SheKicks

Tottenham Hotspur were dismantled 5-2 by WSL leaders Manchester City on Saturday.

A first-half Bunny Shaw hat-trick did the damage, with City going in 5-1 up at the break.

But Spurs head coach Martin Ho said there were some positive signs in the second half for his side.

“The first half, with the competing and duelling and fighting, it wasn’t there,” he said to the club’s official website.

“We had moments with the ball where we thought we’d done well and maybe could have capitalised on a couple of them. But, the second half, it was a totally different team; aggression, forced more errors out of them technically, forced them into areas we wanted to be and really stepped on with some purpose.

“Then with the ball, I thought we were brave and when we broke through them well, we had numerous chances, probably could have had a couple more with the goals with the chances we had. But just disappointing because we can’t have that first half.”

And he added: “If you look at the second half, there’s so many aspects to take, and we should probably take the positive aspects from it, because we’ve pushed that game second half a lot. We’ve had numerous chances with really good, sustained possession. We have a talented group and a talented team, and we just need to use these experiences more and more to grow in confidence.”

Martin Ho: Tottenham need consistency

Ho took over at the start of the season, and although Tottenham have not managed to force their way into the title race, he still thinks his side have made good progress.

“We can’t let these things derail us and make it look like we’ve had a bad season because, actually, we’ve still got four games to go in this league campaign and we can be competitive in those games because we show it in lots of spells.

“We just haven’t had that consistency through a large game against a top team. We’ve just been [performing in] one half and we need to probably go towards 70, 80 minutes of those games.”

Tottenham Hotspur face London City Lionesses in the fifth round of the Women’s FA Cup on Monday evening.

And Spurs head coach Martin Ho spoke on Thursday afternoon about the importance of the competition to him and his team.

“It’s a prestigious competition. It’s something we want to go far in. It’s something that the club has got to a final in already.

“And definitely to the staff and players, it’s an important competition, but it’s important for us to make sure that we can go as far as we can – and if we want to be a successful team, we should want to be in the latter stages of these competitions.”

Martin Ho: Tottenham Hotspur are not just here to take part

And on the prospect of playing London City Lionesses, he added that although he wanted to see his team in the fight for the trophy – as they were in 2024 when they reached the final and lost to Manchester United – they needed to focus on one game at a time.

“You want to be amongst it, you want to make sure that you get to those latter stages of the competition, and we want to make sure that it’s not just seen as [a competition for] a team from the top four that has always won it over the last period. We need to make sure that we can upset that.

“But it starts with the game against London City. We can’t think too far ahead; if we think too far ahead we’ll probably come up short, and London City is a difficult task ahead of us. Whatever it presents after that, if we get through, then we’ll focus on that but, for now, it’s London City.

“We want to be amongst it, we don’t want to just be here to take part, we want to make sure that we can be successful and get ourselves through to the final.”

Pop icon Madonna was in attendance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Chelsea bounced back from two straight defeats to beat their hosts 2-0.

Goals from Keira Walsh and Alyssa Thompson got the Blues back on course after losses to Arsenal and Manchester City.

And Erin Cuthbert said afterwards that it was a performance that was indicative of the team spirit.

“It’s been a tough couple of weeks, and one that maybe a lot of us haven’t been used to,” Cuthbert told BBC Sport after the match. “Over the nine, ten years I’ve been here, we’ve had moments like this, and it’s going to be like this. The league is getting better. We played against two top teams who probably beat us quite convincingly.

“It was back to the drawing board this week, back to regrouping and how we show ourselves this week, because we didn’t want to be a Chelsea team that just bowed down game after game. That’s not what we’re about. That’s not what we’re built upon.”

“I think today it was a massive team performance,” said player of the match Sjoeke Nusken. “From the beginning we were there, and we wanted to be straight there after bad results the two games before. I think now we are on the winning way again, we did a good performance today and we will keep going on.”

Sjoeke Nusken: Chelsea want to win everything

The result gets Chelsea back in to third place in the league, within the UEFA Women’s Champions League spots, and one point ahead of fourth-placed Arsenal, who have a game in hand.

Martin Ho and his Tottenham Hotspur side are looking forward to hosting Chelsea in the club’s main stadium this weekend.

It will be the first time Ho leads his team out at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and it’s something that means a lot to him.

“As a collective, as a group, these are the games you want to be part of and playing at the stadium is a massive thing for us as a team, as a club to make sure that we can give the fans something that they can cheer about in a London derby,” he told a press conference on Friday morning.

“My first game there, so I’m really excited for it at the same time as the staff, as head coach.

“So yeah, we’re really excited and we know that we have to make sure we perform at our optimum if we want to win the game. We’ve got to be at our best and the players have trained really well all week and we’ll have a couple more sessions to go for the rest of the week and then we’ll see where we sit when we come to Sunday.”

Martin Ho: Tottenham Hotspur want us to play at the main stadium

Asked what he thought clubs could do to ensure they were filling out bigger-capacity stadia every week, Martin Ho reflected: “This club has done everything. This club wants us to play at the stadium. We’ll continue to do that. We will build on the amount of games we play there because the club are behind it, the owners, the leadership, which is nice.

“And then to grow fan base, you have to deliver performance, in my opinion. You have to be performing consistently. You have to make sure the fans are excited to come and watch, you have to give them an entertainment and an entertaining game where they can come and watch. And that’s down to us and down to me to make sure I motivate the team and energise the team to put in their performances.

“And if we do that, we’ve seen throughout the season now the fan base has grown home and away and we have to make sure if we want them to come back and watch it, to the stadium when we’re playing, and we want to have bigger attendances, by doing good performances, you probably get that.”

Tottenham Hotspur host Chelsea in the Barclays Women’s Super League this weekend.

And although defending champions Chelsea come into the game off the back of two successive defeats – 2-0 to Arsenal, and a humiliating 5-1 to league leaders Manchester City – Spurs head coach Martin Ho says they are still a very dangerous side to face.

“They’re a wonderful team, and if anyone thinks that them losing two games turns them into a bad team, then you’re very, very, very mistaken,” he said in a press conference on Friday.

“They’re a wonderful team, they have wonderful players, they have a wonderful manager.

“They played Arsenal and Manchester City, two top teams, and in those games it’s kind of nip and tuck who takes the chances at that level and unfortunately Chelsea have been on the back end of that and you expect the response, you know they’re going to be dangerous and we know what the threats are going to be like: very dynamic players in the front line, very good players in central areas. They’ve got some of the most decorated central midfielders in world football.

“So we need to be aware and we will be, but…we have to show no fear in that. We have to apply ourselves correctly and focus on ourselves and what we want to do.”

Martin Ho: Tottenham must prepare for Chelsea at their best

And that means very detailed preparation.

“It doesn’t make Chelsea…a poor team because they lose two games,” he went on. “Every team loses a game and every player can have an off day, and we need to make sure we prepare for Chelsea at their best.”

He added: “When teams maybe go down, they want to respond, and they have a lot of experienced and elite players in that team and they have a lot of dangerous players in the front or midfield line and we have to be aware of that.

Tottenham face Chelsea this weekend in the WSL and Julie Blakstad believes Spurs have something that will give them an edge over their opponents.

Why Spurs have an edge over Chelsea

On a level playing field, Chelsea would be expected to beat Spurs this weekend.

But Tottenham may have an edge over their opponents this weekend as they play their first game in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season.

A packed out crowd is expected in N17 for the London derby and that could push Spurs to a win according to new signing Julie Blakstad.

“I think because we are at home with a big crowd, that will be very helpful for us!” She said. “I’m really looking forward to it and hopefully it will be a good crowd that can cheer for us.

“We’ve played some big games previously at the bigger stadiums. The atmosphere is definitely different. I think because we are home with a big crowd, that will be very helpful for us. I like those big games where there’s a lot of people cheering. Hopefully, that can help us out on the pitch as well.”

Tottenham will be expecting a packed out crowd for the game that could be huge in their race for a Champions League finish.

Can high-flying Tottenham beat Blues?

Not many teams in the WSL have improved as much as Tottenham have this season.

The North London club are just eight points away from matching their tally from last year and there are still eight games to play in the campaign.

A win against Chelsea this weekend would send the team above their rivals and they would be well in contention for a top three finish.

“It’s a big game. It’s a good opponent in Chelsea.” Blakstad said. “I think it’s also a really good time to face them now that we won our last game and they’re probably in a tougher period after their loss last week against (Manchester) City.”

With Chelsea in dire form right now, Spurs could capitalise on the team’s poor form at home.

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Martin Ho hinted that he may yet make a few more signings ahead of the transfer deadline day next week.

In his press conference on Friday afternoon, he told reporters: “We’re always in the market and we’re still looking now in certain positions.

“I don’t want to just bring someone to the club just to fill a gap. I don’t want to bring someone to the club just for the sake of doing it in a transfer market. It’s got to be someone who’s going to give us longevity, give us a different profile. and more importantly, someone who’s going to add value to this team.

“And if we can’t find that, then I won’t bring them in. I’d rather wait till the next window.”

So far Signe Gaupset, Hanna Wijk, Matilda Nilden and Julie Blakstad have joined the club on permanent deals, with Maika Hamano coming in on loan from Chelsea.

Martin Ho: Tottenham Hotspur are in a good place

Tottenham face West Ham United this weekend, and Ho warned that his side would need to work hard.

They come in off the back of a late defeat at the hands of bottom-placed Liverpool – while the Hammers got an important win at Leicester City last time out.

“There’s no game in this league that is one that you can walk into thinking you’re going to win,” he said.

“Every league game is now competitive and you’ve seen that with some of the upsets that have happened in previous weeks. There’s teams taking points off one another that maybe people don’t expect.

“But we’re in a good place. We’re fifth in the league, 23 points. We have nine games still to go, to grow and definitely still add to the tally we have.”

And he had words of praise for a resurgent West Ham under new head coach Rita Guarino.

“She’s given them definitely a lot more organisation and stability. They’re very well drilled, you can see that, and Rita was very known for that when she was in Italy.

“So we know it’s going to be a tough game and we have to go there with the intention to win the game as we always do, but we need to find ways to break down a really organised and resilient block.”

Tottenham Hotspur beat Leicester City for the second week in a row on Sunday – this time 3-0 in the fourth round of the Women’s FA Cup.

Goals from Bethany England, Drew Spence, and Lenna Gunning-Williams got Martin Ho’s side into the draw for the fifth round.

And the Tottenham Hotspur head coach was pleased with what he saw from his side – particularly defensively.

“Clean sheets build confidence and belief within the group,” he said to the club’s official television channel. “If I’m being brutally honest, we maybe got away with a few moments today. We gave them too many chances in our build-up during the second half and allowed some counterattacks in the first half. That’s something we can tidy up.

“That said, the clean sheet is a credit to the whole team and the way we defend together. There are still moments where we need to be tighter, because it could have been different if they had taken their chances.”

Martin Ho: We were patient and composed

Leicester might not have done, but Spurs did, which Ho said was a measure of his team’s persistence.

“[Leicester City came close to scoring] near the end, but I think we were persistent in putting pressure on them and forcing them back. Sometimes in games you need to do that. When teams defend low, you must be prepared to break them down. We were patient but still composed enough to take the finishes.

“You always want to score because it settles the nerves. You also want to make sure you capitalise on opportunities when they come your way. A 1–0 scoreline can be difficult because the opposition grows in confidence the longer the game goes on. You can get a little edgy, but the second goal came at the right time and settled us down.

“After that, we pushed and pushed again. We got into some really good moments, so overall it was really pleasing.”

England defender Ella Morris has signed a new long-term contract with Tottenham.

The 23-year-old joined Tottenham from Southampton in 2024, but has not featured since suffering an ACL injury at the end of last season.

However, her performances pre-injury were enough for Tottenham to reward her with a new deal.

What Ella Morris said about her new Tottenham contract

Speaking to Tottenham’s official website, Morris said she was “excited” by the growth of the Spurs team.

She said: “I’m very excited. It’s an amazing club to be a part of. Just seeing the growth of the team from last season to this season, how Martin (Ho) has come in and given the girls a sense of belief.

“It’s an exciting time to be a part of it, where we’re pushing in the league now. It’s definitely a club with ambition, and a club I want to be a part of.”

Head coach Ho described Morris as “one of the most exciting young full-backs” in England.

He said: “We are absolutely delighted that she has committed her future to Tottenham Hotspur.

“To earn a Lionesses call-up at such a young age says everything about her quality, and the way she has attacked her ACL recovery shows the mentality we value so highly here.”

Morris’ Tottenham career so far

In her first season at Tottenham, Morris made 13 appearances in all competitions before she suffered her ACL injury.

Morris suffered the injury during training with England, ruling her out of the Euro 2025 championship, where the Lionesses emerged victorious.

Morris had been called up from the Under-23s squad for the first time for the Nations League games against Portugal and Spain, before Euro 2025.

The injury suffered in May was the second ACL injury Morris has sustained during her career. She previously suffered the injury at the age of 17 while playing for Southampton.

Tottenham’s busy January window

The new contract for Morris comes at a time when Tottenham have been busy during the January transfer window.

Tottenham have signed five players, with Signe Gaupset their first addition, in a deal that was announced in November.

Spurs have since signed Hannah Wijk and Matilda Nilden from BK Hacken, Julie Blakstad from Hammarby and Maika Hamano on loan from Chelsea.

The signings are a big boost for Tottenham who are currently in the race for the Champions League spots.

Spurs sit fourth in the standings, level on points with Arsenal who are in the third and final Champions League qualification spot.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Ash Neville has signed for Leicester City for an undisclosed fee.

The full back – now 32 years old – has agreed a one-and-a-half-year contract, with the club holding an additional one-year extension option.

Speaking to Foxes Hub in quotes distributed to the media, Neville said: “This is a new challenge, and I want to help the team put as many points on the board as possible. I’m hoping that the experience I have both on and off the pitch can help.

“Now is the right time for a new challenge and I’m looking forward to seeing what this new chapter will bring.”

Neville’s career stats so far

Neville has made over 100 appearances for Spurs in the top flight since their promotion to the division in 2018-19.

She signed for Spurs from Coventry United in 2017, and since then has become the first Tottenham player to make a century of WSL appearances. She now has 115 appearances in the league, and 191 appearances for Tottenham overall.

She could now face her former team-mates on Sunday as the WSL resumes following a winter break.

Tottenham Hotspur: Ash Neville is a Spurs legend

In a press release, Andy Rogers, managing director of Tottenham Hotspur Women, said: “Ash’s contribution to the club has been immense. She has been influential on our journey to establishing ourselves as a Women’s Super League team, and she departs as an undisputed club legend.

“A true pioneer of the women’s game on and off the pitch, Ash has always shown love and care to her teammates, staff, and our supporters. From helping us break into the top flight, to representing us at Wembley Stadium in our first-ever FA Cup Final, we are forever grateful to Ash and wish her all the best for the future. Forever a member of the Spurs family.”