So far this season, the FAWSL title race has been firmly between four teams: Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United.

With City and Arsenal occupying the third and fourth spots in the table, this weekend’s matchup was huge in deciding which of the teams would stay within touching distance of the top two, and which would effectively be out of the title race. With Manchester City winning, they now have 30 points, two behind both United and Chelsea. Arsenal, on the other hand, remain in fourth with 23 points.

Here’s a look at how the game unfolded and what the result means for the title race.

 

MANCHESTER CITY IS CLICKING INTO GEAR

Going into this match, City were in superb form, scoring 18 goals in their last three league matches. Arsenal, on the contrary, had not played a match since January 17th, a 1-1 draw with Reading.

It was no surprise that early in the game, City seemed to be in much better shape, with their earliest chance coming at the sixth minute when Manuela Zinsberger made a mistake that Ellen White could not capitalize on. Nearing the 20-minute mark, it seemed that Arsenal grew into the game, but as soon as they started gaining momentum, White was able to convert a half-volley chance into a goal.

???????????? https://t.co/dU0MSlvvL6

— Man City Women (@ManCityWomen) February 7, 2021

With the goal, White became the FAWSL’s all-time top goal-scorer in the FAWSL, overtaking Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema at the top spot.

???? @ellsbells89 ????

Ellen White's goal against @ArsenalWFC put her back to the top of the all-time #BarclaysFAWSL top goalscorers list ⭐️#BarclaysFAWSL pic.twitter.com/GkEvhsOGko

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) February 7, 2021

ARSENAL HAD THEIR CHANCES

Despite going 0-1 down early, Arsenal didn’t lose their heads, and they constantly threatened Manchester City in the minutes after conceding. They had several chances that either lacked a good final pass, or were saved by Ellie Roebuck. With ten minutes before the half, Jill Roord finally managed to score, but the goal was called for off-side.

Roord got her opportunity to shine early in the second half, as she assisted Arsenal’s equalizer, which came in the 57th minute, courtesy of Caitlin Foord.

Roord ➡️ Foord

Well worked goal from @ArsenalWFC! ????#BarclaysFAWSL pic.twitter.com/CpazOcwlOO

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) February 7, 2021

After the goal, Arsenal appeared to find their groove, and it looked like they were going to pull off the win, with Vivianne Miedema finally getting a few half-chances in front of goal. However, they failed to score, and City managed to grow back into the game.

By the 70th minute, it seemed to be an even contest and anyone’s game. But with a little over ten minutes to go, it was Manchester City who came out on top, with a fantastic diving header from Lauren Hemp.

What a header by Lauren Hemp! ????@Chloe_Kelly98 puts in a pinpoint cross and that's a HUGE goal in the #BarclaysFAWSL title race! ???? pic.twitter.com/jaG1iJBRz4

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) February 7, 2021

For the last ten minutes, it was all City, with Arsenal barely getting out of their own half. It remained that way until the final whistle.

 

ARSENAL LIKELY OUT OF TITLE RACE

Arsenal are now nine points off the top of the table. While they have a game in hand, it’s hard to see how they come back from this.

In fact, they’re quite lucky to only be nine points behind given that both Manchester United and Chelsea lost this week as well, losing to Reading and Brighton respectively.

While manager Joe Montemurro still has faith in his squad. for Arsenal to win this title, it’ll take an insane run of games, as well as well as a few key losses from the other three teams on top.

Asked Joe Montemurro if he thinks Arsenal are still in the WSL title race. He says: "I wouldn’t count us out just yet. I believe in the squad. We’re going to keep fighting." #AFC

— Tom Garry (@TomJGarry) February 7, 2021

As of right now, I think they need to focus on sneaking into the top three to secure a Champions League spot for next season, or they risk losing quite a few of their stars come the summer transfer window.

 

MANCHESTER CITY CAN CONTINUE TO CLIMB

As for City, the win is huge for them, and their form over the past month or so should give them great confidence going into next week when they face United in the Manchester Derby.

A win against their rivals, and they’ll securely be in second place and in the thick of title contention.

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

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Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

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Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.

For the first time in history, three different WNBA teams have completely sold out of season ticket plans well before the league's May 14th kick-off.

Call it the Caitlin Clark effect, attribute it to this year’s tenacious rookie class, or look to the skyrocketing visibility of veteran players across the board. But no matter the cause, facts are facts: Tickets to the 2024 WNBA season are selling like never before. 

On Monday, the Dallas Wings became the third team to sell out of season ticket memberships in the league’s 27-year history. The announcement from Arlington came shortly after the Atlanta Dream issued their own season ticket sell-out statement, also on Monday, and almost seven weeks after the back-to-back WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces made headlines by becoming the first-ever WNBA team to sell out their season ticket allotment.   

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According to the Wings, season ticket memberships will fill nearly 40% of the 6,251 seats inside their home arena, College Park Center. The club also said that their overall ticket revenue has ballooned to the tune of 220% this year, spanning not just season tickets but also a 1,200% increase in single ticket sales. There’s currently a waitlist to become a Dallas season ticket holder, a status that comes with extra incentives like playoff presale access and discounts on additional single-game tickets. 

In Atlanta, season tickets aren't the only thing flying off the shelves. The Dream also announced that they broke their own record for single-game ticket sales during a recent limited presale campaign. Sunday was reportedly their most lucrative day, with five different games totally selling out Gateway Center Arena. Individual tickets for all upcoming matchups will hit the market this Thursday at 8 a.m., while a waitlist for season ticket memberships will open up next Tuesday at 10 a.m.

"Excitement around women's sports, particularly basketball, is at an all-time high and nowhere is that felt more than here in Atlanta," Dream president and COO Morgan Shaw Parker said in the team’s statement. "We’ve continued a record-setting growth trajectory over the past three years under new ownership — both on and off the court — and 2024 is shaping up to be our best season yet."

As of Tuesday, season ticket sales revenue for Caitlin Clark’s hotly anticipated Indiana Fever debut haven’t yet been announced by the club. But if these numbers are any indication — not to mention the explosive demand for Fever away games felt by teams around the country — it won’t be long before we see some scale-tipping figures coming out of Indianapolis.

25-year-old American pro golfer Nelly Korda secured her spot in LPGA history on Sunday, notching her fifth-straight title at this weekend's Chevron Championship in The Woodlands, Texas.

Ranked No. 1 in the world by Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Korda joins Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sörenstam (2005) as just the third LPGA player to rack up five consecutive tour wins. She is also the third No. 1-ranked player to capture The Chevron Championship victory since the rankings debuted in 2006, accompanied by Lorena Ochoa and Lydia Ko.

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The Florida native shot three-under 69 in Sunday's final, besting Sweden's Maja Stark despite Stark's valiant come-from-behind attempt in the 18th. Korda finished with a four-day total of 13-under 275, celebrating her two-stroke win by cannonballing into Poppie's Pond, much to the crowd's delight. She left The Club at Carlton Woods with $1.2 million from an overall purse of $7.9 million.

It wasn't long ago that the two-time major champion's current winning streak seemed unimaginable. After maintaining her No. 1 position for 29 weeks, Korda underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from her left arm in 2022. She returned to the course not long after, but failed to win a single tournament in 2023 before seeing a surge in form during the first four months of 2024. As of today, she hasn't lost a tournament since January.

Korda will attempt a record sixth-straight win at next week's JM Eagle LA Championship at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, where she'll vie for a cut of the $3.75 million purse.