MATCH INFO:

Chelsea 1, Arsenal 1 (Full highlights)

GOALS: 

Beth Mead (Vivianne Miedema), 86’

Lotte Wubben-Moy (OG), 90’

In a continuation of what was already a stellar women’s football weekend in the FA Women’s Super League, Chelsea and Arsenal faced off in the much-anticipated London derby. The match found second-place Arsenal vying to move back into first place following a Manchester United draw the morning before. As for Chelsea, a win or a tie in the match meant breaking into the top three in WSL standings.

Blues getting ready! ????#CFCW pic.twitter.com/M8CvTYsAZE

— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) November 15, 2020

GAME FACE: ????@JillRoordNL ???? pic.twitter.com/J2umeMSdcn

— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) November 15, 2020

Here’s how the action unfolded:

Late in a purely defensive first half, Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema came up with the ball in the Chelsea box, settled the ball at her feet, and attempted a shot, only to be met with the blockade that was Chelsea’s defense. The ball was then scooped up by goalkeeper Ann Katrin-Berger to render Arsenal scoreless through 38 minutes of play.

Later, in the 43rd minute, a Chelsea turnover in their defensive third saw Arsenal’s Caitlin Foord intercept the ball and lift a shot from well past the eighteen — the ball struck the crossbar as Berger dove to make the save, bounced up to hit the crossbar a second time, and deflected back into the path of Arsenal’s Beth Mead. Already on her feet again was Berger, however, and the ball was punched out to end Arsenal’s near-scoring drive to conclude the first half in a 0-0 deadlock.

HOW has that not gone in?! ????@ArsenalWFC beginning to put the pressure on!#WomensFootballWeekend pic.twitter.com/Sxwa8hS1eF

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) November 15, 2020

With only 7 shots between the two sides during the first half, scoring the go-ahead goal was a top priority. In the opening minutes of the second half, Chelsea forward Bethany England received a pass outside the eighteen and lofted a shot that sailed just over the crossbar. England has been a key contributor for Chelsea this season, scoring three goals and recording two assists in five appearances for the club, but she couldn’t find the back of the net on this one.

Still scoreless after 72 minutes of play, Chelsea began knocking on the door in hopes of gaining the upper hand over their opponent late into the match. Ji So-Yun slotted a cross into the box, looking for Sam Kerr, but the ball was cleared to the feet of Pernille Harder. Harder attempted to finish the close-range shot but was denied by Arsenal goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger.

Finally, Arsenal got the scoring opportunity they had been vying for all game — in a showcase of her speed and ability on the ball, Vivianne Miedema streaked past Chelsea’s defense to play in a cross, finding Beth Mead in the box. Sliding to meet the cross, Mead scored to give Arsenal the 1-0 advantage in the 86th minute.

GOAL!!! ????

Is that the winner from @bmeado9?!#WomensFootballWeekend pic.twitter.com/BgKspSidCe

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) November 15, 2020

Only for a moment did it seem that Mead’s goal had won the match for Arsenal, as Chelsea quickly transitioned into a counterattack. With Arsenal defender Lotte Wubben-Moy hot on her back, Pernille Harder took the ball to the goal line, attempting to play in a cross from the right wing. An unfortunate series of events would follow for Arsenal, as the cross deflected off of Wubben-Moy and looped into her own goal — tying the game at 1-1 with only 5 minutes of stoppage time left to play.

EQUALISER! ????

So cruel for Wubben-Moy who deflects @PernilleMHarder’s cross into her own net.#WomensFootballWeekend pic.twitter.com/uJE7jRw8hb

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) November 15, 2020

As the final minutes ticked away, Sam Kerr fired a shot that fell just wide of the net, nearly logging the game-winner for Chelsea but coming up short.

The match ended in a 1-1 tie as both squads secured a point. With the result, Arsenal remains in second place with 16 points, and Chelsea breaks into third place with 14 points. Still well within reach for both teams is the first place spot in the WSL standings, as Arsenal takes on Birmingham City and Chelsea faces off against West Ham on December 6th.

Nearly a winner at the death from @samkerr1!

What a crazy last ten minutes. ????#WomensFootballWeekend pic.twitter.com/kilGRa1O5K

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) November 15, 2020

WHAT’S NEXT IN THE FA WSL:

 

December 5th 

Aston Villa vs. Manchester United @ 7:30 a.m. EST

December 6th

Everton vs. Manchester City @ 8:00 a.m. EST

Arsenal vs. Birmingham City @ 9:00 a.m. EST

Chelsea vs. West Ham @ 9:00 a.m. EST

Tottenham vs. Brighton & Hove Albion @ 9:00 a.m. EST

Reading FC vs. Bristol City @ 9:00 a.m. EST

The 2025 NWSL Championship claimed a major viewership milestone on Saturday, as Gotham FC's 1-0 title win over the Washington Spirit became the first-ever league match to record an average of more than one million viewers.

The CBS evening broadcast averaged an impressive 1.184 million fans and peaked at 1.55 million viewers, making it the most-watched NWSL match of all time.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

The 2025 final marked a 22% viewership increase over the 967,900 fans who watched 2024's Orlando Pride victory — the previous NWSL viewership record-holder — and a 45% ratings gain over Gotham's 2023 championship win, which averaged 816,800 viewers.

Saturday's gains both matched the 22% viewership increase the NWSL regular season saw this year and also far exceeded the 2025 postseason's pre-final year-over-year increase of 5%.

Calling the one-million viewer mark "an extraordinary achievement" in Tuesday's league statement, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman also noted that the "record-setting audience demonstrates the deepening connection fans have with our players, our clubs, and the world-class competition on the field, and it underscores the growing demand for women's soccer on the biggest stages."

"We're incredibly proud of what this moment represents for the NWSL and for everyone who continues to invest in and believe in the future of our game," Berman added.

Incoming offseason league Project B scored more major WNBA signings this week, as the upstart venture continues stacking its roster ahead of a planned November 2026 launch.

Indiana Fever guards Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham have both publicly signed on with Project B, joining already announced talent like Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones, and Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd.

Also inking deals to join the inaugural season of Project B are Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün, and Li Meng, a former Washington Mystics guard and current player in the Women's Chinese Basketball Association.

The multi-continent, Formula One-style traveling tournament circuit will ultimately sign 66 international stars, as Project B looks to field six 11-player teams in its debut 2026/2027 campaign.

Project B player signings will undoubtedly impact other offseason leagues like Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited, but the new venture is also looming large over the ongoing WNBA CBA talks.

With negotiations racing toward this Sunday's extended deadline, Project B is putting WNBA compensation offerings under increased pressure, as the new league is reportedly anteing up multimillion-dollar salaries to its signees — far exceeding the 2025 WNBA maximum as well as the $1.1 million-max currently on the negotiating table.

World No. 1 Spain will take aim at a second-straight UEFA Nations League title this week, as La Roja take on No. 5 Germany in the first leg of the 2025 tournament's final at 2:30 PM ET on Friday.

The defending Nations League champions booked their spot in the 2025 final by dismantling No. 3 Sweden 5-0 on aggregate in the semifinal round, while Germany advanced after a tense 3-2 aggregate win over No. 6 France.

Germany must also contend with availability issues during Friday's match, as 28-year-old Bayern Munich forward and senior national team leading scorer Lea Schüller will be out due to family reasons.

To overcome that disadvantage, German head coach Christian Wück is reinforcing the team's back line, adding Athletic Bilbao defender Bibi Schulze Solano to the roster on Wednesday.

Also aiming to shut down Spain's offensive firepower on Friday is new NWSL champion goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who joined her German compatriots late following Gotham FC's title celebrations in New York this week.

While Spain and Germany will contend for the 2025 Nations League trophy this week, the pair — along with ousted semifinalists Sweden and France — have already booked spots in the top group of teams battling for tickets to the 2027 World Cup, with UEFA qualifying set to begin in 2026.

A full 19 months removed from their back-to-back Final Four runs, No. 11 Iowa basketball refuses to go away, with the Hawkeyes already notching one Top-25 win in the young 2025/26 NCAA campaign so far.

The still-unbeaten Hawkeyes took down No. 15 Baylor 57-52 last Thursday, with Iowa starting post players Hannah Stuelke and Ava Heiden combining for 28 points while guard Taylor Stremlow added another 12 off the bench in the marquee win.

"We have nice pieces," said Iowa head coach Jan Jensen this week. "But it's knowing when to play which pieces and with whom, and we're six games in."

The Hawkeyes have been finding their new identity under Jensen after a transformative period saw Iowa's longtime head coach Lisa Bluder retire while superstar guard Caitlin Clark joined the WNBA.

"Jan's been amazing," Stuelke told JWS at the Big Ten Media Day in October. "She stepped up like she needed to, and she's been growing every day since she's been the head coach, which it's really cool to see she cares. And it's a great environment for all of us."

"I have a year under my belt," Jensen echoed. "I know what this chair feels like now, and I have a little better of understanding of what that first road trip feels like, what that first big win feels like, or the tough loss feels like."

Iowa's season heats up with a ranked rivalry matchup against No. 10 Iowa State on Wednesday, December 10th.

The state rivals will tip off at 7 PM ET, with live coverage airing on ESPN.