Blues Women beaten by Tottenham Hotspur

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Blues Women beaten by Tottenham Hotspur

Match report: Birmingham City Women 1-4 Tottenham Hotspur

2026-11-01T16:00+00:00

Birmingham City Women were beaten by Tottenham Hotspur at St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park on Sunday afternoon.

Goals from Julie Blakstad and a quickfire double from Olivia Holdt and Signe Gaupset fired the visitors into a commanding lead. Neve Herron reduced the deficit from a neat corner routine only for Victoria Pelova to seal the game late on.

Despite battling gamely throughout and hitting the woodwork before the scoring began, Merricks’s side could not prevent slick Spurs from taking all three points back to the Capital.

The first sight of goal came, predictably, through the dangerous Oceane Hurtre. The 22-year-old talent carried the ball towards goal, driving in off the left, but dragged her effort across goal narrowly wide.

There was a fierce intensity about Blues press during the opening exchanges. Whilst Spurs looked to control the ball and build, Merrick’s side disrupted and disturbed at every turn.

A short corner routine from the visitors freed up Cathinka Tandberg who could only find the side netting from a tight angle. She would come even closer minutes later, but not before Blues’ best chance of the half.

The tenacious Lee Guem-Min found space on the edge of the box and after getting the ball under her spell, saw her powerful drive tipped onto the crossbar by Lize Kop in the Spurs goal.

Chaos ensued midway through the half when Neve Herron’s acrobatic clearance fell to Vinberg who had time and space to size up a shot on goal. Her rising effort cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and back into oncoming traffic before Blues eventually managed to scramble the danger clear.

Spurs threatened further through Holdt who miscued her left footed effort wide and a besieged Blues backline had to make a succession of blocks before the deadlock was finally broken.

Gaupset’s cross-come-shot floated over Sophie Baggaley who somehow tipped the ball off the upright, only for Blakstad to fire a rising drive into the roof of the net.

Merricks would have been encouraged by her side’s response to falling behind. Hurtre turned on the after burners to stride clear of the Spurs backline on half-way but found the Tilton when attempting to lob Kop from distance.

Lily Crosthwait replaced Suzu Amano at the break and last year’s PFA Player of the Year was inches away from making an instant impact.

Lee robbed possession of the ball inside the Tottenham half and slid the ball to her right where Crosthwait’s rasping shot flew over the bar.

Then – the game defining quickfire double.

First, Holdt nonchalantly stepped up to expertly convert a free-kick, up and over the wall from the edge of the Blues box. Just four minutes later, Spurs added a third.

Victoria Pelova found a pocket of space 18-yards out and after turning down the opportunity to shoot, teed up Gaupset who thumped the ball into the bottom corner.

Blues reduced the deficit just after the hour mark when Herron attacked a corner at the near post and steered past Kop. The hosts looked to capitalise on the momentum shift with Rebecca McKenna dirtying Kop’s gloves after a lung busting run up field.

The game was put beyond Blues five minute from the end when Pelova swivelled away from Blue shirts and slotted into the corner.

There was time for the woodwork to be struck once more when Hurtre took aim with a free-kick in a wide position at the end of a difficult afternoon for Blues.

Blues: Sophie Baggaley (GK), Rebecca McKenna, Shannon Cooke (Rebecca Holloway 66), Millie Turner, Neve Herron, Asato Miyagawa, Lisa Naaslund, Suzu Amano (Lily Crosthwait 45), Marie Levasseur, Océane Hurtré, Lee Geum-Min (Wilma Leidhammar 65)

Substitutes not used: Lucy Thomas (GK), Katie Startup (GK), Martha Harris, Jade Rastocle, Chelsea Cornet, Veatriki Sarr.