The Assist: UWCL Knockouts, new Spurs signings, WSL, and more

This month’s edition sees us concentrating on both sides of the North London divide, with Arsenal busy preparing for the Champions League playoffs as they look to defend their European crown, and Girls on the Ball visit Spurs and sit down for an exclusive interview with two of their new stars.

With Barcelona, Lyon, Chelsea, and Bayern already guaranteed their place in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, this week sees the start of the ties that will decide the four teams who will go through to face the top seeds in the last eight.

Under this season’s new format, similar to that we’ve seen in the men’s Champions League, this means we have a knockout play-off round that takes place over two legs. Arsenal are perhaps the biggest name involved and they travel to underdog Belgian side OH Leven tonight. They may be defending champions and they may be the newly crowned FIFA Champions Cup winners, but Arsenal are having to do it the hard way after their fifth placed finish in the league phase.

Elsewhere, Real Madrid travel to Paris FC, with the prize on offer being a potential date with Barcelona in the quarters. Two-time winners Wolfsburg host Juventus, and Manchester United continue their dream debut season in Europe’s top club competition proper by going to Atlético Madrid for the first leg of their tie.

United also faced Atlético in the group stage, when a single Fridolina Rölfo goal was enough to give them their first ever away win in Europe.

Follow tonight and tomorrow’s games, plus next week’s return legs, by checking out the Champions League page in the app - here.

"I am getting goosebumps when I'm walking out [on to the pitch," Cathinka Tandberg says after heading through the tunnel of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time. "It's like a dream come true. It's an unbelievable stadium." 

Sitting down with the young Norwegian forward ahead of last Sunday's league encounter with Chelsea, the newfound excitement and energy that has encompassed the club this season is palpable. For of the many stories that have already emerged across the Barclays WSL over the last few months, the transformation that has been happening at Spurs is one of the most notable.

After a woeful 2024/2025 campaign that saw them finish 11th and possess the joint-second leakiest defence (44 goals), it was clear that a change of direction was needed both on and off the pitch if they were to realise their ambitions. Robert Vilahamn was sacked in June and Martin Ho, a highly-rated young manager, arrived a month later just ahead of pre-season. After three years in an assistant role at Manchester United, he had spent the last two seasons managing SK Brann in the Toppserien (Norway’s first division) where he led the Bergen-based outfit to the Champions League quarterfinals. In addition, the arrival of Vinai Venkatesham as the club's Chief Executive in April 2025 was another sign of positive change. He spent 14 years as CEO of Arsenal and was widely lauded for his consistent support for and impact on the women's team.

Tandberg was his second of two signings in the summer transfer window as he settled into his new surroundings. For the 21-year-old, a life-long Tottenham Hotspur fan, the decision was simple. 

"It's been really easy to settle in here," she says. I'm enjoying every day, every training. I'm living my childhood dream. I love being here and playing in front of these fans. I just feel I haven't even started yet so I'm looking forward to the future."

"Since I was young, I've gone to White Hart Lane with my Dad. One of my favourite players played here, so when Spurs came, there was no doubt... My Dad is buzzing. He was like, "You can't choose something else. You have to choose Spurs."

She wasted little time in announcing herself to the Tottenham supporters, scoring an audacious 40-yard effort against Everton in the second game of the season to open her account, a goal that she calls "a little teaser" of what is to come. 

Tandberg isn’t the only Scandinavian to come to England. In the recent transfer window, the Damallsvenskan became one of the most fruitful sources of new players for the WSL and is held in high regard by managers across the league. Of Ho's four permanent signings in January, three arrived from Sweden's top league and the other - Norway's rising star Signe Gaupset - from his former club in the Toppserien. 

Hanna Wijk was amongst them, arriving from BK Häcken where she had spent the last six seasons. 

"Häcken has been a big part of my development and that's why I'm here today," the 22-year-old full-back says of her former club. "I'm really happy for everything Häcken has done for me. I think the Swedish league is a really good place for players to grow and develop and then move abroad."

Tandberg echoes this thought, viewing the Damallsvenskan as an important stepping stone to prepare her to compete at the top of the sport. 

"For me, it was perfect to go to the Swedish league to get confidence and goals," she says. It's been very important to take the right steps and not to jump from a small step to a big step. At the age I am, I need to play and that has been the most important thing for me."

The pull of the Barclays WSL and the challenges it brings against some of the world's best players was a factor in both their decisions to move to England. 

"The games are very competitive and also the league is so tough," Wijk remarks. "You have to give 100% every game. You have to be at your best every week. As a footballer, that is what you want."

The aforementioned win for Chelsea, combined with Manchester City’s 1-0 defeat at Arsenal, gave the six-time reigning champions some hope of closing the big gap to the leaders.

Arsenal became the first side to stop City’s formidable attack from scoring all season, with the league’s most potent frontline reduced to just one shot on target. Andrée Jeglertz’s side do have a great opportunity to get back to winning ways this weekend, though, with City hosting bottom side Leicester City in Round 16.

Another fixture to look out is Manchester United’s clash with London City on Sunday. The Lionesses have only lost one of their last six away games, in all competitions, and while they continue to struggle at home, they are building momentum on their travels. United, of course, may face a selection dilemma, with this game falling in between the legs of their Champions League playoff.

For their part, Chelsea entertain Liverpool, while Arsenal travel to Brighton looking to continue a run that has seen them go undefeated and keep three consecutive clean sheets against the sides that currently make up the rest of the top four.

Barcelona’s expected dominance continues unabated in Spain. Since November’s shock defeat to Real Sociedad, Barca have won all 10 league games played in the Liga F, conceding just three goals along the way.

There have been dominant wins in the domestic cups as well, with Real Madrid defeated in Supercopa and Copa de la Reina quarterfinal Clásicos within the space of 14 days.

Strikers Ewa Pajor and Claudia Pina are having their own battle for the golden boot, with Pajor currently leading by 15 goals to 14 in league play.

Next up, is a home tie against Eibar, a side that Barcelona have never dropped points against. The aggregate score over their last five meetings stands at 25-1 in their favour.

Saturday, 5.30pm GMT, 12.30pm EST

With the sheer number of competitions now in full swing, we thought it best to remind you how to personalise your FotMob match feed.

Make sure all the leagues and cups that you care about are showing at the top of your feed each and every time you open the app.

This can all be done via the Edit and Follow functions found in the Leagues tab of the app. But to save confusion, we’ve written this handy step-by-step guide - HERE.

Here are some key dates for you to look out for.

18 Feb: The second legs of the Champions League knockout phase playoffs start next Wednesday.

22 Feb: The Round of 16 takes place in England’s FA Cup.

22 Feb: The top two meet in the Frauen Bundesliga as leaders Bayern host rivals Wolfsburg.

01 Mar onwards: The qualification process for the 2027 World Cup gets underway across all federations!

02 Mar: The USWNT host the latest SheBelieves Cup invitational tournament, featuring Argentina, Canada, and Japan as this year’s guest nations.

14 Mar: The new NWSL season kicks off in the US and reigning champions Gotham FC start their title defence at new expansion side Boston Legacy.

15 Mar: Manchester United and Chelsea meet in the League Cup final.

Bonus Tip: Click on any of the match dates above, then tap the star in the top right of the match page to automatically add them to the top of your main match feed in the app.