MATCH INFO:

Manchester City 2, Arsenal 1

Goals: Vivianne Miedema – 3’, Sam Mewis – 30’, Caroline Weir – 90+4’

The most anticipated matchup of the weekend saw Manchester City host Arsenal, two teams at the top of the FAWSL table battling it out to keep their title hopes alive.

In the media buildup to the match, Arsenal’s Jen Beattie spoke to the media for the first time about her breast cancer diagnosis.

"It seems like a massive blur"

Arsenal's Jen Beattie was diagnosed with breast cancer in October. Now she has a message for you.#bbcfootball pic.twitter.com/EQFX9XLTFf

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 12, 2020

The Arsenal defender was diagnosed back in October but has still been able to appear for the North London club and make her mark this season. She scored Arsenal’s third goal in their 0-5 win against Brighton Hove & Albion a few days after her diagnosis.

Beattie, who also played for Manchester City before becoming an Arsenal player, was celebrated by both teams during the match warm-up as all the players donned Beattie’s top.

In complete awe of this incredible gesture from both clubs today. @ArsenalWFC @ManCityWomen

Thank you so so much ❤️???? https://t.co/9JcDiAyxGG

— Jen Beattie (@jbeattie91) December 13, 2020

Vivianne Miedema opened up the scoring early on, only for Sam Mewis to tie the game in the 30th minute. Heading into the 90th minute, it looked like the points would be shared at the Manchester City Academy Stadium, with the match still tied at 1-1. But after six minutes were added on, City managed to pull out a miraculous winner in the 94th minute.

City’s narrow victory revealed quite a bit about the state of both teams, as well as the trajectory of the FAWSL title race this season.

???? @ArsenalWFC x @ManCityWomen @jbeattie91 ❤️ #Beattie5 pic.twitter.com/5jYRwwjILB

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 13, 2020

1. Arsenal needs to find a way to continue their press throughout a match, or they’ll continue dropping important games. 

From the first whistle, it was clear that Arsenal head coach Joe Montemurro had instructed his side to press a lot higher than they usually do. Manchester City are one of the best teams in the league when it comes to  high press, and it’s clear that Montemurro wanted his side to match their opponent. It’s also clear that Gareth Taylor did not expect Arsenal’s tactics to be as aggressive, as his side looked shell-shocked by Arsenal’s pressure, which led to Manchester City making silly errors and giving Vivianne Miedema a golden opportunity in just the third minute.

???? @ArsenalWFC take an early lead in Manchester!

Who else but @VivianneMiedema? ????#BarclaysFAWSL pic.twitter.com/VwE7PHEueG

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 13, 2020

Despite Arsenal not having the best start to the season, Miedema is having a fantastic personal season, yet again. The top goalscorer in the league the past two seasons, Miedema’s goal against City was her 11th in the league this year, as she once again finds herself the top scorer in the WSL.

???? @VivianneMiedema

1️⃣1️⃣ goals so far this season in the #BarclaysFAWSL ????

???? @ArsenalWFC pic.twitter.com/IODufHiwla

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 13, 2020

The hope was that the early goal would rejuvenate Arsenal and they’d continue with their pressing tactics to catch a stunned Manchester City off guard. Instead, their early lead made them more complacent, and the aggressiveness toned down after a mere ten minutes, allowing their opponents to grow into the game, with Manchester City racking up 18 shots (16 on target) compared to Arsenal’s two.

Spoke to Joe Montemurro after the game, quotes on @arseblognews once I’m on the train!

Admits that away matches against top teams are a problem and that there is ‘a mental block.’

— Tim Stillman (@Stillberto) December 13, 2020

Post match, Montemurro admitted that his side faces a ‘mental block’ when playing big teams. Arsenal has yet to beat Manchester City, Chelsea, or Manchester United this season, in both league matches and the FA Cup.

The team has consistently started games with high intensity, only to drop off and allow the other team to then set the pace. It’s been disappointing to watch week after week, as the current roster is significantly better than their results would suggest.

It’ll be interesting to see how Arsenal fares against Everton next week. Everton may not be one of the traditional “big clubs,” but the team certainly looked like one earlier this season. Arsenal should be able to beat Everton, especially since they will be playing at home, but if they fall into the trap of dropping off early into the game, expect Everton to take advantage.

2. Caroline Weir (and her left foot) is crucial to Manchester City

Had this match ended in a 1-1 draw, Manchester City would have had 16 points, leaving them seven points behind league leaders Manchester United — a huge gap to make up. With the gap now at five, it makes things a bit easier on City. Simply put, Weir’s winning goal in the 94th minute has allowed Manchester City to stay within reach of the title race.

Caroline Weir's left boot strikes again! ????

Winning it in the dying moments for @ManCityWomen! ????#BarclaysFAWSL pic.twitter.com/pNqL2Gaw9X

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 13, 2020

City has been excellent this season, both collectively and as individuals. Weir is someone who has been playing a crucial role at City since her arrival in 2018. The team is known for scoring in abundance, and while as a midfielder, it isn’t Weir’s job to actually score them, she continues to contribute by finding spaces to exploit, creating chances, and racking up assists.

Caroline Weir only missed 3 passes in the whole game (37/40), creating 5 chances - more than anyone else in the game - and scoring the winner for Manchester City. pic.twitter.com/CtqGdoDtHY

— NWSL Analitica (@NwslAnalitica) December 13, 2020

City’s last league match, prior to hosting Arsenal, was away at Everton, which they won 3-0, with Weir assisting every one of their goals. Her fantastic performance in Liverpool is likely what got her the start against Arsenal, and she once again repaid her manager’s trust. Should she continue to start, Manchester City can go into matches with the confidence that they don’t even need their best goalscorers to find the back of the net in order to still score in abundance.

3. The top of the FAWSL table is as competitive as ever

With five points separating first and fourth place in the table, the teams at the top have continued to give fans a thrilling title race. The hope is that it continues right down to the wire, and we see the competitiveness remain until the final match weeks.

???? @ManUtdWomen stay ????

???? @ChelseaFCW keeping up the pressure with a game in hand ????

???? Two wins on the bounce for @SpursWomen pic.twitter.com/yZU8U3Iva3

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 13, 2020

Four teams chasing a title is a treat, and the champions will likely be whoever can come out on top in the head to head matches, since the top four have consistently been able to beat the other eight teams. At this point, it is hard to gauge who that will be, which only makes it all the more exciting.

The NWSL is expanding its footprint across ESPN, with the broadcaster signing on to carry 16 additional regular-season games in both the 2026 and 2027 seasons, upping the platform's total to 33 matches per year.

ESPN will also introduce a season-long "Match of the Week" centerpiece series, as well as live coverage of NWSL Decision Day, when eight concurrent matches will close out the season on the same day. 

"The NWSL showcases some of the best athletes in the world," ESPN EVP of programming and acquisitions Rosalyn Durant said in a press release. "We are proud to increase our commitment on ABC and ESPN, and to further elevate women's sports and the athlete stories."

This media rights extension builds on the league's ongoing blockbuster four-year, $240 million TV deal with ESPN, adding inventory for the final two seasons of the November 2023 agreement.

The deal expansion comes in light of the league's significant growth this season, with the NWSL seeing gains across both attendance and viewership, including a 72% year-over-year ratings rise on ESPN.

"This supplemental agreement underscores the growing demand for women's soccer and ensures our players and clubs receive the visibility they deserve on some of the most prominent sports platforms," said NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman in a statement.

The 2025 WNBA season is over for Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, but the 23-year-old star is still making headlines, with Reebok set to drop her signature Angel Reese 1 sneakers on Thursday.

The Angel Reese 1 is a cornerstone of Reebok's re-entry into the basketball market, with the sportswear giant engineering the signature shoe for on-court performance by including features like responsive cushioning and added upper support.

Inspired by the brand's classic Mobius line, the shoes will hit the shelves in three colorways — an iridescent white "Diamond Dust," a bold pink "Mebounds," and a black and white "Receipts Ready" — with Reese's personal logo incorporated into the design.

Reese first signed with Reebok as an NIL athlete at LSU in 2023, a little over six months after winning the NCAA championship with the Tigers.

This week's rollout follows the July sneak peek of the signature sneakers worn by Reese on the cover of NBA 2K26's WNBA Edition.

"This isn't just a shoe, it's my style, my story, and my stamp on the game," Reese said in Reebok's press release. "I wanted to design a basketball shoe that elevates performance, innovation, style, and creative expression, all at once."

"Reebok and I built something that's true to who I am, and I hope it pushes others to stand in their power too."

How to buy the Angel Reese 1 Reebok sneakers

All three colorways of the Angel Reese 1 sneakers will be available for a retail price of $120 beginning at 10 AM ET on Thursday at Reebok.com as well as in select stores.

No. 5 New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart isn't letting Sunday's left knee knock take her off the 2025 WNBA Playoffs court, with the forward planning to compete in Game 2 against the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday night.

An emotional Stewart finished Game 1 on the bench, going down with a knee injury in overtime of the Liberty's 76-69 upset win over the Mercury on Sunday.

"What I felt in that moment scared me more than anything," Stewart told reporters on Wednesday morning.

A Monday MRI revealed a sprained MCL, and though the two-time WNBA MVP did not practice on Tuesday, she participated in the team's Wednesday shootaround and said her pain had diminished to a three out of 10.

"[As long as] I don't wake up from my nap and feel like s—t," said Stewart, "I'm willing to take that [chance of re-injury] because I want to be out with my team, and they told me that structurally everything looks OK."

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Even when the game-day status for Stewart was still unknown, New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello promised that the defending champions would give their star "as much time as we can."

"We know what's at stake," Brondello told reporters on Tuesday. "We don't want to go back to Phoenix [for Game 3], but they're going to come in hungry."

Stewart echoed that sentiment on Wednesday morning, saying "We want to finish it here. Not having to go back to Phoenix is our main priority."

How to watch the Phoenix Mercury vs. New York Liberty in Game 2

No. 5 New York will look to oust No. 4 Phoenix from the 2025 WNBA Playoffs with a first-round sweep on Wednesday night, when the Liberty host the Mercury for Game 2 at 8 PM ET.

The matchup will air live on ESPN.

Star sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is reaching new heights, setting a new US record for the 400-meter race in the event's Tuesday semifinals at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist finished the flat event in 48.29 seconds, shaving more than 0.40 seconds off the previous US record of 48.70 seconds set by track legend Sanya Richards-Ross in 2006.

Both her personal best and the fastest time in the world for that event this year, McLaughlin-Levrone's performance also makes her the seventh-fastest woman of all time in the 400-meter dash — elevating expectations that she could challenge the long-standing world record of 47.60 seconds, set by then-East German sprinter Marita Koch in 1985.

Known for her dominance in the 400-meter hurdles, the 26-year-old made the decision to focus on the flat 400-meter event ahead of this year's competition. 

"I definitely wasn't expecting that time," she said afterwards. "It just shows the fitness is there. I'm excited for the finals and grateful to have taken down a record by an amazing woman."

How to watch McLaughlin-Levrone in the 400-meter final

McLaughlin-Levrone will take aim at the 2025 World Athletics Championships' 400-meter podium — and, perhaps, another record time — during the event's final on Thursday.

The US star will race against 2024 Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino and silver medalist Salwa Eid Naser when the final begins at 9:24 AM ET.

Live coverage will air on USA Network.