Chelsea's 100% record in the WSL was put to an end this Friday night as the reigning champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Marc Skinner's Manchester United.
Wieke Kaptein opened the scoring for the Blues after she was set up fantastically via a backheel from Catarina Macario. But, it did not take the hosts long to strike back, as Anna Sandberg scored a wondergoal to even the affair.
United were the team with the better chances on the night, but a lack of a clinical edge was the difference between them and history in this match.
Story of the match
Marc Skinner made a single change to his starting lineup as Anna Sandberg came into the eleven for Melvine Malard. Ella Toone started in a more advanced midfield role than she did against Liverpool.
Meanwhile, Sonia Bompastor made two changes to her starting eleven as Alyssa Thompson and Oriane Jean-Francois dropped to the bench, as Ellie Carpenter and Catarina Macario came back into the team.
It was an end-to-end beginning to the game as both sides were quick to pose a threat down either end of the pitch. But after chances for both sides, it would be Chelsea who took the lead just before the ten-minute mark.
Wieke Kaptein got her name on the scoresheet for the second match in a row after finding the back of the net last time out against West Ham. It was the assist that would be talked about in this one as Macario set up the Dutch international with a wonderful backheel.
Everyone knows that it is hard to beat Chelsea when they take the lead, but Manchester United made it known that they were looking to defy this belief, as they went straight on the hunt for an equaliser.
They did exactly this just 10 minutes later as Anna Sandberg scored her first-ever goal for United, and what a goal it was. The Swede unleashed a venomous strike that flew past a helpless Hannah Hampton.
The hosts were firmly in this one and were, in fact, the better of the two sides, getting into dangerous areas much more frequently than the Blues. Despite this, they were struggling to test Hampton as fans would be left hoping that these missed chances would not come back to bite them.
Heading into the interval, there was plenty of positivity around Leigh Sports Village, as Manchester United had controlled proceedings in the first half.
The second half was a tale of changing momentum, although it did take Chelsea quite a while to get going after the break. The hosts came closer and closer to scoring that crucial goal, but just could not place their attempts into the back of the net.
Meanwhile, the visitors also struggled in front of the goal, turning to their star-studded bench just six minutes into the second half. But even after the introductions of the likes of Alyssa Thompson and Sam Kerr. Bompastor's side were unable to pile pressure onto their opponents.
This was until the dying embers, where out of nowhere, Chelsea began to gain some momentum, suddenly looking the more likely team to find a winner. They came so close to doing so in injury time when Thompson's floated ball was heading towards Aggie Beever-Jones. However, the ball never really curved back inwards, leaving Chelsea's top scorer this season unable to get on the end of the pass.
Although they may feel that they could have taken all three points tonight, Manchester United will undoubtedly be happy with that result, ending the Blues' 100% record in the WSL and ensuring that they did not lose any ground to the reigning champions.
Chelsea certainly did not look themselves at times, but they will need to get in top form soon, as the 2025/26 Champions League campaign awaits them midweek as the Blues look to gain that trophy that has always eluded them.
This was the first match in a very long time where it felt like Chelsea were not the team on top for the majority of the match. A big part in ensuring this was the case was the performance of Jess Park.
The 23-year-old continues to look like a fantastic bit of business completed in the summer transfer windows, as she caused Bompastor's side all sorts of problems for almost the entirety of the match.
The England international completed the most dribbles of any player in the match (6), and also won the most duels, showcasing just how good the display she put on against the visitors was.