Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea: Sandberg volley seals draw | OneFootball

In a clash between the WSL’s top two, neither side could find a winner as Manchester United held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw, with United arguably the stronger side for much of the contest.

Sonia Bompastor made three changes to the team that beat West Ham: Ellie Carpenter came in for Veerle Buurman, Catarina Macario for Oriane Jean-François, and Sandy Baltimore for Alyssa Thompson. Marc Skinner made one change, as Swedish international Anna Sandberg returned to the starting lineup at the expense of Melvine Malard.

As it happened

United started brightly and forced the newly-crowned Ballon d’Or Yashin trophy winner Hannah Hampton into a couple of early saves. Momentum shifted as the visitors got the better of United’s midfield, with some nifty team play ending in a backheel pass from Macario straight into the path of Dutch teenager Wieke Kaptein, who fired off a powerful shot into the far corner.

The home side showed their fighting spirit; however, they gained momentum through overloads in the wide areas and clever navigation from Jess Park. Chelsea’s aggressive press left spaces in behind, particularly on the wings, and this is the area United looked to exploit.

When they had the ball, they pressed Chelsea high, forcing mistakes. A fumbled clearance gave Ella Toone the space to nod the ball over to Anna Sandberg, who volleyed superbly past Hampton.

For the remainder of the game, momentum swayed between the sides. Whilst United created the better chances, their final ball into the box was lacking, and Chelsea’s attempts were disrupted by a confident home defense. Both keepers made a couple of saves, however there were few major chances until Chelsea utilised their bench.

Club record signing Alyssa Thompson was introduced, which made a noticeable difference as Beever-Jones then returned to her regular central forward role. Thompson’s ability to play more directly also troubled United’s backline.

Sam Kerr’s introduction spurred the visitors on even further, as United were stretched in the late stages and fatigue began to take its toll. United’s substitutes also made a difference, as right-back Jayde Riviere was withdrawn for Celin Bizet Dønnum, giving the Red Devils some fresh legs in the face of a rejuvenated Chelsea attack.

The final minutes saw the momentum shift towards the home side once again, as Jess Park and Ella Toone combined well to navigate through the visitors’ defence.

A last-minute winner was not to be, however, as Sandberg’s volley was the final goal of the match. The result should provide some confidence for United: even if they did not finally get that elusive win over Chelsea, they went head-to-head with the champions and were the better team for much of the game.

The lineups

MUN: Tullis-Joyce; Riviere, Le Tissier, Janssen, Sandberg; Zigiotti Olme, Miyazawa, Rolfö; Park, Toone, Terland.