I’ll leave you with a match report from Simon Burnton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Thank you for reading my minute-by-minute coverage. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
You can find out who Tottenham will face in the final by following Sarah Rendell’s minute-by-minute coverage of Manchester United v Chelsea.
The winning goal!
Martha Thomas sends Tottenham to the FA Cup final!!#BBCFootball #TOTLEI pic.twitter.com/nkarKV0WBs
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) April 14, 2024
A word from the match-winner Martha Thomas. “I’m over the moon for the team. We dug really deep. This is something that we’ve wanted. I’m just so chuffed that we got over the line… At first I thought Luana [Bühler] was going to head it and she did but she flicked it on and then I just thought you’ve got to get in front of this defender. I didn’t want penalties. I’m just so happy for us.”
Full time (AET) : Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Leicester City
That’s the game! Tottenham refused to give in time and time again. They looked down and out late in normal time but brought it back through Jessica Naz’s equaliser. Similarly, the game looked like it was going to penalties before Thomas delivered the killer blow.
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120 +3 min (ET): Kop ventures into the Tottenham box for one last Leicester free kick.
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120 min (ET): Tottenham need to hold on for three more minutes of additional time.
GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Leicester City (Thomas, 117')
Tottenham Hotspur have surely won it at the death. Leicester deal with the initial corner but fail to deal with the cross from the left shortly after. Thomas shows real desire as she heads the ball in to put her team in front.
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112 min (ET): Tottenham almost play themselves into trouble at the back. A poor pass back puts Spencer in spot of bother but she’s quick off of her line to win the ball before Petermann can capitalise on the error.
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107 min (ET): Nerves, what nerves? Spencer is the coolest person in the stadium as she performs a step over on receiving a pass from her defender.
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105 min (ET): The players get the ball rolling again. The players need to dig deep for at least 15 more minutes.
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Half time in extra time: Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Leicester City
Rantala came closest in the first half of extra time with her dangerous free kick. It’s been the highlight of a nervy 15 minutes.
105 min (ET): There will be two minutes of additional time.
103 min (ET): England traps the ball in the centre circle and plays a pass over the top for Vinberg on the left. The winger receives it well but Bott does well to put her off just as she goes to shoot. Her shot is well saved by Kop at the near post.
98 min (ET): Almost! Rantala smashes the ball towards goal where Spencer brilliantly tips it onto the crossbar.
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95 min (ET): Leicester win a free kick in a dangerous area. Rantala stands over the ball about two yards outside of the penalty area. Can Leicester make it count?
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Extra time begins
90 min (ET): Leicester get us back underway. They’ll need to lift things as Tottenham are looking confident after their goal.
Take a look at Naz’s equaliser.
Jessica Naz levels for Tottenham late on!!#BBCFootball #TOTLEI pic.twitter.com/3UGsjqLbYF
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) April 14, 2024
Full time: Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Leicester City
We’ll have at least half an hour of extra time to decide which team will advance to an FA Cup Final at Wembley.
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90 +4 min: Tottenham really want to win it in normal time. This time a cross comes in from the right for Grant arriving at the back post. She can’t quite divert the ball between the posts though.
90 +2 min: Tottenham are pushing. They win a corner on the right but it’s cleared away by Leicester. At least initially. Tottenham whip the ball back in from the left where Thomas takes the cross down beautifully. Her shot hits the left post. So close!
90 min: There will be six minutes of stoppage time. The Tottenham fans have found their voice as they will their team to win it now. Either that or a repeat of the penalty shoot-out victory over Manchester City.
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86 min: Shannon O’Brien, on for Rose, receives the ball on the left and runs at Neville. Similar to Rose, O’Brien has the beating of Neville and manages to sit the fullback down with a clever chop. Once in the box, the Leicester winger shoots but Spencer gets down well to her right to keep it out.
GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Leicester City (Naz, 83')
A mistake! Tottenham loop a hopeful ball over the top looking for a white shirt. Green really should deal with it but swings and misses the ball instead. Naz doesn’t give up and runs onto the loose ball to bear down on the keeper. She keeps her composure and slots the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal.
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81 min: Tottenham win a corner on the right hand side. Ahtinen drills it into the near post for England. The forward meets it well but her header whistles past the post.
77 min: Tottenham make a triple substitution as they look for something, anything to change this game. Charlotte Grant, Olga Ahtinen and Matilda Vinberg are on for Clinton, Summanen and Nildén.
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72 min: It’s like a game of ping pong in the middle of the park. There are about four turnovers in possession within the space of a minute. It looks like tiredness has set in.
69 min: Tottenham aren’t finished yet though. Grace Clinton plays a delightful ball into the box and it’s inches away from finding Thomas’ boot.
66 min: Leicester have controlled the second half so far. They’re managing the game really well and look comfortable in possession.
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61 min: Catherine Bott shows fantastic skill near Tottenham’s corner flag. She manages to shield the ball from Grace Clinton with some quick feet and a couple of keepie-uppies to boot.
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58 min: Leicester follow suit with a substitution of their own. Emilia Pelgander is on for Tierney.
57 min: Tottenham make their first change of the day. Martha Thomas replaces Bizet in the attack.
57 min: The game has calmed down in the last few minutes after a frantic first half. The calm before the storm?
49 min: Tottenham win a corner on the right. The outswinging corner arrives at the near post where the ball makes its way to Summanen. She stabs her volley over the bar.
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47 min: Naz is a threat again as she picks up the ball in Leicester’s half. Adopting a more central position, she passes to Bethany England on the right. Perhaps inspired by Rantala’s goal, she attempts an audacious left-effort shot from the edge of the area. It’s a decent strike but it sails wide of the post.
45 min: We’re back underway. Tottenham will be keen to get back into this game.
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Here’s some half-time reading.
A look at that Rantala goal!
It's a Rantala rocket!
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) April 14, 2024
Jutta Rantala gives Leicester the lead in the Women's FA Cup semi-final 👏#BBCFootball #TOTLEI pic.twitter.com/prYDFNv3Sp
Half time: Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Leicester City
It’s been an intriguing first half at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Both teams have created chances, with Tottenham slightly shading it. Yet they see themselves 1-0 down after a fantastic finish from Rantala.
45 min: One minute of additional time.
42 min: Leicester play a long ball over the top. James-Turner doesn’t deal with the looping ball and can only head it into Rose’s path. Through on goal, she blazes her effort wide.
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37 min: Naz is in acres of space every time she receives the ball. This time she picks it up and drives towards the box but almost falls over herself at the crucial moment. Perhaps she had too much time to think.
35 min: There have been quite a few unforced errors so far in this one. Summanen gives the ball away where Yuka Momiki can collect. She works the ball over to Cayman and her cross-come-shot lands on the roof of the net.
30 min: Naz picks up the ball deep in Leicester’s half and just runs. She has the beating of most players in a one-v-one situation and glides past Cayman. She lets fire from about 30 yards out but her shot is well wide of the right post.
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26 min: Rose is looking threatening on Leicester City’s left hand side. The winger cuts in and beats Ashleigh Neville with ease before flashing a shot over the bar from a tight angle.
23 min: Drew Spence drives through the heart of Leicester’s midfield, drawing the Leicester City defenders out of position, before playing the ball to Jessica Naz on the right. The winger has the beating of the full back and whips a teasing ball across the face of the goal. That could have been a tap-in for anyone running across the near post.
20 min: Leicester are pressing well but Tottenham are doing well to beat the press by keeping their composure on the ball. It’s a fascinating game so far. Both teams are very aware of how much this game means.
15 min: After some early Tottenham pressure, Leicester are looking dangerous on the attack. Janice Cayman wins the ball in the middle and slides a beautiful ball through to Deanne Rose on the left. She charges towards the byline and pulls it back Tierney. The midfielder’s first-time shot is tame though. It looks like it came off of her shin-pad.
GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Leicester City (Rantala, 12')
A trademark goal from Jutta Rantala. She receives the ball on the right and cuts in on her left foot on the edge of the box. She has time and space and lets off a rocket into the top right hand corner. What a finish!
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9 min: Grace Clinton and Bizet are beginning to assert their dominance in this game. Bizet muscles Leicester City’s midfielders off the ball in the centre circle and starts an attack for the home side. Clinton and Bizet play a one-two to put Bizet through on goal again. This time her right-footed shot goes over the bar.
6 min: There’s another mistake at the back, this time from Leicester. Josie Green gives the ball away cheaply and Spurs almost make their opponents pay. Celin Bizet receives the ball on the left and is through on goal. Her left footed shot is straight at Lize Kop though. Let off for Leicester.
2 min: Eveliina Summanen makes a mistake with a loose back pass played towards Rebecca Spencer. Samantha Tierney immediately latches onto it but her shot is high and wide. Some early nerves from Tottenham?
Kick off
1 min: Leicester City get the game underway, kicking from left to right.
The excitement is building: The two teams make their way onto the field in front of the thousands of fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The players take some deep breaths and huddle round in their halves. They’re one game away from a cup final at Wembley!
Leicester City captain Aileen Wheelan spoke to The Guardian about today’s game. “I’m sure there will be a few nerves. But we’ve got experience that in the squad, a lot of players will have played at World Cups, Euros, etc. So, we’ll be relying on a lot of the experience that those players have had to help some of the younger ones or players that haven’t been in a similar situation before. It’s good to have nerves. As long as we’re able to turn that into adrenaline and the performance, I think we will be completely fine.”
Tottenham Hotspur’s manager Robert Vilahamn spoke to the press before today’s game. “We play for them [the fans]. We don’t play for ourselves. We want to make sure we can have a lot of fans in the stadium and make them proud because if we are going to reach the final, we need them. They give us that extra energy.”
“This is a bonus that we are in the semi-final. We didn’t really expect to go this far in the cup because we knew it’s a rebuilding year.”
Those teams
Both teams remain unchanged from their previous Women’s Super League matches before the international break. Tottenham beat Bristol City 1-0 in their last game while Leicester drew 2-2 with Aston Villa.
The teams
Tottenham Hotspur: Spencer, Neville, James-Turner, Bühler, Nildén, Spence, Summanen, Clinton, Bizet, Naz, England
Subs: Votíková, Bartrip, Grant, Petzelberger, Ahtinen, Graham, Vinberg, Wang, Thomas
Leicester City: Kop, Tierney, Bott, Howard, Rose, Rantala, Petermann, Cayman, Green, Takarada, Momiki
Subs: Leitzig, Thibaud, Palmer, Whelan, Pelgander, Siemsen, Goodwin, O’Brien, Baker
📋 Our line-up for the FA Cup semi-final!
— Tottenham Hotspur Women (@SpursWomen) April 14, 2024
COYS 🤍 pic.twitter.com/XIabIVgZzl
Today's FA Cup line-up! 👊#TOTLEI pic.twitter.com/XpmqSHillj
— LCFC Women (@LCFC_Women) April 14, 2024
Preamble
Hello and welcome to this minute-by-minute coverage of the Women’s FA Cup semi-final between Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City.
For Spurs, today is an opportunity to build on their dramatic quarter-final victory over Manchester City. Playing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, they’ll be hoping their home fans can cheer them onto victory.
Leicester City stand in their way though, after they beat Liverpool 2-0 in their quarter-final. Leicester have had a challenging season with a much-discussed managerial change so today is a chance to focus on the football.
Both teams will be up for it as it is the first time the two sides have reached this stage of the competition. Kick off is at 12:00 BST.
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