Under the heat of the weekend's British sun, the Women's Super League provided yet another round of exciting results. With just a handful of fixtures left in the 2020/21 season, there's still everything to play for at both the top and bottom of the table.
Golden Boot race heats up
The fight to finish as the league's top scorer is going to go right down to the wire. Vivianne Miedema and Sam Kerr have been locked in a fierce battle for months now, and there's still no telling who will scoop the award at the end of the campaign.
Thanks to a stunning first half hat-trick from Kerr against Birmingham, the Aussie briefly overtook the holding champion. Her masterclass performance on Sunday sees her boast 17 goals in 19 appearances for Chelsea, but Miedema has now clocked the same amount as the Matildas superstar.
After the Blues hit six past a helpless Birmingham, Miedema responded immediately to her Golden Boot rival. Her double against Bristol City showed fans and professionals alike that she is not willing to give up this fight easily.
Another round awaits and plenty more curveballs could be thrown into the mix. Arsenal will host Brighton & Hove Albion next in the WSL, whilst Chelsea prepare to take on title challengers Manchester City on the road.
West Ham cling on in relegation scrap
In Saturday's only fixture, relegation candidates West Ham visited Reading at the Madejski Stadium and made it an outing to remember.
In a completely unexpected scenario, the Irons rode out 5-0 winners over the Royals and made a firm statement in their battle against the drop zone. Martha Thomas was the star of the show thanks to her hat-trick, with Kenza Dali and Katerina Svitkova popping up with the other two goals.
This result puts them in 10th place in the table, with their two games in hand over Bristol City still yet to play. Just three points separates bottom of the table Aston Villa and 10th place Birmingham, meaning nobody is safe until the final game of the season decides who will be demoted into the Championship.
Arsenal into European territory as Man United falter
It was a day on the road to forget for Manchester United, who weren't able to grab themselves a result against Brighton & Hove Albion. Thanks to an early penalty from Inessa Kaagman, the Seagulls pulled off a huge result against Casey Stoney's Red Devils.
Due to their loss on the south coast and Arsenal's 4-0 win over Bristol, the Gunners have muscled their European rivals out of the top three.
The two sides are currently level on points, but Arsenal have a crucial game in hand over United. If Joe Montemurro can keep his side in positive form, he will see out his final season at Meadow Park with Champions League qualification.
Man City keep the pressure on Chelsea
Manchester City bagged an important three points on the road as they continue to push Chelsea all the way in this season's title race. Gareth Taylor's side hit three past Tottenham Hotspur at The Hive as they look to close in on the mere two-point margin between them and the reigning champions.
The opener was chalked down as a Becky Spencer own goal after a flurry of action in the box. But City weren't far from capitalising on Spurs' nervousness. Janine Beckie and Caroline Weir sealed the win for the Citizens, keeping them in the running for this campaign's title.
Their win over the North London outfit secures their 12th consecutive WSL win. Ellen White captained the side in the absence of an injured Steph Houghton and helped guide her team to a much-needed victory after they were ejected from the Champions League earlier in the week.
Blues on track for another league title
Although they have Man City breathing down their neck, Chelsea are on track to securing their second consecutive WSL title. The Blues have scored an astonishing 18 goals in their last five league appearances and they have also secured their spot in the Champions League semi-finals.
Emma Hayes is running a well-oiled machine this season as she locks her sights firmly on more silverware. Chelsea have already won the Community Shield and the Continental Cup this campaign and will want to retain their crown in the WSL.
With their latest performance coming as a 6-0 win over Birmingham, the Blues are showing no signs of slowing down in their 2020/21 title run. With Kerr and Fran Kirby continuing to put in power shifts as well, everything points to another league win for the West Londoners.