Mead and Foord strike as Arsenal beat Spurs to take WSL title race to final day

Arsenal ensured the destination of the WSL trophy will be decided on the final day of the season, with a 3-0 defeat of Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium keeping them in the hunt for the title.

A fourth-minute strike from influential forward Beth Mead and two second-half goals from Caitlin Foord moved the Gunners back to within a point of the league leaders Chelsea with one game to play.

In the eight competitive fixtures played between the two sides since Tottenham were promoted to the WSL in 2019, Arsenal have won seven times (including a win on penalties in the League Cup) and lost none, with the sole draw between them coming in the reverse fixture in November. In those eight games, Arsenal scored 29 goals and conceded just five times.

The Gunners’ draw with Tottenham in November, with a stoppage-time equaliser from forward Vivianne Miedema required to deny the home team three points at the Hive, signalled that the gap is closing between the women’s football heavyweights and their north London rivals.

After a blistering start to the season, the two points dropped at the Hive was the first blemish on an immaculate Gunners league campaign.

After that match, the Tottenham manager, Rehanne Skinner, said that Arsenal and England centre-back Leah Williamson had told her that the progress of Spurs was making this “a proper north London derby”.

Keen to capitalise on the budding competitiveness between the two teams, Arsenal arranged for the tie to be played at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday 26 March. The postponement then due to a Covid outbreak at Tottenham was frustrating, as the fixture was shunted from a prime weekend slot to Wednesday evening. The turnout was impacted, with half of the open lower tier a fair way under