Victory for City would have seen us leapfrog the league leaders and notch up a record 13th consecutive WSL win, while Chelsea were themselves aiming to go a phenomenal 38 matches without defeat on the road.
Something had to give, and this hotly anticipated encounter certainly didn’t disappoint, with the two runaway leaders in the WSL coming out all guns blazing in an absolute thriller.
Sam Kerr gave the visitors the lead with a bullet header on 25 minutes, but City mounted a swift response when Chloe Kelly tapped home Lauren Hemp’s cross before the half hour.
However, Chelsea regained their lead soon after when Pernille Harder coolly tucked home from the spot after Kerr had been brought down by Ellie Roebuck inside the box.
With a slender lead to protect, it was a backs to the wall performance from the reigning champions in the second half, as Gareth Taylor’s side pressed forward for the equaliser.
And we were rewarded for our relentless efforts when Hemp pounced on a miscued clearance to fire home her 11th goal of a standout season in the 74th minute.
CITY+ | WATCH FULL-MATCH REPLAYS OF EVERY CITY GAME
City continued to probe for a late winner, with Hemp in particular forcing a world class save from Chelsea stopper Ann-Katrin Berger minutes after levelling the scores, but it was to no avail.
The draw means we remain two points behind the league leaders with Birmingham and West Ham still to play.
Check out the highlights by watching the video above…
