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Chelsea and Manchester United both kept their unbeaten starts to the WSL campaign, but the title holders' perfect victorious record was stopped by an entertaining contest between the best sides.

The result extended United's frustratingly lengthy drought for a first Women's Super League win over the Blues but they will have taken great encouragement from their display, on a evening when each side created plenty of opportunities to win and the home side showed they may well have the qualities to mount a genuine championship bid.

High-Intensity Start Features Early Goals

For a game contested between the teams with the two best defence statistics in the WSL last term, and which had conceded the least goals so far this campaign before kick-off, the game started in a unexpectedly end-to-end manner as each pushed forward from the outset.

The match began at such a rapid pace that it might well have been 2-2 within the first six minutes, with Hannah Hampton saving with her feet from the forward, Catarina Macario's effort being blocked by Maya Le Tissier, Jess Park shooting just over the crossbar and then Beever-Jones following suit when she looked certain to find the net.

The visitors did then score the goal the early burst of offensive moves had promised, as Kaptein connected with Macario's clever back-heeled pass and placed a precise, deadly shot low into the corner, as the home team conceded a league goal for only the second occasion this term.

Anna Sandberg's Spectacular Leveler

United had been defeated in 10 of their previous 11 WSL meetings with Chelsea, but this confident iteration of Skinner's team were not prepared to roll over.

Driven by the dribbling of Jess Park, who seemed intent to dance her way past as many opposition players as she could and was the engine of her team's attacking play, they persisted to generate opportunities and they were quickly level when Sandberg scored her maiden goal for the club.

Sandberg could not have caught her shot any sweeter, positioning her foot expertly over the sphere to drive a half-volley forcefully past Hampton from only beyond the area.

Solemn Occasion During Bad Weather

This fixture was played during inclement weather, which brought swirling precipitation and strong bursts of breeze, and commenced with a moment of silence following the terrorist attack on a place of worship in the city on Thursday, with the hosts also sporting black armbands as a sign of tribute.

Additionally, the two sides united in a circle before the game against racial discrimination at the start of Black History Month, in a week when the Peterborough United player Rai suffered racist abuse.

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

Improved Manchester United Challenge Chelsea

The match took place at the stadium where the Blues secured last season’s championship, with a one-nil victory in a fixture that had been fairly even.

However, this looks like a significantly better United squad since then, however, and they persisted to threaten in the second half, with Fridolina Rolfö's redirected effort looping on to the top of the crossbar before Park's curling effort flew just over.

Melvine Malard, on as a substitute, dragged a low effort wide with 21 minutes remaining.

Late Action Results in Division of Spoils

Marc Skinner had said on midweek that he wanted his side to be brave and “show the opposition that you can beat them”, and they definitely seemed to react to his motivational words as they kept to perform with intensity and attacking intent, while the visitors remained dangerous at the other end too, with Beever-Jones going near.

So great was the level of the challenge Chelsea were being presented with, there was even a uncommon instance of annoyance from Bompastor, with the visiting manager shown a yellow card in the second half after she bemoaned a free-kick call against her side.

Chelsea’s Sjoeke Nüsken bent an effort just off target of a upright as the away team started to look for a last-gasp decisive goal, and Alyssa Thompson was almost able to sprint forward on to a unclaimed pass within the penalty area but she was tackled by the alert United shot-stopper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who then sprang low to her side to keep out a Walsh shot shortly after.

Reiten had a attempt blocked in stoppage time, as increasing visiting attacks grew, but ultimately a draw was a fairly fair outcome and sets the weekend’s action up nicely before the other two title contenders, City and Arsenal, go head-to-head on Saturday.

These teams will be eager to capitalise on the leaders and Manchester United splitting a point, with Manchester City able to close to just one point of the leaders if they win.