Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter at Emirates Stadium

It's been a steady start at the Emirates. Arsenal have had the bulk of possession but Spurs have caught them out napping at the back a few times. The crowd haven't really come to life yet.

Tanya Oxtoby
Northern Ireland manager on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Great defending, Clare Hunt gets her body across, and at the very last stops Alessia Russo getting a clear shot on goal. Excellent defending from Hunt there.

This is better from Crystal Palace.

Lily Woodham whips a cross towards the back post but nobody can get to it.

It eventually comes out to Indiah-Paige Riley but her strike is blocked.

Arsenal go up the other end and look to be in on goal through Alessia Russo, but Clare Hunt gets her body in the way just as the England striker was about to shoot. Arsenal are growing in stature here.

Tottenham have a free-kick in a promising position. Kyra Cooney-Cross brings down Hayley Raso as she breaks forward. That came from Leah Williamson being dispossesed by Bethany England. Van Domselaar easily collects the delivery.

That stoppage has dented Manchester United's momentum slightly.

They're back to trying to build up in an attempt to find their rhythm again.

Caitlin Foord has Arsenal's first attempt of the afternoon after cutting inside from the right flank, but her effort is blocked.

Tanya Oxtoby
Northern Ireland manager on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Image source, Getty Images

You can tell Tottenham are trying to control the game with the ball and almost encourage the press from Arsenal. They've been successful so far.

Ellen White
Former England and Arsenal striker on BBC Two

It's disappointing for Tottenham to be out of the League Cup and the FA Cup, after being in the final last season.

They need to stay compact and be very resilient in their defensive shape. They are not scoring enough goals either at the same time. So they need to be defensively very sound.

Tottenham have started well and look confident on the ball. They are calmly passing the ball around the back in an attempt to bait Arsenal into pressing them and leaving space in midfield.

Elisabeth Terland is back to her feet and looks like she'll be fine to continue.

An early half chance for Tottenham but Maite Oroz fires a snap-shot high over the crossbar.

Elisabeth Terland jumps up to try and connect with an Ella Toone delivery, but she is absolutely clattered by Milla-Maj Majasaari and goes down.

She needs some treatment.

Image source, Getty Images

The players take a knee before Tottenham get us underway at a packed Emirates Stadium.

Argh. That deserved a better final product.

Leah Galton breaks past her marker on the left-hand side with a lovely nutmeg.

She whips the ball in but Grace Clinton is unable to properly get her aerial delivery under control in time to get a shot away.

Should she have dragged it back on the ground instead?

• Arsenal have won all four of their WSL home games against Tottenham , keeping a clean sheet in each of the last three.
• The Gunners have scored more goals in the opening 10 minutes of matches than any other team in the Women’s Super League so far this season (5).
• Only Chelsea (14) have had more different goalscorers than Arsenal (10) in the 2024-25 Women’s Super League.
• Tottenham have won just one of their 10 WSL meetings with Arsenal (D1 L8), winning 1-0 in December 2023 despite having five shots and facing 31 from the Gunners.
• Tottenham have won only one of their last eight Women’s Super League away games (D4 L3), though that sole win did come in their most recent such game, 3-2 at Crystal Palace.
• Tottenham have scored a larger proportion of their total goals in the 2024-25 WSL in the second half of games than any other team (63% - 12/19).

Crystal Palace haven't given up. They want to find a way back.

Lily Woodham and Clarissa Laris­ey are leading the pressure from the front to try and catch the hosts off guard in their own third.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter at Emirates Stadium

Renee Slegers opens her column notes by saying how "excited" the squad have been for today's north London derby.

"The Arsenal v Tottenham rivalry means so much to the players who have been at the club a long time," she says.

"The added meaning of this match lights another fire in us and that's just fantastic to see."

You can feel a buzz outside the ground as we entered this morning but I'm not sure if it was just about the game...

Gunnersaurus, the club's well-loved mascot, was greeting fans and even had time to play with the police dogs near the media entrance.

Fara Williams
Former England and Arsenal midfielder on BBC Two

Arsenal are coming into this game in the best form they have been at coming into a North London derby.

The Chelsea game could have gone either way. They are scoring a lot of goals and do not concede much. They will have bags of confidence and are looking good.