Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal boss Renee Slegers will be getting increasingly worried at how easily Tottenham are bypassing her side's midfield.

Evaliina Summanen and Olivia Holdt are causing chaos in the pockets behind them.

Karen Bardsley
Former Man City goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

Just looking at how high this Arsenal backline is, there is so much space in behind and you can just use a runner from deep from midfield to drop them back a bit. There's a danger of it becoming a bit too pedestrian from Spurs.

Olivia Holdt gets to the byline and tries to pick out a white shirt in the box but it's hoofed into the afternoon sky by Gunners' full-back Katie McCabe.

The visitors then charge up the other end and opposite full-back Emily Fox goes for goal but Lize Kop gets her whole body behind the effort.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter at Brisbane Road

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham are doing really well off the ball. They are winning a lot of the duels and are breaking Arsenal down. They look confident dribbling out and finding space too.

Martin Ho will be pleased. He's been animated in the dugout, playing the game with them.

Matilda Vinberg races clear of Lotte Wubben-Moy in the left channel but the defender does well to hold her up until Emily Fox can get back to help crowd the Swede out.

Story of the game so far really, a lot of promise but not much end product.

Nice diagonal from Arsenal stand-in skipper Steph Catley to find Beth Mead on the right wing.

Mead gets the better of her full-back but the delivery is poor and Spurs clear.

Karen Bardsley
Former Man City goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

Pretty good signs from Tottenham in terms of managing that Arsenal momentum early doors.

Evaliina Summanen takes aim at goal from the resulting free kick but it's straight down the throat of Daphne van Domselaar.

As straightforward a stop as it gets really.

Cathinka Tandberg receives the ball and does well to shift her feet quickly to evade the attentions of Lotte Wubben-Moy.

The Arsenal centre-back didn't let her get much further though before hauling the Tottenham striker to the floor.

Side to side passing from Spurs now, they've seen off the Arsenal siege.

Jess Naz looked like she had got in behind a few moments ago but she was faced with a wall of red shirts and opted to turn backwards.

Arsenal have taken ownership of the early possession without creating much of note.

Tottenham are doing well to hold them at an arm's length.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter at Brisbane Road

"North London forever" is being chanted loudly from the Arsenal away end which is absolutely packed to our left.

Tottenham fans respond with banging drums and a big roar for their club's name.

Image source, PA Media

All 1,300 of Arsenal's travelling fans have just responded to Spurs' earlier anthem by belting a rendition of their own 'The Angel'.

This one has that proper derby feel to it.

Hosts Tottenham get us under way.

"Oh when the Spurs go marching in" booms out around the stadium in Leyton. The home fans are ready to roar their side to just a second-ever WSL north London derby triumph.

Image source, Getty Images

• Tottenham have recorded four clean sheets from their 8 games so far in the WSL this season, as many as they managed across 23-24 (2) and 24-25 (2) campaigns combined.
• Arsenal have scored at least 12 more goals than any other side in the Women’s Super League in 2025, netting 60 goals in 20 games.

The teams are in the tunnel at Brisbane Road, with kick off a matter of minutes away. How do you see this one going?

Take to the thumbs below people: Up for a home win, down for an away win.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham boss Martin Ho speaking to Sky Sports: "We've trained well. There is a lot of excitement around the group. Obviously these are the games that we look forward to on the fixture list. So, we're in a good place."

On keeping 2025 WSL top scorers Arsenal out: "Making sure we show a compactness and resilience in and around our half but also making sure we are brave enough to step up in terms of our pressure higher up. We need to frustrate them and not allow them to get into a rhythm and when we have to defend our half, we have to do it properly."

Arsenal

Arsenal boss Renee Slegers speaking to Sky Sports: "There is always bite in the north London derby. I feel it. I see it. I was 17 when I joined the club, so I know what it means and I know what it feels like. For the players and the fans it means so much so there will be bite and fight in this game."

On the forward pairing of Russo and Blackstenius: "It's something we have been trying in seasons bedore, to have them both on the pitch. You get variety in your attacks and there are different threats that the opposition needs to deal with. Their partnership has been great. Their communication is great, they support each other and work things out together."