Report: United Women 1 Chelsea 1

In challenging weather at the newly renamed Progress With Unity Stadium, Wieke Kaptein put the Blues ahead early in the contest, before Anna Sandberg's first United goal not long afterwards ultimately proved decisive in the final result.

Marc Skinner had made a single change to the team that beat Liverpool last Sunday, with Sandberg returning after a brief illness, pushing Friodlina Rolfo higher up the left flank and Melvine Malard moving to the bench. After sitting out last season while pregnant and on maternity leave, Hannah Blundell made a welcome return to the matchday squad.

Prior to kick-off, a moment's silence was observed in tribute to the victims of Thursday's Heaton Park Synagogue attack.

FIRST HALF

Spurred on by the vocal home crowd, United made a confident start and just over one minute in had tested Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, sticking out a foot to block Elisabeth Terland's low near-post shot as the Reds countered. Moments later, another breakaway saw Jess Park lift one over the bar from a narrow angle after Ella Toone carried the ball for the best part of 50 yards.

Chelsea's opener in the ninth minute came against that early run of play. Catarina Macario's clever backheel in the penalty box played in goalscorer Kaptein, who found the far bottom corner from close range.

With the wind from Storm Amy picking up, United weathered further pressure from the visitors and managed to regain a foothold with a spell of good possession. Dominique Janssen lifted the crowd with a driving run through the heart of the Chelsea defence that resulted in a blocked Park shot. But there was no stopping Sandberg's stunning strike midway through the half.

The ball fell nicely to our Swedish left-back from Toone’s knockdown and it was goal-bound from the moment it left her foot. Incidentally, it was United's fourth goal from outside the box in five leagues games this season.

Just over half an hour in, Phallon Tullis-Joyce threw up a huge right hand to deny Kaptein what looked like would be a certain goal with a superb reflex save. The same player then steered the rebound over the top. At the other end, a curling Toone shot just barely missed the target as the ball arced agonisingly close to nestling in the top corner.

SECOND HALF

The heavens had opened by the time the teams returned from the break, not that it dampened United's spirits. Toone once more fired a shot that flew narrowly off target, while a deflection soon carried Rolfo's effort onto the top of the bar, within a few minutes of the restart.

The Reds continued to ask questions of Chelsea as Park fired just over from distance, while Skinner sought to keep things fresh up top just shy of an hour in by bringing on Melvine Malard. The threat also remained at the other end, however, with Tullis-Joyce saving – and making sure to hold onto the wet ball – speculative strikes from Macario and substitute Alyssa Thompson.

Both teams battled hard as the game neared its closing stages, determined to give no inch but also still searching for a potential winner. Park was causing Chelsea problems down the right, seeing a teasing ball into the box only just cut out by Nathalie Bjorn, while Malard stung Hampton's palms. Meanwhile, Tullis-Joyce was alert enough to rush out and reach a loose ball before Thompson. Phallon then had to be alert again to get down low and parry from Keira Walsh.

As Chelsea threatened to snatch it at the death, the combined efforts of Celin Bizet Donnum and Maya Le Tissier – the latter making a record 71st consecutive WSL start for a single club – blocked Guro Reiten's stoppage-time strike, celebrated like a goal.

In the end, a draw was perhaps the fairest result from an outstanding and intense spectacle, with precious little to separate the teams in the stats.

MATCH DETAILS

United: Tullis-Joyce; Riviere (Bizet Donnum 76), Le Tissier (c), Janssen, Sandberg; Zigiotti, Miyazawa; Park, Toone, Rolfo (Williams 81); Terland (Malard 59).

Subs not used: Middleton-Patel, Rendell, Blundell, George, Awujo, Naalsund.

Goal: Sandberg 20.

Booked: Zigiotti.

Chelsea: Hampton; Carpenter, Bjorn, Bright (c), Baltimore; Walsh, Cuthbert (Nusken 78); Rytting Kaneryd (Reiten 83), Kaptein (Thompson 52), Beever-Jones; Macario (Kerr 78).

Subs not used: Peng, Buurman, Jean-Francois, Potter, Hamano.

Goal: Kaptein 9.

Attendance: 5,105.