Chelsea’s 100 Per Cent WSL Record Comes to an End as Manchester United Hold Them to 1-1 Draw
Chelsea’s perfect start to the Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) this season ended after they played out an entertaining 1-1 draw against Manchester United. Unlike last season, when Chelsea did not drop points until December, this campaign has seen an earlier challenge, as an impressive Man Utd side showcased the impact of their summer signings, including Julia Zigiotti Olme, Jess Park, and Frida Rolfo.
Manchester United’s Wieke Kaptein gave the hosts the lead inside the first 10 minutes, turning home a fine team move. The goal was set up brilliantly, featuring a sumptuous backheel from Catarina Macario, who held off Dominique Janssen before laying it on for Kaptein.
Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was called into action early, making two important saves. However, Manchester United responded with a stunning volley from Anna Sandberg, who struck powerfully after Maya Le Tissier’s cross was cleared into her path. This strike marked Sandberg’s first goal for the club.
The first half was a balanced affair, but the second half saw momentum swing between both sides without any further goals. Manchester United dominated early on, with Rolfo hitting the top of the crossbar and substitute Melvine Malard coming close with several efforts.
Chelsea threatened late, as Alyssa Thompson tested United’s keeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who also made a key save from a placed Keira Walsh shot. Chelsea’s Aggie Beever-Jones, who had scored in each WSL game this season, missed a chance in injury time to secure victory after Thompson sent in a dangerous cross.
Despite their unbeaten run ending, Chelsea remain two points clear at the top of the table, with both Chelsea and Manchester United still unbeaten this season.
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**Chelsea Boss Sonia Bompastor: Unbothered by the End of the Winning Streak**
Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor expressed a pragmatic view on the result:
“I don’t care about our unbeaten run. The only thing I care about is making sure we get the good results this season to grab the title, if possible.
“I think it was a fun game to watch and this is a good advertisement for the women’s game.
“I’m a little bit frustrated about the result because we want to play every game to win them. We couldn’t tonight. I think we were a better team in the second half, especially without the ball, and we tried until the end of the game. I’m so proud of my players for trying until the end to score.
“As much as we have the desire to win every game, maybe it’s not a bad result coming here, playing in Manchester, one of the toughest places to play, and getting a draw.”
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**Manchester United Boss Marc Skinner: ‘Disappointed Not to Win but Point is a Fair Result’**
Marc Skinner reflected on the high-quality contest and his team’s performance:
“It was two teams who wanted to win the game, a high level with and without the ball.
“It’s probably a fair point in the end, but it wasn’t for the lack of effort from both teams trying to win it. It was a really good game for the neutral, and a shared point is probably the fair result.
“It was the most brave performance. We’re building—you can see it, you can sense it.
“We are disappointed not to win the game. The chances we created— not many teams could create that against Chelsea, so for us to do that and in the way we did it was credit to the players.
“The goal we conceded we won’t be happy with. We’ll take the point, move forward, and enjoy the growth as we head into our first Champions League week.”
On putting down a marker for the title run, Skinner added: “We are going to make sure we do that in every other game for sure, as best we can. We will give absolutely everything.
“It shows to Chelsea they’re not just going to walk the league. We need to make sure everyone is putting a challenge in. I think the league is getting better, and you saw the quality tonight that we are progressing to.”
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**Jess Park: ‘We Want to Win These Games’**
Manchester United midfielder Jess Park spoke about the team’s ambitions and the match:
“We played really well, as did Chelsea. It was a brilliant game. There were moments when we could have taken the lead; we just need to be a bit more clinical and a bit cleaner with the ball.
“But there were moments when we defended brilliantly. We’ll take the draw but we want to win these games.
“We really competed and wanted to show we can compete. Obviously, it’s frustrating because we wanted to take the win. We never want to settle for a draw.”
On being potential title contenders, Park said:
“We’re always looking to win every game we play. You can see how creative we are being on the pitch. We are creating some moments, we just need to put them to bed. It’s really coming together.”
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**Match Statistics and Highlights**
– Wieke Kaptein (Man Utd) opened the scoring inside 10 minutes.
– Anna Sandberg equalised for Manchester United with a thunderous volley.
– Several close chances for both teams in the second half.
– Chelsea’s Aggie Beever-Jones missed a late opportunity to win the game.
– Both teams remain unbeaten, with Chelsea two points clear at the summit.
For fans with Sky, the WSL is available to watch on the Sky Sports app. If you don’t have Sky, you can get Sky Sports or stream without a contract on NOW.
Stay tuned for more updates as the thrilling WSL season continues!
https://www.skysports.com/football/manchester-united-women-vs-chelsea-women/report/545629
