FootyChatter.com

This video can not be played Chelsea ease to win over Tottenham to move third At a glance Holdt hits bar for Spurs before Walsh scores against run of play for Chelsea Thompson makes it 2-0 to visitors just after half-time Singer Madonna in stands after watching her daughters play for Spurs Under-14s PLAYER RATER Chelsea returned to winning ways with a crucial victory over Tottenham in the Women's Super League to keep their hopes of finishing in the top three on track. External noise had been building around Chelsea all week with the defending champions' defeat by Manchester City leaving them 12 points adrift of the top. Manager Sonia Bompastor came under pressure before the club announced on Friday that she had signed a contract extension, keeping her at Chelsea until 2030. However, with some supporters still unconvinced, it was important her side delivered at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and consolidated their position. England midfielder Keira Walsh put the Blues in front against the run of play in the first half, before Alyssa Thompson doubled their tally shortly after the restart. It was a blow for Tottenham, who have exceeded expectations this season and were just a point behind Chelsea before kick-off. They were the better side for the majority of the first half and hit the crossbar through Olivia Holdt. However, Chelsea demonstrated their ruthless streak when it mattered most to ease the pressure after back-to-back defeats. That Spurs were just a point behind Chelsea before kick-off was proof of their remarkable revival under manager Martin Ho and the progress they have made in a short time. They finished second-bottom last season, sacking former boss Robert Vilahamn as a result, but have put themselves in a position to challenge for a Champions League spot. They have been so entertaining this season that even legendary American singer Madonna was in the stands to watch, a day after two of her daughters played for Spurs in an under-14s match. Chelsea were vulnerable after a damaging few weeks and Tottenham did not show any mercy, taking the game to the defending champions and causing them all sorts of problems in the first half. American singer Madonna (right) was in attendance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium After half an hour Tottenham had 11 shots to Chelsea's three and hit the crossbar with a fizzing strike from Holdt. January signing Signe Gaupset continued to show her quality and fellow new addition Julie Blakstad was a threat down Tottenham's left side. So, it came as a huge blow when Walsh rifled Chelsea in front against the run of play with six minutes of the first half remaining. With the DJ playing a remix of Madonna's song Vogue as the players left the pitch at half-time, Spurs needed a lift having got no reward for their efforts up to that point. But it was Chelsea who struck again when Hanna Wijk's lack of concentration allowed Sjoeke Nusken to sneak in behind the Tottenham defence and her shot rebounded to Thompson to make it 2-0. The costly defeat harms Tottenham's chances of gatecrashing the WSL's traditional top four and sneaking into a European qualification spot. However, there was plenty in their performance to please Tottenham boss Ho and they proved yet again this season they are a hard team to beat. This video can not be played 'It hurts me deep! ' Cuthbert on Chelsea's form this season Noise has been building on social media over the past two weeks as Chelsea's title challenge collapsed with costly defeats by Arsenal and Manchester City, leaving them 12 points adrift. Fans have debated manager Bompastor's tactics and the Frenchwoman had to answer questions about her position at the club last weekend. But Chelsea showed their faith in Bompastor, who led them to an unbeaten domestic treble in her debut season, by announcing a four-year contract extension on Friday. While that was already agreed before their form took a significant dip, the timing of Chelsea's announcement felt deliberate and was likely done with the intention of quietening noise. It was important, therefore, they produced the goods at Tottenham and maintained control of their Champions League qualification hopes. The first-half performance did little to silence the critics as Tottenham were the better team and created more chances until Walsh's strike separated the teams. Bompastor, consistently understated and calm in the dugout, was picked up by a member of her staff and spun around in celebration while Chelsea players embraced goalscorer Walsh. It put them in control, having spent the majority of the match on the back foot, and Chelsea showed their enduring class with a quick second through Thompson minutes after the restart. With pressure on and results a necessity, this was much-needed by Chelsea but the performance did little to ease concerns that they are falling behind their rivals this season. Bompastor stressed a key part of their regression has been a lack of squad depth, caused by injuries, and it was shown at Spurs as teenagers Lexi Potter and Chloe Sarwie came off the bench, while captain Millie Bright hobbled off late on with a foot issue. There is still work to do to ensure they finish in the top three with Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal not leaving any room for error - and they need players back to full fitness quickly if Chelsea hope to progress in Europe. Tottenham are on the road as they take on Aston Villa in their next WSL game on Sunday, 15 February (12: 00 GMT). Chelsea host Liverpool on the same day (12: 00) as they bid to keep up the pressure on their top-three rivals. After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users. Head here to get involved Get the latest WSL news on our dedicated page Comments can not be loaded To load Comments you need to enable Java Script in your browser Last Updated 8th February 2026 at 16: 19 Please Note: All times UK. Tables are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made. Manager: Martin Ho Formation: 4 - 4 - 2 Manager: Sonia Bompastor Formation: 4 - 1 - 4 - 1 Manager: Martin Ho Formation: 4 - 4 - 2 Manager: Sonia Bompastor Formation: 4 - 1 - 4 - 1 Women's Super League All competitions All competitions All competitions Match ends, Tottenham Hotspur Women 0, Chelsea Women 2. Second Half ends, Tottenham Hotspur Women 0, Chelsea Women 2. Corner, Chelsea Women. Conceded by Toko Koga. Fourth official has announced 5 minutes of added time. Araya Dennis (Tottenham Hotspur Women) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Sandy Baltimore (Chelsea Women) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Araya Dennis (Tottenham Hotspur Women). Attempt saved. Lenna Gunning-Williams (Tottenham Hotspur Women) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Hannah Hampton (Chelsea Women). Foul by Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Chelsea Women). Eveliina Summanen (Tottenham Hotspur Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt blocked. Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Chelsea Women) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Guro Reiten. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Substitution, Chelsea Women. Chloe Sarwie replaces Millie Bright because of an injury. Delay in match because of an injury Millie Bright (Chelsea Women). Attempt saved. Olivia Holdt (Tottenham Hotspur Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Hannah Hampton (Chelsea Women). Assisted by Cathinka Tandberg with a through ball. Cathinka Tandberg (Tottenham Hotspur Women) is shown the yellow card. Millie Bright (Chelsea Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Cathinka Tandberg (Tottenham Hotspur Women). Substitution, Chelsea Women. Sam Kerr replaces Alyssa Thompson. Substitution, Chelsea Women. Guro Reiten replaces Sjoeke Nüsken. Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.