Eveliina Summanen has signed a new long term contract with Tottenham Hotspur Women, extending her stay with the club beyond her 100th appearance milestone. The 27 year old Finnish defensive midfielder has been a consistent positive throughout Spurs’ ups and downs over the past four years since joining in January 2022.

Summanen has evolved into a genuine fan favorite at Tottenham, featuring across all midfield positions before settling into her current defensive midfield role. Her ability to control matches, strike dead balls, and unsettle opposition players has made her an invaluable asset to Martin Ho’s side as they push for Champions League qualification this season.

Ho Praises Infectious Professionalism

The Spurs boss heaped praise on the Finnish international’s influence both on and off the pitch. Ho highlighted Summanen’s technical quality in possession, ability to play forward under pressure, and tactical understanding as attributes that provide stability and direction to the team.

Ho particularly emphasized her infectious behaviors in training and preparation, noting that her professionalism and attitude set standards for the entire squad. This is smart business from Tottenham, who are securing key players as they establish themselves among the WSL elite.

Summanen Building Legacy at Spurs

The midfielder has grown into a real fan favorite since arriving four years ago, never afraid to challenge for loose balls or go to ground making tackles. Her special talent for riling up opposition was perfectly demonstrated when she got Ella Toone sent off, only to be bizarrely penalized for “successful deception of a match official” in a decision that still rankles with supporters.

Summanen has also scored spectacular direct free kicks for both Spurs and Finland throughout her career. Tottenham have once again refused to specify the exact length of this “long term” contract, but keeping their midfield rock secured is excellent news regardless of whether it’s two, three, or four years.

Also read: England Under 19 International Signs New Long Term Contract With Tottenham WFC as Forward Commits Future to Spurs

Martin Ho offered a brutally honest assessment of Tottenham’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, admitting his side should have scored three or four goals in the first half alone. The Norwegian boss watched his team dominate proceedings early on with 1.83 expected goals compared to Chelsea’s 1.86, only to crumble once Keira Walsh delivered a sucker punch near halftime.

Goals from Walsh and Alyssa Thompson condemned Spurs to another heartbreaking defeat against the Big Four, leaving them in 5th place and four points behind Chelsea in the race for Champions League qualification. This represented yet another missed opportunity for Tottenham to finally break their duck against elite opposition after drawing with Arsenal and Manchester United earlier this season.

Ho Makes Excuses for Latest Failure

The Spurs boss blamed lack of experience for his team’s inability to capitalize on their dominance, pointing out that the club has rarely been in these positions before. This frankly sounds like damage limitation after watching his side botch another massive opportunity to move above Chelsea in the table.

Ho insisted that getting that first win against top opposition will change everything, but you have to question when exactly that breakthrough moment will arrive. Tottenham have now failed to beat any of the Big Four this season despite creating enough chances to win several matches.

Record Breaking Season Still Not Good Enough

Despite being on the verge of a record breaking points total for Spurs in the WSL, Ho was quick to temper expectations by reminding everyone that you cannot transform a team that finished 11th into Champions League contenders in just seven months. This is realistic, but also conveniently ignores the fact that his players keep freezing when it matters most.

The second goal completely deflated Tottenham, with Ho admitting they huffed and puffed without truly threatening Chelsea’s goal again. Another big game, another disappointing result for Spurs.

Also read: Chelsea Women vs. Tottenham Hotspur: Predicted Lineups + Match Preview

Tottenham Hotspur hosts Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday in what could be the most vulnerable the six time defending champions have looked in over a decade. Spurs sit 5th with 26 points from 14 matches, level with Arsenal in 4th, while Chelsea occupy 3rd with just 27 points after suffering back to back defeats for the first time since 2015.

Chelsea arrive in north London completely shell shocked after Manchester City demolished them 5-1 at the Etihad last weekend. Kerolin’s hat trick humiliated Sonia Bompastor’s side in a performance that exposed catastrophic defensive frailties and a complete lack of fight from a team that once struck fear into every opponent. This is Chelsea’s best chance to take points off them in years.

Kick-off: 14:25 GMT, Sunday, February 8, 2026
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
TV: BBC Two, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website

Bompastor Clinging to Her Job

The French manager has lost consecutive matches for the first time in her entire managerial career and admitted after the City mauling that she would be “happy to go if they think that’s the right thing.” This is complete capitulation from someone who inherited a squad that went unbeaten last season and won the domestic treble.

Chelsea are now 12 points behind City with just eight games remaining. The title race is over, and Bompastor knows it. Her squad is decimated by injuries to Lucy Bronze, Nathalie Bjorn, Niamh Charles, Kadiesha Buchanan, and Mayra Ramirez, but plenty of managers achieve more with less. The defensive organization has vanished completely.

Spurs Smelling Blood

Martin Ho’s side came from behind to beat West Ham 2-1 last Sunday, thanks to spectacular goals from Matilda Vinberg and Olivia Holdt. That victory secured Tottenham’s first away win in the WSL since September and proved they possess the character needed for occasions like this.

Drew Spence will serve a three match suspension after her stoppage time red card against the Hammers, while Maika Hamano cannot face her parent club. Nevertheless, Spurs have genuine belief that they can inflict further misery on Chelsea and move above them in the table with a statement win at their own stadium.

Predicted Lineups:

Tottenham (4-2-3-1):  Kop; Rybrink, Hunt, Koga, Blakstad; Summanen, Gaupset; Vinberg, England, Holdt; Tandberg

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Hampton; Bronze, Bright, Girma, Carpenter; Walsh, Cuthbert; James, Kaptein, Baltimore; Kerr

Also read: Sonia Bompastor Vows Chelsea WFC Will Fight Until the End for WSL Title Despite Nine Point Deficit to Manchester City After Arsenal Defeat