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The Blues and United each kept their unbeaten starts to the Women’s Super League campaign, but the defending champions' perfect victorious record was brought to an end by an entertaining encounter between the best sides.

This outcome prolonged United's agonisingly long wait for a maiden Women's Super League win over the Blues but they will have taken significant encouragement from their display, on a evening when each side generated numerous opportunities to claim victory and the home side demonstrated they may well have the attributes to launch a genuine title challenge.

High-Intensity Opening Features Early Goals

For a game played between the teams with the two best defensive records in the WSL previous season, and which had conceded the fewest scores so far this campaign before kick-off, the match began in a unexpectedly open fashion as each attacked early on.

The match began at such a rapid pace that it might well have been 2-2 within the opening moments, with Hannah Hampton stopping with her feet from Elisabeth Terland, Macario's effort being blocked by Le Tissier, Park shooting just over the bar and then Beever-Jones doing the same when she certainly seemed likely to score.

Chelsea did then score the opener the early burst of attacks had promised, as Wieke Kaptein met Macario's clever flicked pass and slotted in a neat, deadly finish into the bottom into the corner, as the hosts conceded a WSL score for only the second time this season.

Sandberg's Spectacular Leveler

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

Inspired by the skillful runs of Jess Park, who seemed determined to skip her way past as many defenders as possible and was the driving force of her side's attacking style, they persisted to create chances and they were quickly level when Anna Sandberg scored her maiden goal for the club.

She could not have struck her shot any sweeter, positioning her boot expertly over the sphere to drive a half-volley forcefully beyond the keeper from just outside the area.

Respectful Occasion Amid Bad Weather

This fixture was staged during inclement weather, which brought driving rain and strong bursts of wind, and commenced with a moment of reflection after the terrorist attack on a place of worship in Manchester on the previous day, with the hosts also wearing armbands as a mark of tribute.

Furthermore, both sets of teams joined together in a group before the game to oppose racism at the start of Black History Month, in a week when the Peterborough player Rai experienced discriminatory remarks.

England national team and Tottenham Hotspur forward Jessica Naz was the victim of abuse online nine days earlier.

Stronger United Challenge the Champions

The match took place at the stadium where the Blues secured the previous campaign's title, with a 1-0 win in a game that had been fairly even.

This looks like a significantly better United team since then, though, and they continued to threaten in the second half, with Rolfö's redirected shot floating on to the top of the bar before Jess Park's curling attempt soared just over.

Malard, on as a substitute, pulled a low shot wide with over twenty minutes remaining.

Late Drama Results in Division of Spoils

Marc Skinner had said on midweek that he wanted his side to be courageous and “show Chelsea that you can beat them”, and they definitely appeared to respond to his rallying cry as they continued to play with energy and offensive purpose, while Chelsea stayed threatening at the opposite side too, with Beever-Jones going near.

Such was the level of the challenge the champions were being presented with, there was even a rare instance of annoyance from Bompastor, with the Chelsea manager shown a yellow card in the later stages after she bemoaned a free-kick call awarded to her team.

Chelsea’s Sjoeke Nüsken bent an shot only wide of a upright as the visitors started to look for a last-gasp decisive goal, and Thompson was almost able to race forward on to a unclaimed pass inside the penalty area but she was tackled by the quick-thinking United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who then sprang down to her side to deny a Keira Walsh shot moments later.

Guro Reiten had a shot blocked in added time, as late Chelsea attacks intensified, but ultimately a draw was a relatively fair outcome and prepares the weekend’s fixtures up nicely before the remaining challengers, Manchester City and Arsenal, face off on Saturday.

They will be eager to capitalise on the leaders and Manchester United splitting a result, with Manchester City in a position to close to just one point of the top team if they are victorious.