Chelsea Women's impressive unbeaten run in the Barclays Women's Super League (WSL) this season was brought to a halt by Manchester United Women in a thrilling 1-1 draw at Leigh Sports Village. The match, attended by 5,105 fans, saw both teams create numerous scoring opportunities, but ultimately share the points.
Wieke Kaptein gave Chelsea the lead just nine minutes into the game with a well-taken goal, set up by a fine team move involving Catarina Macario. However, Manchester United quickly responded, with Anna Sandberg scoring her first goal for the club with a stunning volley from a cleared cross.
The second half was a closely contested affair, with both teams enjoying periods of dominance. Manchester United's Frida Rolfo and Melvine Malard both came close to scoring, while Chelsea's Alyssa Thompson and Keira Walsh tested the Man Utd goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce. Aggie Beever-Jones had a late chance to win the game for Chelsea but failed to convert Thompson's cross.
Despite the draw, Chelsea remain two points clear of Manchester United at the top of the WSL table, with both teams still unbeaten this season. Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor was unfazed by the end of her team's perfect record, stating that she was "proud of my players" and that the result was "not a bad result coming here, playing in Manchester."
Manchester United boss Marc Skinner was disappointed not to win but believed the point was a fair result. "It's probably a fair point in the end, but it wasn't for the lack of both teams trying to win it," he told BBC Sport. "We're building, and you can see it, you can sense it."
The draw sets the stage for a closely contested title race, with both Chelsea and Manchester United looking to challenge for the WSL crown. As Skinner noted, "We need to make sure everyone is putting a challenge in. I think the league is getting better, and you saw the quality tonight that we are progressing too."
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