Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 Aston Villa (7-6 On Pens)

Aston Villa earnt a point in their opening group stage fixture of the 2025/26 Women's League Cup with a 0-0 draw away to Tottenham Hotspur in the capital this evening.

Nothing could seperate the two sides after the regular 90 minutes which saw the game head to a penalty shootout and after 16 penalty kicks between the two sides it was Tottenham who took the extra point on offer as Lize Kop saved Georgia Mullett's spot kick.

Noelle Maritz was harshly shown red in the closing stages of the game as Villa were forced to end the encounter with ten players but they did well to stand strong to make it two clean sheets from their first three games.

Natalia Arroyo made two changes to her side that were last in action 10 days ago as academy graduates Rachel Maltby and Mullett came into the starting 11 for Océane Deslandes and Kirsty Hanson.

It was a quiet first-half to the fixture as both teams enjoyed spells on the ball but neither were able to cause much of a threat in front of goal.

Tottenham's first real chance came in the 18th minute as Maite Oroz brought down the ball and swung a well-weighted shot on goal from 22 yards out but Ellie Roebuck read it well and got across to collect.

Jill Baijings had Villa's first chance of the half following some good work from the team inside the final third.

Maltby found Ebony Salmon just outside the box with a pass who then slipped the ball through the backline and into Baijing's fet but her shot, from an angle, flew over the goal.

Roebuck pulled off a terrific save in the 37th minute as she tipped a rifiling shot from Matilda Vinberg over the bar after the foward teed up a strike from inside the area.

Missy Bo Kearns came agonsingly close to giving Villa the lead two minutes into stoppage time with the final chance of the first-half.

The tricky midfielder took a touch and drilled a shot from 16 yards out that was heading for the bottom corner of goal but Kop got down to push it around her goal post.

Maltby, on her first senior start, tested Kop seconds after the restart as she took aim from distance but the keeper got down just in time to make the save.

Lucia Kendall came off the bench in the 69th minute and made an immediate impact and she stole the ball back inside the final third and carried it towards goal.

She then slipped it across to Hanson, another substitue, who took a touch before firing a shot from a tight angle but her effort sailed just over.

Baijings was next to line a shot up for Villa as another substitue, Sarah Mayling, made an impact on the game.

The full back slid a pass into Baijings who turned and pulled the trigger on an impressive effort from distance but Kop did well to get up and push it over her bar.

Villa were reduced to 10 in the 82nd minute as Noelle Maritz was shown a harsh red card following a tackle inside the final third but Arroyo's side remained focused to see the game out and keep a well-deserved clean sheet.

Both teams took a point from the fixture but the game went to penalty kicks to see who could claim the extra point.

After both sides stepped up and took eight spot kicks each it was Tottenham who earnt the bonus point after Kop saved Mullett's final penalty.