A week on from cruising into the Women’s FA Cup final with a win at Arsenal, we were given an altogether sterner test on another trip to north London, as Spurs pushed us all the way in a pulsating clash at the Hive.

It looked like we’d overcome the adversity of falling behind to an early own goal by Sophie Ingle, who could do little about the ball bouncing off the post and in off her leg, as Reiten’s speculative cross to the back post looped over the goalkeeper and got us back on level terms.

However, we were soon faced with the prospect of playing for the best part of an hour with only 10 players, as Ann-Katrin Berger wiped out Rachel Williams just outside the box and the referee showed her a red card.

Clearly, this was going to be a test of character, quality and whatever other intangibles you care to talk about – and the Blues came through it with a performance that highlighted just why we have been the dominant side in women’s football in this country since winning our first WSL title in 2015.

We dug deep, limiting Spurs to very few chances while also looking threatening at the other end. Patience was the order of the day, but finally we made the breakthrough with 20 minutes to go.

Jonna Andersson had only been on the pitch for 30 seconds when she was played in down the left and her cross could not have been more inviting. Kerr did the rest, meeting it with a towering header that left the keeper with no chance.

Then, with virtually the last kick of the game, Fleming hammered a spectacular strike from all of 30 yards to put the icing on the cake. Considering the circumstances, this was one of our biggest victories of the season and it keeps us in control of our own destiny in the race to win a third straight WSL title.

But there’s no time to contemplate that, as on Thursday night we do it all again, with Spurs visiting Kingsmeadow for a rescheduled league fixture. Based on the evidence of this game, it’s one you won’t want to miss.

With a week to prepare for this game following our Women’s FA Cup semi-final win over Arsenal and no fresh injury concerns to report, Emma Hayes was able to retain the same starting XI for another trip to north London.

That meant Berger took her place between the sticks once again, behind a back three of Mille Bright, Aniek Nouwen and Jess Carter. Niamh Charles and Reiten were the two wing-backs, flanking a midfield three of Erin Cuthbert, Ingle and Ji So-Yun, and Bethany England and Kerr continued their strike partnership.

From the first whistle it was clear that both teams would need to get to grips with an uneven surface, and it proved to be something of a leveller in a cagey start to the contest. The Blues were unfortunate not to go ahead inside the first 10 minutes when Kerr’s run in behind was picked out by Cuthbert, only for Korpela to pull off a fine save to keep out her fierce effort, but a few minutes later we were behind thanks to a freak own goal.

Spurs had already looked threatening from a couple of set-pieces when Bartrip decided to swing one towards the back post. She got so much whip on a corner-kick that it went sailing over the head of Berger and against the woodwork, only for the ball to bounce back off Ingle and over the line. There was little the Welsh midfielder could have done about it.

It didn’t take us long to get back on level terms, and it was a familiar source who netted our equaliser 10 minutes later. Reiten’s form in front of goal in 2022 has been nothing short of sensational and a week on from scoring in our FA Cup semi-final win over Arsenal she had another goal in north London. She slipped the ball past Ashleigh Neville and then dinked a ball to the back post that was beautifully flighted over Korpela and nestling in the back of the net. Whether it was a cross or a shot mattered little – the end result was that we were all-square once again.

We could have had another soon after when a loose back pass let in Kerr, only for the Australian to lose her footing at the vital moment, but disaster struck at the other end when Berger came racing out of her goal to try and stop Williams. The Blues keeper was a split second too late getting there, which meant she ended up body-checking the Spurs forward – and in referee Lisa Benn’s eyes, a clear goalscoring opportunity had been denied, so Berger saw red.

England was the unfortunate player to be taken off for Zecira Musovic to come on between the sticks and, understandably, the task for the remainder of the first half was getting in at the break on level terms. To their credit, Spurs pinned us back and dominated the ball, but Musovic had little to do and it was proving to be a physical battle as much as a technical one, as the tackles were flying in.

The half-time break gave Hayes a chance to reorganise her team and she also took the opportunity to send on fresh legs for the second half, as Magdalena Eriksson and Pernille Harder came on for Nouwen and Ji.

If you’d just tuned in for the second 45, you’d have been hard pressed to choose which side was at a numerical disadvantage; if anything, the Blues were in control and looking to assert ourselves in the attacking third. Bright went close with a booming drive from the edge of the box that was just off target and then the ever-dangerous Kerr snuck in behind once again and managed to hold off her marker to get a toe-poke away that the keeper did well to block.

Still, the threat remained at the other end. Musovic had to make her first save, and an excellent one it was too, as an overhit cross was destined for the back of the net until she magnificent clawed it away from danger.

The game was now becoming stretched, with the Blues recognising the importance of three points in this title race and Spurs eyeing a first-ever victory over us, but the end-to-end action had to take a quick break due to an injury to Charles, which meant she was replaced by Andersson.

The delay did the Blues no harm, however, as 30 seconds later we’d gone in front for the first time. What an introduction it was for Andersson, who sent over an absolute peach of a cross with her first touch, and there was Kerr to meet it with a header that nestled into the far corner.

Suddenly, Spurs looked rattled. Zadorsky and Williams both went into the book in the space of two minutes for poor tackles, the second of which, on Kerr, could possibly have been punished by a red card.

We were in complete control for the remainder of the contest, making light of being a player down as we kept the home side at arm’s length and rarely looked in any danger of conceding. If ever a performance merited the regular terrace chant from the Blues faithful of ‘That’s why we’re champions,’ it was this.

To top it all off, with the last kick of the game we scored one of the goals of the season. Fleming, who’d come on 10 minutes earlier for Reiten, ran unchallenged and decided to try her luck from all of 35 yards with a swerving strike that flew into the top corner.

The celebrations at the end showed just how much it meant, but there are still three more tests to overcome if we are to maintain our hold on the WSL trophy. The first of them is the rescheduled home game against Spurs, which takes place at Kingsmeadow on Thursday night. Click here to buy your tickets for that one now!

Tottenham Korpela, Neville, Bartrip, Schnaderbeck, Zadorsky, Harrop, Summanen, Simon (Tang 68), Cho, Naz (Addison 87), WilliamsUnused subs Spencer, Ale, Ayane, GreenScorer Ingle (OG) 15Booked Zadorsky 73, Williams 75

Chelsea (3-5-2) Berger; Bright (c), Nouwen (Eriksson h/t), Carter; Charles (Andersson 70), Cuthbert, Ingle, Ji (Harder h/t), Reiten (Fleming 82); England (Musovic 37), KerrUnused subs Mjelde, James, SpenceScorers Reiten 26, Kerr 71, Fleming 90+5Booked Bright 45+4, Carter 90+3Sent off Berger 33

Referee Lisa Benn