Thanks for joining me. Here is Suzanne Wrack’s report.
Not forgetting Arsenal’s defence.
8 - @ArsenalWFC have become the first team in FA Women's Super League history to keep eight consecutive clean sheets. Solid. #BarclaysWSL pic.twitter.com/KTzoqLSDTw
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 24, 2022
Spurs will need to pick themselves up after that. Maybe work on a system than involves defending their right-hand side.
Players are signing autographs for fans, which is nice to see.
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Kim Little: “We turned up today and did everything we planned. We put on a show and I hope the fans enjoyed it.
“The atmosphere makes a difference.
“We’ve started really well, especially in the league. We need to keep improving and we need to do that to try and stay ahead of the game.”
Beth Mead: “Still enjoying my football. I think we played really well today; we were patient and compact.
“The fans being here give us such an energy. Hopefully this is just the beginning.
“I’ve never experienced [a standing ovation] before.
“I still feel like I am on cloud nine. I don’t think it will sink in for a long time.”
Arsenal’s players are doing a lap of honour.
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Full-time: Arsenal 4-0 Tottenham
What a great day for the Women’s Super League thanks to the record-breaking 47,367 inside the Emirates for Arsenal’s north London derby win over Tottenham.
Arsenal were dominant from start to finish as they proved their superiority thanks to two goals from Miedema, with Mead and Rafaelle getting the others.
90 mins: Karczewska shoots from 30 yards but it goes well over.
Three minutes added on.
89 mins: The fans are streaming out to beat the traffic/queues at the various stations in the vicinity.
87 mins: Wubben-Moy and Maanum on for Little and Rafaelle for Arsenal.
85 mins: Not a single Spurs player has her shirt tucked in, I assume as they need to promote whatever sponsor is on the base of the spine.
83 mins: Nobbs breaks away into space but does not have the pace to take it forward, allowing Spurs to get back in numbers and intercept a cross.
81 mins: Williamson is caught in possession after delaying her pass with limited options in front of her, possibly down to Arsenal slowing the tempo down too much. The Spurs break gets nowhere as a long pass is sent over the head of the offside Neville.
79 mins: Neville sends in a good cross for Spurs only for Petzelberger to nudge the ball with her hands rather than head before clattering into a defender.
77 mins: SPURS HAVE A CORNER! It is played out to Zadorsky who lumps her cross straight out of play. Not ideal for Spurs.
Miedema’s second …
Her eighth #BarclaysWSL goal against @SpursWomen!@VivianneMiedema loves this fixture! pic.twitter.com/kO7s5KA2Xp
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) September 24, 2022
75 mins: Arsenal are conserving their energy for the trip to Ajax, where they need to get a result after drawing 2-2 at home in the first leg. Lots of slow passing around the back to waste a bit of time.
73 mins: Arsenal’s 12th corner (Spurs have had none) is played short and away from danger, much to the visitors’ relief.
Blackstenius collects the ball on the left flank, cuts in onto her right foot but her shot flies well wide.
Naz off, Ale on for Spurs. Mead replaced by Hurtig for Arsenal.
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71 mins: It is certainly a case of avoiding further damage for Spurs here. They have failed to test Zinsberger thus far, so will at least like to force her into a meaningful save.
69 mins: That is Miedema’s last action – Arsenal will be thinking about their vital midweek Champions League match at Ajax. Foord also goes off, with Blackstenius and Nobbs coming on.
GOAL! Arsenal 4-0 Tottenham (Miedema, 67)
A second for the Dutch striker. A short corner is well worked and Catley lifts the cross into the six-yard box where Miedema is waiting to nod home.
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65 mins: Arsenal are just knocking it around at the back and Spurs cannot put them under any pressure despite the arrival of fresh legs.
63 mins: Neville is cautioned for being a bit late on Mead, much to the defender’s upset.
Spurs subs: Karczewska, Petzelberger and James on for Spence, Simon and Cho.
61 mins: The referee stops play because Bartrip is bleeding from her mouth. Spurs are planning a triple sub.
59 mins: Turner is the next to be booked after a little nudge in the back on Catley.
57 mins: Foord goes into the book for cleaning out Summanden for absolutely no reason. What a stupid foul.
A new Women's Super League record attendance
There are 47,367 inside the Emirates today.
GOAL! Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham (Rafaelle, 54)
Wienroither combines with Mead inside the box, allowing the Austrian to ping the ball back from the byline but Spencer turns it behind. From the resulting corner, Rafaelle is allowed to head the ball easily back across goal from eight yards out. Game over.
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53 mins: An Arsenal free kick is swung into the box and cleared but it leaves Zadorsky on the deck needing treatment.
51 mins: A few early fouls from Spurs as they try and cope with Arsenal’s attacking threat.
49 mins: Bizet collects a poor pass from McCabe but she has no one in a white shirt to give it to and the Spurs break quickly breaks down. Spurs players are certainly not on the same wavelength.
47 mins: We start as we finished with Arsenal camped on the edge of the Spurs box. Spurs are trying to offer more up top by pushing Spence further forward.
Second half
Here we go again!
The Arsenal chief executive Vinai Venkatesham says the club have sold more than 52,000 tickets for today’s match.
Fair to say: no creativity.
@Will_Unwin Strong performance so far from Arsenal but Spurs will be disappointed with the lack of creativity up front#WSL
— @SocialMediaJon1 (@socialmediajon1) September 24, 2022
Half time: Arsenal 2-0 Tottenham
The score is certainly reflective of Arsenal’s dominance but Spurs will be keeping themselves at conceding a very silly second goal late on. Spurs do not look like they can score one, so requiring two to get back into the match seems a hell of a task.
45 mins: One minute added on.
GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Tottenham (Miedema, 44)
Well that was stupid. With only a couple of minutes left of the half, Spencer plays Summanden into trouble 30 yards from her own goal, allowing Miedema to dispossess her and walk through on goal, before slipping it beyond the goalkeeper.
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43 mins: Mead gets beyond the defence but the ball holds up, forcing the England international to hold it up and lay a pass to Miedema but her shot is blocked.
41 mins: A ball is slipped through to Miedema into the box but Zadorsky comes flying across to intercept and earn a goal-kick by whacking the ball off the Dutch forward.
39 mins: Bizet makes Zinsberger slightly harder than his her last effort. Sadly her left-footed shot from 20 yards is still pretty tame, allowing the goalkeeper to slowly drop onto the ball.
Down the other end, a corner is cleared and McCabe sends the ball back into the box to find an unmarked Foord but her glanced header goes just wide.
37 mins: Spence puts in a fine challenge to win the ball before Walti but the Arsenal midfielder does not get up after catching her hip on the way down. Nothing wrong with the challenge but Walti is left in pain due to the fall.
35 mins: Catley is allowed to stroll down the left unchallenged and then swing a dangerous cross into the six-yard box. Neville reads the danger and clears to a teammate. I genuinely have no idea what Tottenham are trying to achieve on the right-hand side of their defence.
33 mins: Foord escapes down the left, but her shot is blocked. The loose ball reaches Wienroither who slips rather than get a shot away.
31 mins: Arsenal will be disappointed they have failed to test the goalkeeper since their opening goal, considering how much possession they have enjoyed.
Another fine move, helped by the acre of space available on the left, sees McCabe pull the ball back to Little in the middle, she takes a touch but then drags her shot wide from 10 yards.
29 mins: The sixth Arsenal corner of the afternoon is curled in by Catley but once again a Spurs head is first to the cross.
27 mins: Arsenal are having plenty of corners but Spurs do look organised when defending set pieces.
Spence tries to clear a cross into the box but miscues her hoof and sends it back towards her own goal. Thankfully for Spence, there is a teammate there to rescue her.
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25 mins: Spurs are once again dispossessed in a dangerous area, allowing Mead to get the ball in the box but Neville reads the danger and turns it behind.
23 mins: The passing stats claim Arsenal have had 70% possession.
Spurs do have a shot thanks to Bizet who spots Zinsberger off her line and has a go from 35 yards but it is weak and off target, allowing the goalkeeper to calmly collect the slowly bouncing ball.
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21 mins: McCabe sprints into the space constantly afford to Arsenal on their left. She pulls a cross back but it is cleared. Spurs are refusing to address the issues they are facing in the right-back area and it will cost them soon.
19 mins: Spurs are pinned in a for minute with Arsenal looking to find a way through but the visitors keep them out for now.
Here is the goal …
What a start in the NLD! 🤩
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) September 24, 2022
👏 @BMEADO9 pic.twitter.com/ieza7MpAji
17 mins: McCabe fumes at Neville after the Spurs defender gives her a tap on the ankles. Looks like there is plenty of feistiness ahead.
15 mins: Arsenal are certainly on top in the early stages. To add to the goal, they are spending plenty of time in the Spurs half and the visitors are just about keeping them at bay.
13 mins: Catley swings in a corner from the right but a Spurs head gets there first to clear.
11 mins: There seems to be plenty of freedom within the Spurs structure. It looks a little disjointed currently but maybe they will settle into the match.
9 mins: Spurs have two players in space on the left but Bizet cannot spot them, instead going right, resulting in a deep cross from Turner that is easily cleared.
7 mins: Foord escapes down the left, takes control of the ball and lays it into the path of Miedema, who picks out McCabe to fire at goal but her drive is always going over.
Spurs need to sort things on their right-hand side because they struggling to cope with Arsenal on that side.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Tottenham (Mead, 5)
The Arsenal forward collects the ball inside the box after nice work from Little. She tries a cross but it is sent straight back to her, allowing Mead to take a touch and curl the ball into the corner.
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4 mins: Walti dispossesses a Spurs player on the edge of the box and drives into the area, pulling the ball back to Mead who takes a touch and shoots for goal but her effort is deflected wide.
2 mins: Already some promising play from both sides. Arsenal and Spurs are looking to move the ball quickly on a bowling green bathed in sunshine.
Kick-off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!
Tottenham head coach Rehanne Skinner: “I think the biggest thing for us is to keep doing the performances to bridge that gap [to Arsenal].
“We are just really excited by the opportunity, you see the fans here today. It is about focusing on the things we want to do. We want to make things for difficult for everyone we play, including Arsenal.”
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I think bringing the carrot really makes the photo.
Cuteness overload pic.twitter.com/AzthIMQpTE
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) September 24, 2022
The weather is mild in north London which should help make the event on and off the pitch. No one wants to be in the stands while it is pouring down.
The crowds are building in and around the Emirates.
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There should be some impressive attendances across the country this weekend.
Suzanne Wrack has a plan …
Starting lineups
Arsenal: Zinsberger, Wienroither, Williamson, Rafaelle, Catley, Walti, Miedema, Little, Mead, Foord, McCabe
Subs: Marckese, Wubben-Hoy, Beattie, Mariez, Maanum, Nobbs, Iwabuchi, Hurtig, Blackstenius
Spurs: Spencer, Turner, Bartrip, Zadorsky, Neville, Summanden, Cho, Bizet, Spence, Naz, Simon
Subs: Korpela, Pearse, Ale, James, Petzelberger, Karczewska
Preamble
Welcome!
An exciting, record-breaking day is ahead. There will be at least 51,000 people inside the Emirates for this north London derby, making it the highest attendance for a Women’s Super League game. The impact of the Euros carries on in England – it just goes to show what can happen when a national team try to score goals. The previous record was set during the at Tottenham in 2019. Women’s football is certainly thriving in Islington and Tottenham.
This is only the second weekend of the season after the opening round of fixtures were postponed for obvious reasons. Excitingly, both teams have a 100% record coming into the derby. Arsenal gave Brighton a bit of a thrashing last weekend, winning 4-0. Spurs, meanwhile, had a trickier task at Leicester, edging out their opponents 2-1.
Arsenal are, understandably, favourites for this clash but Spurs are certainly a side that keep on improving year on year and this will be an early marker to see where they currently are.
Here’s to a cracker!
Kick-off: 1.30pm BST
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