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Chelsea and Manchester United each kept their undefeated beginnings to the Women’s Super League season, but the title holders' perfect winning streak was brought to an end by an entertaining encounter between the best sides.

This outcome extended United's agonisingly long drought for a maiden WSL win over Chelsea but they will have taken significant encouragement from their display, on a evening when each side generated numerous opportunities to win and the hosts demonstrated they could very well have the qualities to mount a serious championship bid.

Fast-Paced Opening Sees Early Goals

For a match played between the teams with the top two defence records in the WSL previous season, and which had allowed the fewest goals so far this campaign before the start, the match started in a unexpectedly open manner as each pushed forward early on.

The match opened at such a rapid tempo that it might well have been 2-2 within the opening moments, with the goalkeeper stopping with her legs from Elisabeth Terland, Macario's shot being blocked by Le Tissier, Park firing just over the crossbar and then Beever-Jones doing the same when she looked likely to score.

Chelsea then score the opener the early flurry of attacks had promised, as Kaptein met Macario's smart back-heeled ball and slotted in a precise, clinical finish low into the side of the net, as the home team conceded a league score for only the second time this term.

Anna Sandberg's Spectacular Equaliser

United had lost 10 of their prior 11 Women's Super League meetings with the Blues, but this assured version of Skinner's team were unwilling to roll over.

Driven by the dribbling of Jess Park, who appeared intent to dance her way past as numerous defenders as she could and was the engine of her side's attacking style, they continued to create opportunities and they were soon back on terms when Anna Sandberg netted her maiden strike for the club.

She could not have caught her shot any sweeter, positioning her boot expertly over the ball to drive a first-time effort powerfully beyond Hampton from only beyond the area.

Respectful Occasion Amid Storm

The game was played during Storm Amy, which produced driving precipitation and gusts of wind, and commenced with a minute’s reflection following the terrorist attack on a synagogue in the city on the previous day, with the home side also wearing armbands as a sign of tribute.

Additionally, the two sides joined together in a circle before the game against racial discrimination at the start of Black History Month, in a time when the Peterborough United footballer Rai experienced discriminatory remarks.

England national team and Tottenham forward Jessica Naz was the victim of abuse on the internet over a week earlier.

Stronger Manchester United Push Chelsea

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

However, this appears to be a significantly better United squad from that time, though, and they continued to pose a danger in the latter period, with Fridolina Rolfö's redirected shot looping on to the top of the bar before Jess Park's swerving effort soared just over.

Melvine Malard, on as a substitute, dragged a ground-level shot wide with over twenty minutes remaining.

Closing Action Sees Share of Points

Skinner had said on Wednesday that he wanted his team to be courageous and “show Chelsea that you can beat them”, and they certainly appeared to respond to his rallying cry as they kept to play with energy and offensive purpose, while Chelsea remained threatening at the other end too, with Beever-Jones going near.

So great was the extent of the challenge the champions were being presented with, there was even a uncommon moment of frustration from Bompastor, with the visiting coach given a yellow card in the later stages after she complained about a set-piece decision against her team.

The Blues' Sjoeke Nüsken bent an effort just off target of a post as the visitors began to look for a late decisive goal, and Thompson was almost able to sprint forward on to a unclaimed pass within the box but she was tackled by the quick-thinking home goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who then sprang down to her left to keep out a Keira Walsh shot moments later.

Reiten had a shot blocked in added time, as increasing Chelsea attacks intensified, but ultimately a tie was a relatively just outcome and prepares the weekend’s action up perfectly before the remaining challengers, City and Arsenal, go head-to-head on the weekend.

These teams will be eager to capitalise on Chelsea and United splitting a result, with Manchester City in a position to move to just one point of the top team if they win.