Tottenham Hotspur beat Leicester City 2-1 after extra time to reach their first-ever FA Cup final.

Martha Thomas gave Tottenham the lead in the 118th minute with a looping header to send the home crowd into delight. 

“Spurs are on their way to Wembley,” the famous tune goes. They hadn’t heard that for an FA Cup final since 1991, yet now a famous match against either Manchester United or Chelsea under the arch awaits.

Leicester opened the scoring 12 minutes in through Finnish forward Jutta Rantala. The 24-year-old cut in from the right flank and fired a powerful shot past Becky Spencer. 

Spurs equalised with seven minutes remaining through Jessica Naz. The Enfield-born attacker, who had struggled previously in the match, took advantage of a defensive mishap, raced in behind, and placed her shot into the bottom, right corner. In a tense match, Thomas sealed victory for Spurs in the 118th minute during a chaotic phase of play which saw her header loop over Lize Kop. 

Both clubs knew this was the biggest match of the season. Some would argue their biggest match ever — and Spurs delivered. With 18,078 in attendance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it was a memorable day despite a nervy performance. 

  • Story of the Match

Tottenham and Leicester both named unchanged lineups. Spurs, who beat Bristol City 1-0 three weeks ago, opted to have Bethany England in attack with Jessica Naz, Celin Bizet and Grace Clinton occupying the space in behind.  

One of the key reasons for Spurs' success this campaign has been due to Bizet's and Clinton's partnership. The midfielders have partnered with one another elegantly throughout — and that came to prominence early on in N17. 

In a matter of minutes, the Englishwoman set up Bizet with two promising chances. The first she fired directly at Lize Kop, whilst her second shot flew over the bar. 

The hosts started as the more dominant side, yet, 12 minutes in, Leicester struck first. The Foxes swept the ball across the pitch, eventually landing at Rantala's feet. The Finnish forward cut in and fired a powerful curling shot past Spencer. The 24-year-old's moment of magic epitomised her importance to Leicester this campaign. 

Spurs always looked to dictate the tempo of the match, attempting to keep possession as Vilahamn's philosophy outlines. They did that throughout the first half, with Naz on the right flank finding space in between defenders. The 23-year-old fired a powerful shot wide of the right post after a dazzling run midway through the first half as well. 

Yet there was a recurring issue for the hosts - efficiency in the final third. At times, they effortlessly swept the ball across the pitch, almost as if it was a training routine. But then it came to the final third, which is where Spurs' attackers failed to combine with one another.

Eveliina Summanen, who has been the beating heart of Spurs' midfield this season, squandered a golden opportunity from a corner, firing her header over the bar from six yards out. It epitomised their first half; promising chances, but no end product. 

In the second half, the same pattern followed. Summanen missed another promising chance from a corner early on, this time with her foot, whilst Leicester always possessed a threat on the ball. Rantala forced Spencer into a fine save within minutes of the restart. 

As the pressure rose for both sides, Leicester played effectively. They kept possession when they wanted to, drew in needless fouls from Spurs and showed experience during a competition they have never reached this far in. 

They allowed Naz on the right flank to be given the ball, even affording her time and space, yet the 23-year-old rarely took advantage. She showcased her pace consistently, but as soon as the final third came into range, she rushed her chances — and it symbolised Spurs' struggles. 

Spurs tried to change the direction of the match, in particular by bringing Olga Ahtinen, Matilda Vinberg and Charlotte Grant on, and it paid off. Seven minutes from full-time, Spurs equalised through Naz.

Leicester defender Josie Green let the ball slip past her, which gave the Enfield-born attacker time and space one-on-one with goalkeeper Kop. She composed herself, picked her spot and placed it into the bottom, right corner to the delight of the home fans. 

It proved to act as a turning point; Spurs used the momentum to pressure Leicester for the rest of normal time. Martha Thomas came centimetres from giving Spurs victory in the 93rd minute, only for her low, driving shot to be stopped by a stunning fingertip save by Kop. 

In extra time, Leicester came close to regaining their lead as Rantala rattled the underside of the crossbar with a powerful effort. Spencer appeared to get a fingertip onto the free-kick to deny the Finnish forward another goal. 

For most of extra time, Spurs struggled to pressure Leicester, but that didn't matter in the 118th minute when Thomas suddenly sealed the victory. The former Man United striker looped a header past Kop after the initial corner was cleared. The crowd erupted and Spurs were on their Wembley. 

Player of the Match - Jutta Rantala 

In a match full of tension, Rantala stood out as the key player for Leicester. Her opening goal epitomised her importance to the Foxes this season, as she cut in from the right and fired it past Spencer.

She could have added to her tally in extra time, but - even without that - her overall play and importance in transition were noticeable throughout. The Finnish forward wasn't on the winning side, but that didn't take away from her performance.