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The Blues and Manchester United each kept their unbeaten starts to the Women’s Super League season, but the title holders' 100% victorious streak was halted by an thrilling encounter between the top two.

This outcome prolonged United's frustratingly lengthy wait for a maiden Women's Super League win over the Blues but they can take significant encouragement from their display, on a evening when each side generated plenty of opportunities to win and the home side showed they may well have the attributes to mount a serious championship bid.

High-Intensity Opening Sees Quick Scores

For a game contested between the sides with the two best defence records in the Women's Super League 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 attacked early on.

The match opened at such a rapid pace that it might well have been 2-2 inside the opening moments, with Hannah Hampton stopping with her feet from the forward, Macario's effort being blocked by Maya Le Tissier, Park firing narrowly over the crossbar and then Beever-Jones following suit when she certainly seemed certain to score.

Chelsea did then score the opener the initial flurry of offensive moves had promised, as Kaptein met Macario's smart back-heeled pass and slotted in a precise, deadly shot into the bottom into the corner, as the hosts conceded a league score for only the second occasion this season.

Anna Sandberg's Spectacular Equaliser

United had lost 10 of their previous 11 WSL fixtures with the Blues, but this assured iteration of Marc Skinner's side were unwilling to roll over.

Driven by the skillful runs of Park, who appeared determined to skip her way past as many defenders as possible and was the engine of her side's attacking style, they persisted to generate opportunities and they were quickly back on terms when Anna Sandberg scored her first strike for the club.

Sandberg could hardly have caught her strike any sweeter, positioning her foot expertly over the sphere to drive a first-time effort forcefully past the keeper from only outside the box.

Respectful Atmosphere During Storm

The game was staged amid inclement weather, which produced driving precipitation and strong bursts of wind, and commenced with a moment of reflection after the tragic incident on a synagogue in the city on Thursday, with the home side also sporting black armbands as a mark of tribute.

Additionally, the two sides united in a circle pre-match against racial discrimination at the start of this important period, in a week when the Peterborough United player Kira Rai experienced discriminatory remarks.

The England and Tottenham Hotspur attacker Jessica Naz was the victim of racism on the internet over a week earlier.

Stronger Manchester United Challenge the Champions

This was the ground where Chelsea clinched last season’s championship, with a one-nil win in a fixture that had been fairly balanced.

This appears to be a significantly better Manchester United squad from that time, though, and they persisted to pose a danger in the latter period, with Fridolina Rolfö's redirected effort looping on to the upper part of the crossbar before Park's swerving attempt flew just over.

Malard, on as a substitute, dragged a ground-level shot off target with over twenty minutes left to play.

Late Action Results in Share of Spoils

Skinner had said on Wednesday that he wanted his team to be brave and “show the opposition that you can beat them”, and they definitely appeared to react to his motivational words as they continued to play with energy and attacking purpose, while the visitors stayed dangerous at the opposite side too, with Aggie Beever-Jones going near.

Such was the extent of the challenge the champions were being presented with, there was even a uncommon instance of annoyance from Sonia Bompastor, with the Chelsea manager shown a caution in the second half after she bemoaned a set-piece call awarded to her side.

The Blues' Nüsken curled an shot only off target of a post as the visitors started to search for a late decisive goal, and Alyssa Thompson was nearly able to race through on to a loose pass within the box but she was challenged by the quick-thinking United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who then dived down to her left to keep out a Walsh effort moments later.

Reiten had a shot blocked in added time, as late visiting pressure grew, but in the end a draw was a relatively fair outcome and prepares the weekend’s fixtures up nicely before the remaining challengers, City and Arsenal, go head-to-head on the weekend.

These teams will be eager to take advantage on the leaders and United sharing a result, with City in a position to close to just one point of the leaders if they are victorious.