Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Brighton and Hove Albion
by Aimee-Lou Caldecourt (16/3/25)
Above: Brighton celebrate their win. Photo: @BHAFCWomen on X
Fran Kirby scored as Brighton and Hove Albion were victorious against Tottenham Hotspur this afternoon, their first win in the league since November.
Both teams were gunning for fifth place going into this game. This was a crucial battle under the top 4 with a lot at stake: A fifth-place finish for either team would be their highest in the WSL in each team’s history.
The teams battled from the outset, with Drew Spence putting in a dangerous ball which was then collected by Melina Loeck In the Albion goal. She was then clattered by her centre-back Maria Thorisdottir.
Brighton seemed to lose many of their battles on the right-hand side, they were edged out by Amanda Nildén and Olivia Holdt who paired brilliantly for Spurs in the opening stages.
The Seagulls looked their most threatening when Tottenham tried to play out from the back, immediately putting them under pressure. However, nothing came from these early threats.
Nadine Noordam, who signed in the winter from Ajax, looked to be the most creative Brighton player in the first half. Whenever she found possession, she would drive it up field – there was just a lack of quality finishing. That was really the story of the first half for both sides.
Three back-to-back corners in the last 10 minutes of the first 45 and Marisa Olislagers nearly found herself converting her corner into a goal, however her Netherlands’ compatriot Lize Kop was outstretched and punched it out.
Fran Kirby scored her fourth WSL goal of the season. Olislagers’ original shot was deflected off the face of Ella Morris and found its way out to McLauchlan on the other side of the box who passed it back into Kirby in a crucial moment just before the half-time whistle. In what was a scrappy first half of football Brighton found themselves ahead going in at the break.
It was all Brighton in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, they looked refreshed after the break and were able to pick up where they left off. Noordam through the middle and Olislagers down the left both looked threatening as we passed the hour mark. The latter’s cross found the head of Nikita Parris as Brighton looked to find their second, straight into the hands of Kop.
Brighton really found their stride in the second half. They were defensively switched on, and incredibly quick in attack which Spurs struggled to keep up with. The closing stages of this encounter were end to end; Spurs fought for the equaliser, Brighton looked to close the game down. The new front three of Michelle Agyemang, Haley, and Parris looked highly dangerous, while substitute Hayley Raso livened the game back up for Spurs.
It became a cagey display towards the dying stages of the game with a couple of Brighton players making some unnecessary challenges but both teams were stuck in committed to finding a goal, but it was not to be for Spurs.
An easy day in between the sticks for Loeck, as Spurs did not register a shot on target throughout the 90 minutes. Brighton took the three points and fifth place for this game week back to the south coast, where they sit 10 points behind the top 4.
Teams: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (4-2-3-1): Kop, Morris, Bartrip ©, Nildén (for Naz 57’), Holdt (for Gunning-Williams 57’), Vinberg (for Raso 71’), Thomas (for Oroz 71’), Bühler, Spence, Summanen, Neville.
Substitutes: Heeps, Naz, Raso, Oroz, Rybrink, Csiki, Hunt, Ayane, Gunning-Williams.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION (5-3-2): Loeck, Thorisdottir, Pattinson, Bergsvand ©, Parris, Kirby (for Agyemang 75’), Noordam, Symonds, Olislagers, Haley, McLauchlan (for Bremer 75’).
Substitutes: Baggaley, Masaka, Bremer, Seike, Hayes, Stefanović, Auée, Rule, Agyemang.
Scorer: Kirby (42’)
Referee: Ryan Atkin.
Attendance: 1,425.
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