City needed to beat our rivals in order to take the race for the third and final European place to the last day.
And after a cagey opening 15 minutes in which United saw a goal chalked off, the Blues got our noses in front when Laia Aleixandri coolly slotted home from a Lauren Hemp cutback.
City doubled the lead soon after when Rebecca Knaak powered a Yui Hasegawa corner into the back of the net, but United pulled one back through an equally impressive header from Grace Clinton before the break.
The Blues continued to press forwards in search of extending our lead, but were pegged back when substitute Melvine Malard raced onto a header in behind and fired past Khiara Keating to draw the hosts level.
Nick Cushing’s side were given an advantage when Aoife Mannion was given a second yellow for a trip on Kerolin Nicoli moments after that equaliser, but we couldn’t make that pressure count.
Kerolin Nicoli went particularly close to the winner when she curled just wide of the far post, but the Blues were forced to settle for a point and a place outside Champions League qualification as a result.
Watch the best of the action from Old Trafford via the video above...
