Becky Spencer was the hero of Tottenham’s stunning penalty shootout win against Manchester City to send them into the FA Cup semi-finals. Spencer saved two of City’s five spot‑kicks, against the England duo Alex Greenwood and Chloe Kelly, with Spurs converting all but one to seal victory.
“I am impressed by her dedication during her time on the bench, so it is very gratifying to see,” stated manager Robert Vilahamn, referring to his team’s goalkeeper who has split playing time with Barbora Votikova.
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Vilahamn described feeling the momentum shift after England’s equalizer and feeling confident during overtime that they could still win.
Taylor acknowledged that Tottenham Hotspur rightfully earned the win. He expressed his frustration and admitted that he did not believe his team deserved the victory. He also noted that he has never had this view about his team, stating that they did not perform as they usually do.
In November, Manchester City had a thrilling 7-0 victory over Tottenham. This was their third visit to face the North London team in 42 days. It has been a successful place for City, with the visiting team winning 2-0 in the league game and also securing a 1-0 win in the Continental Cup.
Vilahamn implemented two alterations to the team that performed well in a close 1-0 loss against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last weekend. Kit Graham was replaced by Olga Ahtinen on the bench and there was a last-minute substitution of Molly Bartrip due to illness.
Last week, Taylor signed a new 3.5-year contract, and for their upcoming game, the team made two changes from the squad that suffered a disappointing 1-0 loss to Chelsea in the Continental Cup semi-final earlier in the week. Forward Fowler from Australia and midfielder Filippa Angeldahl from Sweden were added to the team.
City only needed six minutes to release their frustrations from giving up an early goal against Chelsea. It was 21-year-old Fowler who scored the first goal, with assistance from Khadija Shaw, as the ball deflected off a player and into the net.
As time passed and the lead remained at one goal, Spurs gained more assurance. With 10 minutes left, the appearance of England’s player gave hope to the enthusiastic home audience. However, her through ball for Celin Bizet Ildhusøy was skillfully handled by the City defenders, and the resulting offside call seemed to be incorrect. Despite this, Spurs displayed a greater sense of urgency.
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England had a chance to tie the game but did not capitalize on it. However, in the last minute of added time, they took advantage of a miscommunication between Khiara Keating and Laia Aleixandri and scored a goal. Coach Taylor took responsibility for the result and emphasized the importance of teamwork in victories, losses, and ties.
Even though the home team had momentum during extra time, they had to resort to penalty kicks to break the tie. Yui Hasegawa, Angeldahl, and Fowler were all successful in their shots, but the captain Greenwood’s attempt and one from penalty expert Kelly were saved by Spencer. This secured a spot for Spurs in the semi-finals, with Keating only managing to block Ayane’s shot while England’s Amanda Nilden, Wang Shuang, and Amy James-Turner all scored their penalties.
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According to Vilahamn, the victory will greatly boost confidence in their project. “It holds significant importance to us. We are on a path and we are determined to make progress, but without these moments, people may forget that it’s a tangible reality. Seeing us compete and succeed, especially in the semi-finals, solidifies our efforts.”
On Tuesday, Tottenham will learn who their opponents will be in the semi-final, where they could potentially face Leicester City, Manchester United, or Chelsea in the draw.
Source: theguardian.com
