England and Holdt provide late comeback for Spurs to stay level with North London rivals

Tottenham Hotspur produced a dramatic late comeback to defeat ten-player Aston Villa 2-1 at Brisbane Road, with goals from Bethany England and Olivia Holdt in the closing stages sealing a memorable victory in their return to Barclays Women’s Super League action.

Heading into their final league fixture of the year, Spurs stay fifth in the table, level on points with North London rivals, Arsenal. Meanwhile Aston Villa sit in eighth place with only ten points on board.

First half

After a quiet opening period following the international break, Aston Villa carved out the first major chance of the afternoon. Rachel Maltby found herself unmarked at the back post, forcing Lize Kop into an impressive save to keep the match goalless.

Tottenham gradually asserted control, with Holdt influential in the build-up play. The hosts’ best early opportunity fell to Jessica Naz, who was played through by a deft chipped pass from Holdt, but she dragged her effort wide from close range. Spurs continued to threaten through the captain, England, whose diving header was brilliantly diverted over the bar by Anna Patten in one of Villa’s strongest defensive moments of the half.

Despite growing pressure from the home side, neither team could find the breakthrough before the interval, going into half-time level.

Second half

Spurs restarted with urgency, pushing Villa back and creating sustained pressure down both flanks. Naz again proved dangerous, flashing a low cross along the six-yard box that beat goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo but somehow evaded a finishing touch.

At the hour mark, D’Angelo made a crucial low save to deny England after Holdt slipped her through on goal, keeping Villa in the contest. Moments later, the game’s complexion changed when Oceane Deslandes received a second yellow card for a rash challenge on Holdt, reducing Villa to ten players for the final half-hour.

Naz ACL

Shortly after the dismissal, Spurs suffered a significant setback when Naz - one of their brightest performers - landed awkwardly and was stretchered off. The incident cast a shadow over proceedings, with supporters anxious given her history of serious injury.

Later in the week, it was confirmed Naz sustained an ACL rupture to her right knee, forcing her to a long period of rehabilitation. The club confirmed their full support of the forward as she navigates this tough setback.  

A chaotic final ten minutes

Despite being a player down, Villa stunned the hosts with six minutes remaining. Kirsty Hanson raced onto Maltby’s lofted pass, curling inside under pressure before guiding her finish into the bottom corner to put Villa 1-0 ahead.

However, the lead lasted less than a minute. Tottenham surged forward immediately from the restart, and Amanda Nilden’s pinpoint cross found England, who cushioned a looping header into the far corner to level the match.

Molly Bartrip, back in the starting lineup for the first time this season, then made a last ditch challenge to keep the visitors at bay and prevent them from taking a late lead.

Stoppage-time winner

With eight minutes added on, Spurs pushed relentlessly for a winner. Their persistence was rewarded in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Drew Spence split the Villa back line with a perfectly weighted reverse pass. Holdt collected, steadied herself inside the right of the box, and drilled a low finish beyond D’Angelo to complete the comeback and spark jubilant scenes among the home supporters. 

Since signing for Spurs, Holdt has proved a bright spark and has the ability to finish clinically in the dying minutes. This goal proved vital in Tottenham’s fight for a place in the UEFA Women’s Champions League spots as they head into the second half of the season.

Conclusion

The victory secures Tottenham’s best-ever home start to a WSL season and lifts them firmly into the top five. Villa, who defended valiantly despite the numerical disadvantage, were left rueing a late collapse after coming agonisingly close to hard earned point.

Both sides will now look ahead to their final fixtures of 2025, with Tottenham buoyed by a resilient performance and Villa preparing to face Liverpool at Villa Park.