Tottenham Hotspur host Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday at 12pm in a match that will shape the closing stages of the Barclays Women's Super League season, and Spurs manager Vicky Jepson told her players: "You should go into these games with excitement."
Manchester United arrive fourth in the WSL standings with 38 points from 19 games and know they need to finish inside the top three to qualify for the Champions League for the third time in four years; Manchester City have already secured their European ticket for 2026/27, leaving two spaces up for grabs. Spurs sit fifth on 29 points from 19 games and must beat Manchester United this weekend to stay in the mix for European qualification.
United have three WSL games left and their remaining league fixtures are at Everton on 26 April, at Leicester on 3 May, and at home to Chelsea on 16 May. The schedule also lists Manchester United hosting Brighton on 2 May before a final-day trip to Chelsea on 16 May, underscoring how tight the run-in is. Arsenal sit third with 38 points from 17 games and have two games in hand on Chelsea and Manchester United, a factor that further complicates the battle for the top three.
The recent history between the sides adds heat to the fixture. Spurs and Manchester United drew 3-3 in the reverse WSL meeting earlier this season, while United also beat Spurs 2-1 in the Subway Women's League Cup after coming from behind. Fridolina Rolfö scored two goals in the 3-3 league game and has three goals and one assist across the last two meetings with Spurs.
Jepson has not shied from laying out where Spurs must improve. "In the Chelsea game, we needed to be more ruthless in their box. We had numerous chances to convert and we didn’t but I thought the performance was relatively good," she said. Reflecting on a recent drop, she added: "In the Everton game, we just didn’t get going. It was one of those performances where we didn’t get any rhythm or consistency and we weren’t aggressive enough with the pressure. We came out second-best on the day. We are not perfect and we won’t get it right every time but it was definitely one of those games where we’ve been off it."
Jepson urged her players to treat the occasion as an opportunity rather than a burden: "These are the games that the players want to play in, especially in the stadium and you’ve got to make sure that you’re competitive in it. If we want to push in the future, we’ve got to be competitive in these games." She emphasised preparation and awareness of individual opponents: "You have to make sure that your players can concentrate over longer periods. You try and also refresh your squad when they do that, so that you don’t become reactive, you become progressive in how you want the game to evolve when they do things. It’s about making sure that the players are aware of the individual qualities of those players, knowing what their strengths are and being able to nullify and stop that."
There is tangible pressure at Tottenham too: Spurs have lost both of their previous games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season, and Jepson warned her side against letting the occasion overwhelm them. "We need to find consistency and make sure we play the game and not the occasion at the stadium," she said. Spurs boss Ho said the fixture should fill his players with excitement and energy.
The immediate consequences are straightforward. A win for Manchester United would strengthen their hold on fourth place and keep the path to a top-three finish clearly in their hands heading into the final weeks; a Spurs victory would keep their faint European hopes alive but, as the facts show, only a perfect finish — including wins against London City Lionesses and Brighton — would maintain realistic qualification hopes. Sunday at 12pm will therefore tell fans more about which side is ready for the final sprint and which still has work to do.
