Arsenal 1-0 Spurs | Robert’s verdict: “We played with plenty of bravery” | OneFootball

Robert Vilahamn was proud of his players after a spirited performance in front of over 60,000 supporters at the Emirates Stadium, but it was Arsenal who claimed victory in the Barclays Women’s Super League on Sunday afternoon.

Despite a strong start by the Gunners in the opening quarter of the game, we went the closest to taking the lead in the first half as Martha Thomas tested Manuela Zinsberger before Jessica Naz’s curling effort struck the crossbar.

However, it was the hosts that broke the deadlock shortly after the break, Alessia Russo firing the ball home from close range, and although Becky Spencer was forced into a few saves to keep the deficit at one, we continued to be a constant threat until the final whistle.

Ramona Petzelberger saw an effort blocked inside the box before Bethany England failed to direct a header on target, and while we couldn’t find the equaliser, Robert was delighted how his side’s fought until the very end against one of the top sides in the WSL.

Speaking in his post-match interview with SPURSPLAY, he said: “We knew it would be a tough start, especially with the fans here, and they [Arsenal] started very well but we came back into it, played some quite good football and we had two very good chances in the first half where we could have scored.

“In the second half, they managed to get that goal which affected us, but I’m still proud of the players. They tried for 97 minutes and pushed them back until the last minute. We had some good chances and played with plenty of bravery.

“It's not fun to lose, but the players are taking steps and showing that we are competitive with the best teams in the league now.”

Robert was able to welcome the return of two key players as Ashleigh Neville returned to the starting XI – last featuring in the victory over West Ham United in January – and midfielder Drew Spence named on the bench before being introduced in the second half for her first appearance in four months.

When asked about having them both back on the pitch sfter spells on the sideline with an injury, the boss said: “Ashleigh started the game and was very good, she has been consistently good throughout the year.

“Drew came back and you remember that she’s so good on the ball, so, if she takes more steps now then she will be a huge asset for us as we need her to be part of build-up and find those through balls. I’m very happy that they are both back.”

Watch - Vilahamn on narrow loss at the Emirates