Coming into the game off the back of heavy defeats to London City Lionesses and Chelsea, we were much more competitive and defensively solid – thanks in part to changes made by Martin Ho with Alice Sombath coming into the back line and Caitlin Dijkstra moving to centre-half – and deservedly took the lead when Cathinka Tandberg powered home a header from Victoria Pelova’s corner.

Disappointingly for us, though, the visitors struck back within four minutes, Georgia Stanway crashing an unstoppable shot home off the underside of the crossbar, with a further blow coming in the opening moments of the second half when Sombath was injured and carried off on a stretcher.

The Gunners were then handed an opportunity to take the lead when Sombath’s replacement Ella Morris was harshly penalised for hand-ball in the box, Alessia Russo duly sending Kop the wrong way from 12 yards, and despite renewed pressure from us in the latter stages, that’s how it stayed as we slipped to a third consecutive loss.

Matilda Vinberg set the tone with a positive early solo run as we made a good start in N17, but Kop had to be alert at the other end to scramble the ball behind at the near post for a corner after she initially saved Stanway’s drive. It was her opposite number, Misa Rodriguez, who was beaten first, though, as Pelova delivered an in-perfect corner for Tandberg to head us in front on 13 minutes.

Arsenal replied four minutes later, Russo teeing up Stanway to unleash a rasping shot from the edge of the box that Kop could only tip onto the underside of the bar on its way in, such was its velocity. Pelova tried to respond for us, arrowing a shot over the bar, before Arsenal had a brief spell in the ascendancy at the end of the first half without truly troubling Kop.

Sombath’s first WSL start came to a disappointing early end when she picked up an injury and had to be carried off on a stretcher just after the restart, with Arsenal’s efforts to capitalise moments later thwarted by an incredible save from Kop to deny Russo from eight yards out.

The decisive moment arrived just afterwards, though, as a corner from Kyra Cooney-Cross was knocked down at the front post, Lisa Baum’s shot hit the woodwork before Tandberg’s clearance struck the arm of Morris at close quarters. Referee Phoebe Cross pointed to the spot and Russo obliged to fire Arsenal in front with 56 minutes on the watch.

Russo’s effort from distance was straight at Kop while some solid defending from Toko Koga prevented the Gunners from creating anything else in the way of shooting chances as the second half unfolded. Substitute Shekiera Martinez was a willing runner up top for us in the latter stages and was denied by a fine save from Rodriguez before the offside flag went up against her anyway, but ultimately we were unable to carve out that one chance we needed to take something from the game.

Line-ups

Spurs (4-2-3-1): Kop, Sombath (Morris 50), Koga, Dijkstra, Blakstad, Spence (c), Summanen (Holdt 78), Vinberg (Hanson 70), Pelova, Gaupset, Tandberg (Martinez 70). Substitutes (not used): Panengstuen, A Nilden, Naz, M Nilden, Gunning-Williams.

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Misa Rodriguez, Fox (Batlle 71), Williamson (c), Catley (De Almeida 78), Hinds, Cooney-Cross, Stanway, Baum (Holmberg 87), Smith (Blackstenius 87), Foord, Russo. Substitutes (not used): Van Domselaar, Borbe, Wubben-Moy, Reuteler.

Match data

Goals: Spurs – Tandberg 13; Arsenal – Stanway 17, Russo 56 (pen).

Yellow cards: Spurs – Koga 26, Summanen 43, Dijkstra 58, Gaupset 90+7; Arsenal – Stanway 66, Cooney-Cross 82.

Referee: Phoebe Cross.

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Weather: Rain, light winds, 12 degrees.

Attendance: 13,719.