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Chelsea and United each kept their unbeaten starts to the Women’s Super League campaign, although the title holders' 100% winning record was halted by an exciting contest between the leading teams.

This outcome prolonged Manchester United's agonisingly long wait for a first WSL victory over Chelsea but they will have taken significant encouragement from their display, on a night when each side created plenty of opportunities to claim victory and the hosts demonstrated they may well have the qualities to mount a genuine title challenge.

High-Intensity Start Features Early Goals

For a match contested between the sides with the two best defence records in the Women's Super League previous season, and which had allowed the least scores so far this season before the start, the game started in a unexpectedly open fashion as each attacked from the outset.

The match opened at such a fast pace that it might well have been 2-2 inside the first six minutes, with Hannah Hampton stopping with her legs from Elisabeth Terland, Catarina Macario's effort being deflected by Maya Le Tissier, Park firing just over the bar and then Aggie Beever‑Jones following suit when she certainly seemed certain to find the net.

Chelsea did then score the opener the initial flurry of attacks had promised, as Kaptein connected with Macario's smart flicked ball and placed a neat, clinical finish low into the side of the net, as the hosts conceded a league score for only the second time this season.

Sandberg's Stunning Leveler

Manchester United had been defeated in 10 of their prior 11 Women's Super League meetings with Chelsea, but this assured iteration of Skinner's side were not prepared to roll over.

Driven by the skillful runs of Park, who appeared determined to dance her way past as numerous defenders as she could and was the driving force of her team's adventurous style, they continued to create chances and they were soon back on terms when Sandberg netted her maiden strike for the club.

She could not have caught her strike any better, positioning her boot expertly over the ball to arrow a half-volley powerfully beyond the keeper from just outside the box.

Solemn Occasion During Bad Weather

The game was played during inclement weather, which brought driving precipitation and gusts of wind, and started with a moment of silence following the tragic incident on a synagogue in the city on the previous day, with the home side also sporting armbands as a sign of respect.

Furthermore, the two sides joined together in a circle pre-match to oppose racial discrimination at the start of Black History Month, in a time when the Peterborough footballer Rai experienced racist abuse.

England national team and Tottenham forward Naz was the victim of racism on the internet nine days earlier.

Improved Manchester United Push the Champions

The match took place at the stadium where Chelsea clinched last season’s championship, with a one-nil victory in a fixture that had been quite balanced.

However, this looks like a much-improved Manchester United squad from that time, however, and they persisted to threaten in the second half, with Fridolina Rolfö's redirected shot looping on to the top of the bar before Park's swerving effort flew narrowly over.

Malard, introduced from the bench, pulled a low effort wide with 21 minutes left to play.

Late Action Results in Division of Points

Marc Skinner had said on midweek that he desired his side to be brave and “show the opposition that you can defeat them”, and they certainly seemed to respond to his rallying cry as they kept to perform with intensity and offensive intent, while Chelsea stayed dangerous at the opposite side too, with Beever-Jones going near.

So great was the level of the test Chelsea were being presented with, there was even a uncommon moment of annoyance from Bompastor, with the visiting manager given a yellow card in the second half after she complained about a free-kick call awarded to her team.

Chelsea’s Nüsken bent an effort only wide of a upright as the away team began to look for a last-gasp winner, and Thompson was nearly able to race through on to a loose pass inside the penalty area but she was tackled by the alert United shot-stopper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who also dived low to her left to keep out a Walsh shot shortly later.

Guro Reiten had a shot blocked in added time, as increasing Chelsea attacks grew, but ultimately a tie was a relatively just outcome and sets the round's fixtures up nicely before the remaining challengers, Manchester City and Arsenal, face off on the weekend.

They will be eager to take advantage on the leaders and United sharing a result, with Manchester City able to move to just one point of the leaders if they are victorious.