Women's Super League: Manchester City and Manchester United keep things interesting in title race

One point. It didn't look similar much, but successful the discourse of this season's Women's Super League rubric race, it has surely kept things interesting.

Manchester United's thrilling 1-1 gully against Manchester City astatine Etihad Stadium near them 3rd and fourth, respectively, successful the table, but precise overmuch successful contention to decorativeness first.

A City nonaccomplishment could person ended their hopes, portion a United decision would person dented assurance successful what has been a good run truthful far.

"I don't deliberation either squad needfully deserved the afloat 3 points," said erstwhile United goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain connected BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Manchester United astir apt dominated the archetypal fractional a spot more, but past Manchester City came into their ain a batch much successful the 2nd half.

"It's a just effect but 1 that volition astir apt support Chelsea and Arsenal a batch happier than Manchester City oregon Manchester United.

"For me, it's Chelsea's [title] to propulsion distant - they are favourites to triumph the league."

But erstwhile Brighton defender Fern Whelan believes the effect has opened up the conflict astatine the top.

"It keeps City successful it, but United volition beryllium disappointed due to the fact that they were connected specified a bully tally and they were keeping up there," she said connected Sky Sports.

"A constituent apiece keeps the apical 4 precise exciting."

United's 'mentality change' paying off

Having earned 4 points from matches against Chelsea, Arsenal and City, the disappointed faces of manager Marc Skinner and his United players astatine full-time reflected their temper implicit the result. They intelligibly felt they could and should person sealed a first-ever league triumph implicit City.

But to spell to the location of their section rivals and historically-superior counterparts, and get a point, Skinner's broadside person firmly earned themselves a spot astatine the 'title-challengers' table.

"We've got a antithetic mentality now, we're disappointed not to win," admitted Skinner, whose broadside finished 4th successful the WSL past season, 5 points down third-placed City.

That was highlighted erstwhile striker Alessia Russo waved her arms successful the aerial with minutes to go, urging her broadside to propulsion further up the pitch.

Buoyed by their unthinkable 3-2 comeback triumph astatine Arsenal past month, United brought connected forwards Lucia Garcia and Martha Thomas arsenic they searched for a winner.

"We're not making antiaircraft changes, we're coming present and we privation to triumph the game," added Skinner. "We're making attacking changes and we created immoderate large chances successful the 2nd half.

"It's a mentality change. We're showing present that we're not blessed to conscionable travel and vie successful these moments. We privation to triumph these games."

United person ne'er beaten City successful the WSL, winning 3 and drafting three

The strength of the crippled lone truly accrued aft City's equaliser and the crippled became frenetic, but Skinner kept his chill arsenic helium observed from the bench.

City person been established successful the WSL since 2014, winning the rubric successful 2016, portion United lone reintroduced their women's squad successful 2018.

"Our purpose is to effort to bash it the different way, wherever there's a spread betwixt america and them successful our favour," said Skinner.

"They've got a batch of past connected their broadside and person done excellently, but we person to marque definite that we emergence to the occasion.

"This squad is not going to stop. We're not going to subside astatine immoderate point. We're going to support building, support driving and support expecting."

City acceptable situation of different winning streak

United mightiness person had a mentality shift, but City's thrust and determination has seen them done the astir hard of periods.

Last season, plagued by wounded and astir ruled retired of contention for a Champions League place, City rallied late. They won 11 consecutive games successful each competitions, finishing 3rd successful the WSL and beating Chelsea successful the Continental Cup final.

On Sunday, the Blues looked beneath par aft Galton's smashed effort which deflected disconnected the wrong of Alex Greenwood's legs.

Even successful the opening exchanges of the 2nd half, Taylor's broadside were inactive hemmed successful and struggled to find an opening successful beforehand of a subdued location crowd.

But Laura Coombs' 58th-minute header gave the hosts a monolithic lift.

But, contempt pressing for the triumph themselves, they were near relieved 10 minutes from clip arsenic City keeper Ellie Roebuck smiled ruefully and cradled the shot aft she kept retired a Thomas header.

City are 3 points down United and 5 adrift of joint-leaders Chelsea and Arsenal, but brag Taylor said: "We privation to triumph the league. We've enactment ourselves successful a concern wherever we tin and, if we triumph each of our games aft the break, we tin bash it.

"We've proved we tin spell connected continuous winning streaks and it's bully we've enactment ourselves successful a presumption to bash it again. We're looking guardant to that challenge."