by Staff Writer
Monday, 2nd February 2026
West Ham United Women were edged out 2–1 by Tottenham Hotspur Women in a hard-fought London derby on Sunday afternoon at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.
A strong home crowd were given plenty to cheer early on, but the visitors struck twice in the second half to claim the points.
The Hammers made the perfect start, taking the lead inside the opening ten minutes. A sharp move through midfield ended with Shekiera Martinez showing great composure in the box to fire West Ham ahead, rewarding a bright and energetic opening spell from Rita Guarino’s side.
West Ham continued to press and looked confident in possession, limiting Spurs’ chances before the break.
Tottenham responded after half-time and found an equaliser shortly after the restart through Matilda Vinberg, who finished clinically after finding space on the edge of the area.
The visitors then turned the game on its head midway through the second half when Olivia Holdt struck a superb long-range effort beyond the reach of Megan Walsh.
Despite late pressure from the hosts and Spurs being reduced to ten players in stoppage time, West Ham were unable to force a leveller.
The match also saw debuts for West Ham, with new January signings Katie Zelem and Tuva Hansen introduced as Guarino continues to shape her squad.
After the match, West Ham manager Rita Guarino said: “I liked our mentality, especially in the first half. We were brave, aggressive and played with courage. Of course, we are disappointed with the result, but there are positives we can take and we will keep working to improve.”
Goalscorer Shekiera Martinez added: “Scoring early gave us confidence and belief. We know we can compete in these games and we’ll keep pushing together as a team.”
West Ham Utd: Walsh, Endo (Brasero 86), Nyström, Cascarino, Hanshaw, Gorry ©, Siren (Piubel 86), Wandeler (Hansen 69), Ueki, Martinez, Asseyi (Zelem 79)
Unused subs: O'Hanlon, Belloumou, Tennebø, Houssein, Cemal
Goals: Martinez (10)
Booked: Siren
Tottenham: Kop, Gaupset, England (c) (Tandberg 69), Holdt (Hamano 93), Rybrink, Vinberg, Hunt, Spence, Summanen, Koga, Blakstad (A. Nildén 60)
Unused subs: Heeps, Bartrip, M. Nildén, Gunning-Williams, Ahtinen, Wijk
Goals: Vinberg (54), Holdt (73)
Booked: Tandberg
Sent-off: Spence
Player Ratings
Walsh (6) Didn’t have loads to do in the first half and couldn’t be faulted for either goal. Commanded her area well late on as West Ham pushed forward.
Endo (7) Worked tirelessly down the flank and was disciplined defensively. Offered a steady outlet but was often doubled up on.
Brasero (6 ) Put in a solid shift defensively and showed composure in possession, though Spurs’ second-half momentum limited her influence.
Nyström (7) Strong in the air and generally reliable at the back. Read the game well and dealt with pressure for long spells.
Cascarino (6) Showed flashes of quality going forward but couldn’t quite impose herself as the game opened up after the break.
Hanshaw (7) One of West Ham’s standout performers. Aggressive in her pressing, strong in the tackle and constantly drove the team forward.
Gorry (7) Brought energy and leadership in midfield, especially in the first half. Faded slightly as Spurs took control but kept battling.
Siren Piubel (6) Worked hard between the lines and linked play well early on, though found space harder to come by in the second half.
Wandeler (6) Bright moments going forward and showed confidence on the ball, but final delivery didn’t always hit the mark.
Hansen (6) Defensively sound and calm under pressure. Did her job well without being overly eye-catching.
Ueki (7) Lively and direct, especially before half-time. Always looked willing to take defenders on and press from the front.
⭐Martinez (8) West Ham’s best player on the day. Took her goal superbly and remained a constant threat throughout, leading the line with intent.
Asseyi (6) Introduced to add pace and attacking threat. Tried to stretch Spurs late on but didn’t quite get the clear opening.
Zelem (6) A brief cameo on her introduction. Neat and tidy in possession and showed composure as West Ham pushed for an equaliser.
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