Whether it's title wins or top three finishes, every WSL season is becoming harder to predict - and plenty of clubs, including Tottenham, have their eyes on the prizes. Spurs started the 2026/27 season with statement wins against Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, winning by an aggregate of 11-0 - but they came crashing back down to earth with a 6-1 defeat to London City Lionesses before the international break. It would have offered Tottenham boss Martin Ho and his players a sharp reminder about the task they have on their hands if they want to finish in the Champions League spots this season - and it does not get any easier with Chelsea and Arsenal to come in the next two games, starting at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.
But the ever-pragmatic Ho will not have forgotten that. Spurs have gone from relegation contenders to European consideration in less than 18 months under the former Brann boss, but any route to the top will not be straight forward. Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports, he said: "You're always optimistic that it can go well, but I'm also realistic that you don't just have this long-term success.
It's not linear, there's going to be ups and downs, but I know if you want long-term consistency, you're going to have to have this. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player "We can't just go from being a team that's been fighting at the bottom of the table to go and challenge for the [WSL] trophy and make that successful and consistent over years to come. There's a process to that but the ambition is always to be at the top of that table.
"Since coming in, I've tried to push standards, push the expectation with staff and players to give us a platform that can give us an opportunity to progress. "The players deserve a lot of credit for that because they take the information and run with it. They play with courage, bravery, with personality which is what I asked for and their commitment and willingness is first class.
"Maybe there were times early on when I thought it was going to take a lot longer to get to where we want to be identity-wise, but the players deserve the credit because they've enabled us to maybe accelerate a little bit quicker than what I probably thought." Part of that has come through shrewd recruitment, particularly this summer. Spurs signed Champions League winners Victoria Pelova and Alice Sombath from Arsenal and Lyon respectively, Caitlin Dijkstra also joined from Wolfsburg in just a few of the impressive incomings. It all follows Ho's plan of bringing in different experiences from league, European and international levels to strengthen the squad and add a steel they were perhaps missing in his first year.
"We felt like we needed certain qualities in certain positions and those players that have come in have allowed us to do that," Ho said. "They've also been in environments where they've been competing in different ways, they'll bring those experiences here which was important for us that we have a diverse environment and culture. "You also want to make sure you get a balance also between the youth and experience of the squad.
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