'Reaching cup final shows Spurs can be big team'

When manager Robert Vilahamn joined Tottenham in the summer, he took over a squad battered and bruised after fighting tooth and nail to avoid relegation from the Women's Super League.

The trajectory for Tottenham's future is soaring upwards and Vilahamn feels Spurs have shown they can be "a big team" in women's football with the Wembley showpiece to come next month.

"I'm very proud. We have done something really good with the women's football here at Tottenham and to do it at this stadium in front of so many fans - we have shown we can compete," said Vilahamn.

"We should celebrate today because we've done something really good and it's worth celebrating - but I also know we haven't won anything yet.

"When we go to the final, we want to win. We want to win a title for these fans and this club. We will do everything we can. We won't be favourites in that game, but it's fine."

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'Tottenham are building something unique'

Martha Thomas (second from right) was signed from Manchester United this summer and is Tottenham's top goalscorer this season

Tottenham face last season's runners-up Manchester United in the final but Vilahamn is confident in his side's chances having already overcome Manchester City and Leicester in the competition.

Spurs, who only gained promotion to the WSL in 2019, are still finding their feet in the professional era, but a noisy Tottenham Hotspur Stadium celebrated wildly when Martha Thomas' winner hit the back of the net on Sunday.

"We are building something unique with this fanbase and you can tell they are buying into it and they love it," Vilahamn told BBC Sport.

"They give us the energy and when you hear them, you feel goosebumps all over your body. It's amazing."

Thomas' extra-time winner was the perfect ending to an end-to-end match in which Tottenham continued to create chances, drama and chaos - as they have done all season.

Vilahamn's philosophy is led by one aim - to entertain supporters.

By doing so, he hopes Tottenham can increase their fanbase, attract top players and ultimately achieve their ambitions of competing for regular titles.

Asked what reaching this final can do for the club's future, he said: "I think we have a good chance to play in big games. We need to do that to be a big team and win titles with the women's team.

"That's one thing we have shown [the media], the fans and the opponents - that we are actually at Wembley too because we are deserving of that.

"To sign new players this year, we are able to show that we can develop players and play good football.

"Some of the players that want to come to Tottenham want to win titles and we can show we can do that. That is a big step for Tottenham Women."

'We're not little Leicester' - Foster

Leicester City had not reached the Women's FA Cup semi-finals before this season

As Spurs' fans rose to their feet in celebration at the final whistle in London, the away section gracefully applauded their side's efforts having travelled down on free coaches provided by the club early on Sunday morning.

Leicester may not have won but they had already created history by reaching the last four, overcoming an in-form Liverpool side in the process, despite off-field distractions after manager Willie Kirk was sacked amid allegations of a player-coach relationship.

Under the guidance of interim boss Jennifer Foster, they dug in until the end against Tottenham but ultimately could not hold on, as goals from Jessica Naz and Thomas helped Spurs come from behind to win.

"It's immensely disappointing, especially when it goes right down to the wire. This will hurt and it will probably hurt for a little while," said Foster.

"But as I said to the players, this won't be the last time we're in a semi-final. Sometimes the best teams have to take a hit like we did today. Hopefully the next time we're in this position we can get all the way through to the final.

"We said at the start of the season that our ambition was to get as far as possible in [this] cup. Everyone always looks at us as 'little Leicester' - but we're not little Leicester. We're putting ourselves on the map."