SPORTS DIGEST: 3-9 FEBRUARY 2026
TOP STORIES: Fulham Women stayed unbeaten and climbed to the top of their division with a dramatic last-minute winner against promotion rivals Norwich after a 25-minute suspension when captain Jade Bradley suffered a serious injury.
England demolished Wales 48-7 to launch their Six Nations campaign with Henry Arundell’s hat-trick at Twickenham. Chelsea extended their winning run under Liam Rosenior with Cole Palmer’s treble at Wolves, while AFC Wimbledon’s Marcus Browne matched the feat against Reading. Fulham fell to a late Everton comeback at Craven Cottage.
FOOTBALL
Fulham Women fight back for JB to claim top spot in promotion thriller
Fulham Women – FA Women’s National League Division One South-East Norwich City 2-3 Fulham Women (The Nest) – Saturday, 8 February
Fulham Women remained unbeaten and leapfrogged Norwich to the top of Division One South-East with a dramatic victory that saw them overcome both a deficit and a harrowing injury to captain Jade Bradley. Playing in front of a Nest record crowd of 1,000, the match was suspended for over 25 minutes in the closing stages when Bradley suffered a serious leg injury that required medical attention and an ambulance.
Norwich took the lead through Freya Symonds’ composed finish in the 20th minute, but Fulham equalized through Becky Stormer’s header from a set piece on the half hour. The visitors went ahead after the break with a stunning moment of quality from Ellie Olds, whose left-footed half-volley from distance found the bottom corner. Norwich fought back to level through substitute Issy Harrison, setting up a tense finale.
Then came the incident that stopped the match. Bradley’s injury left both teams facing an agonising wait, with the Fulham squad huddling together to process what had happened. When play finally resumed deep into stoppage time, Hannah Mackenzie rose to meet a corner and powered home a header in the 96th minute, sparking wild celebrations from a Fulham side galvanised by their captain’s spirit.
“It felt like we did it for JB,” said manager Steve Jaye afterward, his voice thick with emotion as he described the rollercoaster of feelings his team experienced. The victory sees Fulham claim top spot in the division with just one automatic promotion place available, three points clear of Norwich with a game in hand. Bradley was taken to hospital and early reports suggested she was receiving proper medical care.
FA Women’s National League Division One South-East
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | W | D | L | GD | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Fulham | 14 | 38 | 12 | 2 | 0 | +32 | WWWWW |
| 2 | Norwich City | 15 | 37 | 12 | 1 | 2 | +30 | WWWWL |
| 3 | London Bees | 15 | 29 | 9 | 2 | 4 | +18 | WWWWW |
One automatic promotion place available. Fulham have game in hand over Norwich and London Bees.
Palmer hat-trick fires Chelsea to fourth straight win under Rosenior
Chelsea FC – Premier League Wolves 1-3 Chelsea (Molineux) – Saturday, 7 February
Cole Palmer struck his fourth Premier League hat-trick for Chelsea to become the club’s all-time record holder in the competition era, surpassing Blues legends Frank Lampard, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Didier Drogba. The England forward converted two first-half penalties before finishing off a flowing Chelsea move for his third, extending Chelsea’s perfect start under Liam Rosenior to four wins from four.
Wolves gifted Chelsea two ridiculous spot kicks, with João Pedro tripped by Emmanuel Agbadou before Yerson Mosquera shoved the Brazilian in the back. Palmer dispatched both with clinical precision, finding the bottom corner each time. His third came from open play as Enzo Fernández picked up possession on the left and fed Marc Cucurella, whose pull-back was slammed into the roof of the net by Palmer.
Tolu Arokodare pulled one back for Wolves early in the second half, stabbing in from a corner for their first league goal since 7 January, but Chelsea cruised to victory. The win moved the Blues up to fifth in the Premier League, maintaining their pursuit of Champions League qualification under Rosenior’s impressive start to his tenure.
Late Everton fightback sinks Fulham at the Cottage
Fulham FC – Premier League Fulham 1-2 Everton (Craven Cottage) – Saturday, 7 February
Fulham squandered a lead and numerous first-half chances as Everton produced a remarkable late turnaround to climb to eighth in the Premier League. Vitalii Mykolenko’s 18th-minute own goal gave Marco Silva’s side the advantage, but Kiernan Dewsbury levelled with 15 minutes remaining before Bernd Leno punched a corner into his own net under pressure from Jake O’Brien to gift Everton all three points.
Fulham had dominated the first half but failed to capitalize on their superiority. Emile Smith Rowe struck the crossbar with a brilliant curled effort, while Raúl Jiménez dragged wide when well-placed and Harry Wilson uncharacteristically snatched at a clear opportunity. David Moyes watched from the stands due to a touchline ban as his side secured their fourth consecutive away match unbeaten.
The defeat left Fulham on 34 points from 25 matches, sitting tenth in the table and reflecting on what might have been had they converted their chances. Thomas Tuchel, the England manager, was among the 27,155 in attendance at Craven Cottage.
Premier League
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | W | D | L | GD | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 25 | 56 | 17 | 5 | 3 | +32 | DWWWW |
| 2 | Man City | 25 | 50 | 15 | 5 | 5 | +27 | DWWDW |
| 3 | Aston Villa | 25 | 47 | 14 | 5 | 6 | +9 | DWWDD |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 5 |  Chelsea | 25 | 43 | 12 | 7 | 6 | +17 | LWWWW |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 10 | Fulham | 25 | 34 | 10 | 4 | 11 | -2 | WWDWL |
Chelsea up to 5th with fourth consecutive win under Liam Rosenior. Fulham 10th after late loss to Everton.
Browne treble rescues Dons after Monday grind
AFC Wimbledon – League One AFC Wimbledon 3-2 Reading (Cherry Red Records Stadium) – Saturday, 7 February
Marcus Browne’s hat-trick dragged AFC Wimbledon back from the brink to complete a double over Reading inside four days. The forward struck in the eighth, 53rd and 71st minutes to seal victory after the Dons had ground out a 1-0 win at Port Vale on Monday in a match rescheduled from an earlier waterlogged postponement.
Reading twice fought back to level through Jack Marriott and Jeriel Dorsett, but Browne’s persistence proved decisive in front of 8,574 at the Cherry Red Records Stadium. The victory lifted Wimbledon to 38 points from 29 matches, keeping them in mid-table as they chase a playoff push under Johnnie Jackson.
The Monday trip to Vale had seen Wimbledon claim all three points in a tight encounter, giving them momentum heading into the weekend. The double over Reading represented a crucial six points in League One’s congested mid-table battle.
League One
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | W | D | L | GD | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiff City | 30 | 63 | 19 | 6 | 5 | +26 | WDWDW |
| 2 | Lincoln City | 30 | 61 | 18 | 7 | 5 | +22 | DWWWW |
| 3 | Bolton | 31 | 55 | 15 | 10 | 6 | +12 | DWWWW |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 14 |  AFC Wimbledon | 29 | 38 | 11 | 5 | 13 | -6 | LWWDW |
AFC Wimbledon moved to 38 points with two wins in four days, sitting mid-table in 14th.
RUGBY UNION
Arundell announces himself as England launch Six Nations with statement
England Rugby – Guinness Six Nations England 48-7 Wales (Allianz Stadium, Twickenham) – Saturday, 7 February
Henry Arundell plundered a hat-trick on his first England start since the 2023 World Cup as Steve Borthwick’s side overwhelmed Wales to launch their Six Nations campaign in emphatic fashion. The left winger scored three first-half tries in a seven-try demolition that extended England’s winning streak to 12 consecutive Test victories.
Wales collapsed under relentless English pressure, reduced to 13 men in the first period after both front rowers Nicky Smith and captain Dewi Lake were sent to the sin bin in quick succession. Down two men, the Welsh dam burst as Arundell crossed twice and Ben Earl powered over for England’s third try, with George Ford orchestrating proceedings with the calm of a grandmaster.
Arundell completed his hat-trick before the break, with Tom Roebuck adding a fourth shortly after half-time following a slick assist from Fraser Dingwall. Wales found brief solace when Dan Edwards’ sumptuous cross-field kick found Josh Adams for their only score, but England responded with a penalty try after Taine Plumtree’s high tackle on Henry Pollock, before Tommy Freeman finished late on.
The bonus-point victory was England’s 12th successive Test win and served as a statement of intent ahead of next weekend’s Calcutta Cup trip to a wounded Scotland. For Wales under Steve Tandy, this represented another sobering reality check, with the magnitude of the task of reviving Welsh rugby laid bare at Twickenham.
Six Nations Championship
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | W | D | L | PD | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  England | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +41 | 1 |
| 2 | France | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +22 | 1 |
| 3 | Italy | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +3 | 0 |
| 4 | Scotland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -3 | 1 |
| 5 | Ireland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -22 | 0 |
| 6 | Wales | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -41 | 0 |
England and France lead after opening round with bonus-point wins. PD = Points Difference, B = Bonus Points.
STORY OF THE WEEK
Jade Bradley’s teammates playing “for JB.” In a week that saw hat-tricks and demolitions, the most powerful moment came in the 96th minute at The Nest when Hannah Mackenzie rose to head home a winner for Fulham Women. The header was spectacular, but the context was extraordinary. Just minutes earlier, the match had been suspended for over 25 minutes as Bradley, Fulham’s captain, received treatment for a serious leg injury that required an ambulance.
When the players returned to the pitch, they faced a choice: crumble under the emotional weight or channel it into something meaningful. They chose the latter. “It felt like we did it for JB,” manager Steve Jaye said afterward, describing a team that had experienced every emotion imaginable in 90-plus minutes. They’d gone behind, fought back to lead, conceded again, then watched helplessly as their captain was stretchered off. And then, in the dying seconds, they found a way to win.
The victory sends Fulham to the top of Division One South-East, three points clear with a game in hand, chasing the single automatic promotion spot that would take them one step closer to the WSL. But the numbers matter less than the manner. This was a team that refused to be broken, that turned trauma into triumph. Bradley was reported to be receiving proper medical care at hospital. Her teammates had given her a victory to be proud of.
