It’s been an unbeaten start for Spurs Women in 2026, defeating Leicester City in the league and then the FA Cup. Next it’s a trip to the North West, as they take on Liverpool at the St Helens Stadium. It’s a game they have to win in order maintain their Champions League challenge.
Signe Gaupset is already showing her class, shining in both matches against Leicester. Other new recruits are also being integrated into the side.
It’s been another… week at Tottenham Hotspur, ending with a pretty abysmal 2-2 against Burnley at Turf Moor. It was Christian Romero to the rescue once again, but is that enough to save Thomas Frank’s job for another round of fixtures?
Probably.
Should it?
No.
The 2-0 Champions League win in the week, showed a decent level of performance. Especially in the first half. However, not beating Burnley at home is unacceptable. It reiterates many of the points below.
Spurs Women romped through to the next round of the FA Cup last weekend, beating Leicester 3-0. However, disappointingly for those who could not attend, it was not selected by TNT Sports for broadcast. The company showed four games on fourth round weekend, a big step forward in coverage of the competition.
Having not been selected, Tottenham were allowed to show their match on the club’s streaming service SPURSPLAY. However, the arrangement meant they had to put this coverage behind the paywall.
A flurry of incomings have been followed by some outgoings at Tottenham Hotspur Women. Kit Graham and Martha Thomas have both left on loan. They follow Ashleigh Neville, who left Hotspur Way permanently, joining Leicester.
Kit Graham has joined Ipswich Town on loan for the rest of the season. Graham came to Spurs from Charlton Athletic in 2019, becoming a member of the club’s first ever WSL squad. In total, she has made 91 appearances and scored 11 times. This includes appearing in all five games in 2024 FA Cup run that ended with her coming on as a second half sub at Wembley. Sadly, her time in North London has been scuppered by terrible injuries.
Read more: Martha Thomas and Kit Graham Leave on Loan
The first thing Signe Gaupset did in Spurs’ 1-0 win over Leicester City last weekend was make a bursting forward run. She followed that up by passing through an opponents legs. But the time she was fully in the game it was clear that Tottenham had signed a young star in the making.
Data from Twelve Football’s Earpiece outlines her attacking credentials. She is a highly involved midfielder who attacks the box and provides for teammates with high-quality passing.
Keith Richards. Cockroaches. Ashleigh Neville playing for Spurs. Some things just feel like they will never come to an end. Well, today one of them has. The full-back has officially joined Leicester City, ending more than eight years in north London.
In footballing terms, this is probably the right decision for all concerned. Spurs are looking to move forward and progress as a team. Neville will clearly want to play as much as possible in the latter years of her career. However, it is a hugely emotional moment. Neville is perhaps the embodiment of Tottenham’s rise up to the top tier of English women’s football, not least because it was her last gasp clearance that helped Tottenham get a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa and secure promotion back in 2019.
It’s been a busy few days at Spurs, at least on the women’s side. The club have announced four new signings. All of them look to be players that not only bulk out the squad, but immediately improve the first team. The developments indicate both a desire from the new leadership, headed by CEO Vinai Venkatesham, to grow the women’s team. It also suggests confidence in manager Martin Ho, after a pretty successful start to the season.
It was clear in the summer that Spurs needed to move on from Robert Vilahamn. The 2024/25 season had been little short of a disaster. Tottenham only survived in the WSL thanks to the dire state of Crystal Palace. Such a shambles could not be repeated.
The question then, was not whether to reset things, but how. I confess I knew nothing of Martin Ho before he turned up at Hotspur Way, but it just a few short months he has revamped and revitalised a group of players that looked out on their feet.
Spurs have made huge progress under Martin Ho, but they still lack that statement win. A victory over one of the “Big Four”. Can they change that this weekend?
Spurs were not fantastic last time out against Aston Villa, but that 95th minute Olivia Holdt winner will give them a huge confidence boost going into the game. Ho described it as “huge”. He added that “when you’re not at your best and you can win games, I think it’s the signs of a good team in the making.”
Spurs Women get back into action on Sunday, 7 December, 2025, following the international break. Those trips abroad have taken their toll on some. Charlie Grant, Olga Ahtinen and Cathinka Tandberg picked up injuries and will not feature again before Christmas. All three have contributed this season, but the lost of Tandberg will particularly hurt, given how she has improved the Spurs attack.
Spurs boss Martin Ho said he and his players are “under no illusions” about this weekend’s opponents. “They’re a wonderful team,” he said, noting the results Aston Villa have picked up against Arsenal and Man Utd. “They don’t concede many chances” added Ho, who said his team needs to be “ruthless” going forward. Villa have only netted nine times so far this season, but only conceded 10 times. Chances will not be easy to come by on Sunday. They cannot be wasted.