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The Blues and Manchester United both maintained their unbeaten starts to the Women’s Super League campaign, but the title holders' perfect victorious streak was stopped by an entertaining encounter between the leading teams.

The result prolonged Manchester United's frustratingly lengthy wait for a first Women's Super League win over Chelsea but they can take significant encouragement from their display, on a evening when both teams generated numerous opportunities to win and the home side showed they could very well have the attributes to launch a serious championship bid.

High-Intensity Start Sees Quick Scores

For a game contested between the sides with the top two defensive records in the WSL last term, and which had conceded the least goals so far this campaign before the start, the match started in a surprisingly open fashion as both attacked from the outset.

The contest opened at such a rapid pace that it might well have been 2-2 inside the opening moments, with Hannah Hampton saving with her feet from Elisabeth Terland, Catarina Macario's shot being blocked by Le Tissier, Park firing narrowly over the bar and then Aggie Beever‑Jones doing the same when she certainly seemed likely to find the net.

The visitors then provide the goal the initial burst of offensive moves had promised, as Wieke Kaptein connected with Macario's clever flicked ball and slotted in a precise, deadly shot into the bottom into the side of the net, as the home team let in a WSL goal for only the second time this term.

Sandberg's Stunning Equaliser

Manchester United had been defeated in 10 of their previous 11 Women's Super League fixtures with the Blues, but this confident version of Marc Skinner's team were unwilling to surrender.

Driven by the dribbling of Park, who seemed intent to skip her way past as numerous defenders as she could and was the engine of her team's attacking play, they persisted to create opportunities and they were soon level when Anna Sandberg netted her maiden goal for the club.

Sandberg could hardly have struck her shot any sweeter, angling her boot perfectly over the ball to arrow a half-volley forcefully beyond the keeper from just outside the box.

Respectful Occasion During Storm

This fixture was played amid inclement weather, which brought swirling rain and strong bursts of wind, and commenced with a moment of silence after the tragic incident on a place of worship in the city on the previous day, with the hosts also wearing black armbands as a sign of respect.

Additionally, the two sides united in a circle before the game to oppose racism at the beginning of this important period, in a week when the Peterborough United player Kira Rai experienced racist abuse.

England national team and Tottenham Hotspur attacker Jessica Naz was the target of abuse on the internet over a week previously.

Improved United Push Chelsea

This was the stadium where Chelsea clinched last season’s title, with a 1-0 win in a game that had been quite balanced.

However, this looks like a much-improved Manchester United team from that time, however, and they persisted to threaten in the latter period, with Fridolina Rolfö's deflected effort floating on to the top of the crossbar before Jess Park's curling attempt flew just over.

Malard, introduced from the bench, pulled a ground-level effort wide with 21 minutes remaining.

Closing Drama Results in Share of Spoils

Skinner had said on Wednesday that he wanted his side to be brave and “demonstrate to Chelsea that you can beat them”, and they certainly appeared to respond to his rallying cry as they kept to play with energy and attacking intent, while the visitors stayed dangerous at the opposite side too, with Aggie Beever-Jones going close.

So great was the extent of the test the champions were being faced with, there was even a rare moment of annoyance from Sonia Bompastor, with the Chelsea manager given a yellow card in the later stages after she complained about a set-piece call awarded to her side.

Chelsea’s Sjoeke Nüsken curled an shot just off target of a post as the visitors started to search for a last-gasp decisive goal, and Thompson was nearly able to sprint forward on to a unclaimed pass inside the box but she was challenged by the alert United shot-stopper Tullis-Joyce, who also dived down to her left to keep out a Walsh shot shortly later.

Guro Reiten had a attempt blocked in stoppage time, as increasing visiting attacks grew, but in the end a draw was a fairly fair result and sets the weekend’s action up perfectly before the other two title contenders, City and the Gunners, face off on Saturday.

These teams will be eager to take advantage on Chelsea and Manchester United sharing a point, with City able to move to just one point of the leaders if they win.