackson, Mace, Hills, Summanen, Oukriss, Pierre, Dennis.

West Ham: Walsh, Siren, Hansen, Ueki, Bose, Asseyi (c), Cascarino. Substitutes: Szemik, Endo, Belloumou, Zadorsky, Ziu, Brasero, Piubel.

It all starts with co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa at the famous Azteca (now known as the Estadio Banorte) in Mexico City on Thursday, 11 June (8pm UK).

Co-hosted by USA and Canada, this will be the 23rd World Cup, the inaugural tournament back in 1930.

As we build up to the summer’s football fest, we take a look at the Spurs players to feature on the greatest stage of all…

Spurs at the World Cup | 1962 - Jimmy Greaves, Maurice Norman

Maurice Norman was in his prime as we won the double in 1960/61 and retained the FA Cup the following season, yet an England call-up just wouldn’t come his way.

When the selectors finally gave him the nod and drafted the centre-back into the side, it was just eight days from the start of the 1962 World Cup in Chile and England’s last friendly before they launched their challenge on the Jules Rimet trophy.

Walter Winterbottom’s side took on Peru in Lima and Maurice lined up on his international debut alongside Bobby Moore. Greavsie hit a hat-trick as England triumphed 4-0 and Maurice impressed to such an extent that 11 days later, he found himself in the starting XI for England’s World Cup opener against Hungary.

It wasn’t the best tournament for the Three Lions, however, as they lost twice in the group stage but progressed on goal difference, only to lose to eventual champions Brazil in the quarter-finals.

England began with a 2-1 defeat to Hungary at the Estadio Braden in Rancagua, but bounced back a 3-1 win over Argentina, thanks to goals from Ron Flowers, Bobby Charlton and Greaves. A goalless draw against Bulgaria saw England edge through to meet Brazil.

The reigning champions were always going to present Norman and Moore with a tough test and so it proved. Despite the absence of the injured Pele, Brazil were still able to boast the likes of Didi, Vava and the flying winger Garrincha, who was in top form.

He fired Brazil ahead, before Gerry Hitchens levelled for England, but further goals from Vava and Garrincha sealed England’s fate and they returned home.

Maurice had certainly made his mark and continued to represent his country with distinction for another two years, winning 23 caps in total.

A defensive rock at Spurs, the gentle giant from Norfolk made 411 appearances for us over 10 years, 1955-65, winning the double in 1961, the FA Cup again in 1962 and then the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1963.

Greavsie also started all four of England’s games, scoring his first World Cup goal against Argentina, his only goal of the 1962 tournament.

That was only the start of the rollercoaster ride for Greavsie at the World Cup - read more tomorrow...

Guiding us to a fifth-place finish this term, in his first role as a Head Coach in the Women’s Super League, Martin enjoyed a fantastic maiden campaign in England’s top flight by not only matching our best-ever finish but surpassing our record points tally as we accumulated 36 points – four more than our previous highest in 2021/22.

While the number 36 meant a lot for the club, it also saw Martin achieve a new record himself, earning the most points by an English manager in their debut season in the WSL.

Joining us in the summer from SK Brann, following two successful years with the Norwegian outfit, Martin has made a significant impact in his first campaign in north London. His side have shown plenty of quality in the forward areas and resilience across the backline, preserving six clean sheets in the competition.

Martin also claimed the league’s Manager of the Month award for the first time in his career – becoming just our second Head Coach to pick up the award in the competition – after an impressive February where we collected six points in three games, scoring nine goals.

There were many standout moments in the highly impressive campaign, including that emphatic 7-3 win at Aston Villa, the last-minute winner at Brighton & Hove Albion on the final day or battling performances against Arsenal and Manchester United to earn a point in those fixtures.

In what was our debut in the seven-a-side competition, we struggled to adapt to the format in the first 15 minutes as we found ourselves four-nil down at the break and, despite Cathinka Tandberg finding the back of net and Amanda Nilden bagging a brace, we opened our account with a heavy loss.

Following some impressive walk-out routines with a Michael Jackson theme, we started on the front foot in a sun-soaked capital, Molly Bartrip and Signe Gaupset both going close in the opening minute, but it was Villa who broke the deadlock through Noelle Martiz.

We continued to carve out opportunities, Bartrip’s effort blocked on the line and Araya Dennis denied by Sabrina D’Angelo, with rolling substitutes in place throughout the game, but Villa then struck with three goals in three minutes – Kirsty Hanson scoring a double with Rachel Maltby finding the back of the net in between.

A reaction was needed after a short break and Tandberg got our first goal of the tournament a minute after the restart as she collected Signe Gaupset’s low ball into the box, turned her defender and slotted into the bottom corner. However, less than 60 seconds later, Oriane Jean-Francois reinstated their four-goal advantage.

But we struck back instantly through Nilden as she was teed up from a short free-kick by Gaupset on the edge of the box who then sent a powerful left-footed strike past D’Angelo.

Academy goalkeeper Sophie Jackson produced a big save to deny Ebony Salmon in a one-on-one but was unable to stop Villa adding a sixth, with Maltby converting into an empty net on the rebound after our shot stopper initially kept out a strike from distance.

In the final minute, we pulled a consolation goal back as Nilden produced a low strike from just inside the area into the bottom corner but we were condemned to a heavy defeat in the opening game as our attentions turns to a double-header tomorrow (Friday 29 May) as we take on West Ham United and Manchester United.

There was also a brilliant opportunity for a number of our Academy players as Heidi Hills, Rania Oukriss, Jhanaie Pierre and Waris Deria got plenty of minutes in a senior, competitive contest.

Line-ups

Spurs: Jackson, Morris, Bartrip (C), A. Nilden, Gaupset, Tandberg, Summanen. Substitutes: Heeps, Hills, Deria, Pierre, Oukriss, Dennis, Holdt.

Villa: D’Angelo, Patten, Maritz, Wilms, Kendall, Salmon, Hanson. Substitutes: Clark, Deslandes, Maltby, Taylor, Jean-Francois, Mullett, Daly.

Positivity, confidence and resilience were among adjectives used by students to describe their time taking part, as the latest cohort visited Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to celebrate their involvement.

The Foundation has been delivering Premier League Inspires across local secondary schools since it launched in 2019. Students take part in regular face-to-face group sessions and mentoring, before being treated to a day of workshops at the Stadium, including a tour and a Q&A session with special guests.

This time round, students heard from Academy players Jamel Beggs, Farren Doran, Eloise Summers-Mee and Grace Bellwood. They also took part in a social media and digital wellbeing session based on lessons from elite sport, delivered by B5 Consultancy, and a first aid session by Direct Action Training.

Joining the group as an example of how the programme continues to influence development were previous participants Havin, 15, from Mulberry Academy Woodside, and Anastasia, 14, from Heron Hall Academy.

Havin said: “Premier League Inspires was absolutely amazing for me. I learnt a lot from it to take into sports and daily life, including how to be more dedicated and disciplined. I also met a lot of new people through the programme, and it’s opened doors.

“For example, I took part in Jack Petchey’s Speak Out Challenge, using the communication skills and confidence I developed.

“With the school being in the area, when the Foundation comes in it shows they care about the community and teaching us all these things we wouldn’t learn in a classroom.

“I did the programme when I was in Year 8 and, I’d say, less mature. The staff were incredible, so open, listening to and understanding you. If you’re struggling in school, they show every route and different pathways you can take.

“When you visit the Stadium at the end, it’s a big stage and the activities help you see how far you’ve come, and how what you’ve learnt actually helps.”

Anastasia said: “The programme allows you to talk about your feelings, maybe why you think or act a certain way. You’re not under pressure. It’s with people who are really positive and actually care about you, even if they’ve not known you that long.

“I used to be really shy about myself. Now, after taking part, I’m more able to express myself and feel confident.

“With the programme being Premier League Inspires, you think it’s just about football, but once you’re deep into it, it’s more about you expressing yourself and how you’re feeling. It’s really good.”

Myri Demetriou, Foundation project coordinator who leads on delivery of Premier League Inspires, said: “Reaching 1,000 young people is an important milestone, but what matters most is the journey they go on. Students grow in confidence, build resilience and develop life skills, and we’re proud to see them take those qualities into school, their communities and beyond.”

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