Are Arsenal’s title chances over already?

It seems a touch early to definitely say whether or not Arsenal’s title chances are over already, but their start has left a lot to be desired.

Four games in, they have scored only twice and one of those goals – in the 1-1 draw with Man Utd last weekend – wasn’t scored until the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time.

And now their unbeaten run in the WSL, which started all the way back on October 12 last year, has been ended by Chelsea.

It leaves the Gunners seven points adrift of leaders Man City already.

Head coach Renee Slegers was asked about that topic after full-time at Stamford Bridge and she said she wanted to “take the pressure off” of her players.

“I believe in these players. The goals will come and the points will come as well,” she said.

“We have to earn the right again to talk about this [the title race] because we’ve lost too many points.”

With a trip to City up next on October 4, the week ahead feels like a crucial one in the north Londoners’ season.
Dan Long

Medina the keystone as Man Utd’s collect first win

Sky Sports‘ Laura Hunter highlighted Andrea Medina in the lead-up to this game, posing the question as to whether the Spaniard could be Man Utd’s trump card.

Based on her performance on Sunday, the answer is a resounding yes.

Medina was the standout player by some distance at Leigh Sports Village: she created the most chances (4), took the most touches in the opposition box (11), hit the crossbar and scored United’s crucial second goal.

Speaking on Sky Sports+, commentator Gary Taphouse called it “a virtuoso display”. It came as no surprise when she was named Player of the Match.

As Eva Olid’s side look to build momentum after starting with two defeats and a draw, the former Spain U23 international could be the keystone.
Dan Long

Taylor stamps out the Anfield curse

Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Merseyside rivals Everton was the perfect remedy for the club’s curse at Anfield.

Heading into this game, the Reds had lost eight of their last nine outings in the stadium. Five of those had come against the Toffees.

It was an assured and confident performance throughout. After Beata Olsson’s early opener, which settled the nerves, it was just a matter of when, not if, the second arrived.

Cornelia Kapocs delivered and secured all three points. Liverpool move ahead of Everton in the process of their solid start to the campaign continuing.

The fixture list is a relentless one, however, with a trip to Birmingham in the Women’s League Cup fast approaching before an away clash against another foe in Manchester United.

Getting over the hump that is their form at Anfield will be a welcome boost in tackling those challenges. Liverpool can now move forward with confidence.
Patrick Rowe

Are Spurs in the title race?

A confident and strong 4-0 win for Tottenham against Aston Villa now opens up the conversation about a potential title race for the club.

No team has scored more than Spurs. Fifteen goals in their opening four games with just two goals conceded.

They are two points off Manchester City at the top but their upcoming run of fixtures will confirm whether they can assume the role of outside contenders for top spot.

London City Lionesses, Chelsea and Arsenal are their next three opponents in the WSL. Emerge from that October fixture list unscathed and serious conversations may need to be had about their chances…

Sky Sports’ Laura Hunter said that people may need to start paying attention to Spurs in the build-up to this game. The game against Villa was another warning.
Patrick Rowe

Birmingham’s bright display gives hope of earning first WSL win

Birmingham may still be waiting for their first WSL win of the season, but this was a display that shows it will not be far around the corner.

The Blues are playing in the top flight for the first time in four years but have started the season winless from their first four games.

Birmingham led twice against Palace on Sunday, yet somehow needed a late equaliser to rescue a 3-3 draw.

However, it was Birmingham who nearly nicked a winner as Chancelle Effa Effa had a stoppage-time chance to dramatically snatch victory.

That shot was one of 19 for the home side, who had more attempts, shots on target and touches in the opposition box than Palace.

But at the other end, they allowed 17 shots as two mistakes cost them two goals against Palace, as a goalkeeper howler let in the visitors’ first while a slip gave Palace their third.

If Amy Merrick’s side can tighten up at the back and continue to produce positive attacking displays like the one against Palace, then surely they can earn their first WSL win soon.
Declan Olley

Matt Fitzpatrick closed out a fourth worldwide win of the season with an impressive three-shot victory at the FedEx Open de France at Le Golf National.

The world No 4 took a five-shot advantage into the final day and never relinquished control, mixing two birdies and one bogey in a final-round 70 that saw him register an 11th DP World Tour title.

Fitzpatrick ended the week on 20 under and comfortably ahead of closest challenger Angel Hidalgo, who birdied three of his last five holes to card a final-round 67, while Eugenio Chacarra was among the group five back in a share of third.

Chacarra closed the gap on Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy at the top of the Race to Dubai rankings with his latest strong showing, with Tom Vaillant, Matthieu Pavon and Ryder Cup hopeful Kristoffer Reitan the others on 15 under.

Fitzpatrick had already won the Valspar Championship, RBC Hertiage and Zurich Classic of New Orleans on the PGA Tour this year, while his latest DP World Tour success is his first since the DP World Tour Championship in November.

How Fitzpatrick completed Open de France victory

The Englishman’s sizeable overnight lead was quickly reduced when Chacarra, playing in the group ahead, followed three birdies in his first four holes by adding another from 12 feet at the par-four sixth.

Chacarra cancelled out a three-putt bogey from long range at the eighth by taking advantage of the par-five next, lifting him back within two of Fitzpatrick after the former US Open champion made par on every hole on his front nine.

Reitan also got within three of Fitzpatrick after racing to the turn in 33 and birdieing the par-five 14th, only for the Norwegian’s hopes to unravel with bogeys on two of his next three holes.

Chacarra’s title challenge was derailed when he was forced to take a drop after an errant tee shot at the 13th, then found water with his third shot, leaving the Spaniard having to get up and down from the drop zone to scramble a double bogey.

Fitzpatrick then regained full control of the tournament when he fired his approach at the 13th to kick-in range and rolled in from 20 feet at the 15th, with those birdies lifting him to 21 under and five clear.

Stress-free pars over the next two holes kept Fitzpatrick in control heading to the par-four last, where he failed to get up and down from just off the green but tapped in to close out victory with a bogey.

“Obviously delighted to get over the line,” Fitzpatrick said. “It was definitely a battle today. Didn’t have my best stuff for the first 12 holes and then managed to find some of my best stuff.

“Golf is a game of multiple skills and I used them all in the end this week. Just coming down the stretch there, to get the shots I did and make the putts I did was special.”

Hidalgo’s runner-up finish qualified him for The Open at St Andrews next summer via The Open Qualifying Series, with Fitzpatrick already exempt, as Vaillant jumped into tied-third after holing a 20-foot birdie on the final hole.

First-round leader Michael Kim shared seventh place with Guido Migliozzi and Brandon Stone, while Ludvig Åberg moved into tied-11th after a five-under 66 on the final day.

What’s next?

The DP World Tour heads to Scotland for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, played across Carnoustie, Kingsbarns Golf Links and the Old Course at St Andrews, where Robert MacIntyre is defending champion.

Live coverage begins Thursday from midday on Sky Sports Golf. Get latest Sky Sports deals or stream with no contract on NOW.

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Tom Banton posted an imperious 126 off just 105 balls to guide England to a dominant 223-run win in the third ODI against Sri Lanka to secure a 2-1 series victory at the Oval.

Banton top scored with his career-best but was aided by sizeable contributions by skipper Harry Brook (77 off 66) and the in-form Jordan Cox (76 off 52) as the batting side set the tourists a mammoth target of 356 after their 50 overs, with Dilhara Fernando (3-52) the pick of the bowlers – albeit with two of his wickets coming with the final two balls of the innings.

That target loomed even larger over Sri Lanka’s innings when Sonny Baker nicked off Pathum Nissanka (1) for his maiden ODI wicket with just the eighth ball of their innings.

From there the wickets started to tumble for Sri Lanka who – despite the best efforts of captain Kusal Mendis (35 off 26) – went from 36-1 to 82-6 in just 10 overs, including the confusing run-out dismissal of Pavan Rathnayake (18), which was still given as out despite Jordan Cox taking the bails off before Archer’s direct-hit throw dismantled the stumps.

The impressive bowling of Liam Dawson (3-17) and Gus Atkinson (2-26) then ensured Sri Lanka’s tail went out with a 50-run whimper, handing England the series victory and marking a successful end of the home summer for Brendon McCullum’s side after 12 wins in 14 white-ball games.

Banton brilliance headlines complete England performance

Despite England’s eventual victory, it took just eight balls for Sri Lanka to take their first wicket as Ben Duckett (0) was clean bowled by Dilshan Madushanka (1-49), before Joe Root was dismissed by Janith Liyanage in an uncharacteristically stiff cameo that saw him notch just 18 off 37 balls.

It was then the partnership of Brook and player-of-the-match Banton that made the difference for England, putting on 150 runs in a lucrative partnership that was eventually ended when the former was caught on the boundary by Dunith Wellalage.

Banton’s majestic innings – featuring 21 boundaries and including five sixes – came to a conclusion when his effort to hit a sixth maximum was caught by Malinga at long-on.

But England were not done there – alongside Will Jacks (25 off 21), Cox spearheaded a late flurry of runs, notching his half-century off 42 balls before Fernando took his and Dawson’s wickets with the final two balls of the 49th over, leaving England in the ascendancy after posting a formidable score of 355-7.

Sri Lanka were immediately left reeling after Baker’s early wicket and found it difficult to recover, with no batter scoring above 20 bar their captain Mendis, with their woes being immediately compounded by the controversial run out of Pavan Rathnayake.

Cox appeared to have made a mishap after taking the bails off the stumps before he was in control of the ball, but – after a near five-minute period of discussion involving both umpires and players – Archer’s direct-hit throw uprooting the stump was ruled legitimate.

His dismissal was followed by that of Charith Asalanka and Wellalage within the next eight balls, leaving Sri Lanka on the brink of defeat at 82-6 with no recognised batters left, before the excellent work of Dawson – taking three of the last four Sri Lanka wickets – ensured England’s dominant victory was confirmed with 21.5 overs to spare.

Brook: That was a near-perfect performance

England captain Harry Brook, speaking to Sky Sports:

“I thought that was a near-perfect performance there – I thought everyone chipped in and it was an exceptional win.

“There was some tough periods, but I thought the patience we showed, it was exceptional.

“We want to be able to adapt to conditions every game. Every surface has been slightly different. That is the side we want to be – we want to win when they are not in our favour and when they are, we want to nail sides.

“We are building towards a squad where someone can come into roles and fill it exceptionally well. We are building to a strong squad and I have full trust in anyone who comes in.”

Mendis: We made too many mistakes

Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis:

“We struggled with the batting and then we made some mistakes in the field, including me.

“I think we played good cricket in the second ODI and when go to Pakistan after this, we need to be better.

“We made too many mistakes.”

England vs Sri Lanka results and fixtures

All times UK and Ireland; all games live on Sky Sports