A stunning Rianna Dean header and a birthday goal from Lucy Quinn either side of the break gave newly-promoted Tottenham a surprise victory against West Ham at the London Stadium.
If there were hope that the Hammers would put on a winning show in front of an impressive home crowd of 24,790 – beating the 24,564 at Stamford Bridge on the opening weekend, but behind the record-setting 31,213 at the Etihad Stadium – Tottenham’s team sheet will have buoyed them.
The influential Gemma Davison, having picked up a knock in training, was ruled out of the fixture and, bizarrely, the pacy right-back Ashleigh Neville – arguably Tottenham’s player of the season – began the game on the bench.
West Ham’s decision to host the London derby in their Stratford‑based home was a logical progression from the forward-thinking women’s team. In their maiden Women’s Super League season the Hammers reached the FA Cup final at Wembley and, controversially, were denied a request to switch their men’s fixture to avoid a clash with fans eager to attend both.
In a cloud of bubbles and torrential rain West Ham, who sat level on three points with their London rivals before the game, began brightly.
With 20 minutes on the clock they should have taken the lead. A cross found Kate Longhurst at the far post and the West Ham season ticket holder perhaps should have shot, but instead she prodded back towards the middle with no one waiting.
With the Hammers wasteful, Tottenham settled, Rachel Furness found a sharp Rosella Ayane to her right but her low drilled cross-shot was a little ahead of a stretching Dean.
Moments later and it was the Ayane/Dean combination that would silence the home crowd. The former this time whipped a cross in from the left as Dean wriggled between centre-backs Gilly Flaherty and Laura Vetterlein to send a stunning, powerful header low into the bottom corner and provoke jubilant scenes from the little pocket of Spurs fans at the opposite end.
West Ham looked for the instant reply, Longhurst finding Leon on the left but strike deflected off Anna Filbey.
After the break West Ham fought for the reply. A mistake from an influential Filbey gifted Swiss forward Alisha Lehmann the ball on the edge of the box, she squared selflessly to Thomas, who had a better angle, but her shot was saved, it fell kindly to Longhurst but her lashed effort flew wide.
With the clock ticking down they continued to have the edge, substitutes Kenza Dali and Jacynta Galabadaarachchi exchanging passes before the latter hit one inches wide of the left post. Moments later Thomas sidefooted wide from six-yards out with the goal gaping.
With West Ham looking nailed on to score next Spurs caught them napping at the back. A deep free-kick from the left was poorly cleared and substitute Quinn, recruited from Birmingham in the summer, sent the ball flying into the bottom corner.
