Suzanne Wrack’s match report is right here:
And that’s the lot for tonight. Thanks for reading.
Lauren James speaks to Sky Sports: “Man Utd put on a tough game for us. It’s never easy coming here especially with the fans … but yeah, I guess we have a lot of experience … we had the quality to come through, and get the three points.
“It was sweet [scoring against her former club] … Sometimes the fans have booed me here. But I love Chelsea and I’m trying do my best for them.
“She’s a great player [Sam Kerr], I read her well … she’ll always come out with something.”
Updated
I’ll bring you some post-match reaction, and we’ll have a match report coming up shortly too.
Updated
Full time! Man Utd 1-3 Chelsea
There is time for a late set-piece to be launched into the Chelsea box. Nothing comes of it, and the referee brings the match to a close. An impressive victory for Chelsea, who join Arsenal at the top of the WSL, on 18 points each. The Gunners have a game in hand.
Manchester United defended extremely well for most of that match, but Chelsea were relentless in attack, and despite the efforts of Alessia Russo, in particular, it was the Blues’ superior attacking quality that shone through.
Updated
90 min + 4: Lauren James is named player of the match.
90 min + 3: Chelsea take the ball to the corner. And then win a corner.
Goal! 90 min + 2: Man Utd 1-3 Chelsea
Cuthbert intercepts an attempted clearance on the edge of the area. She calmly evades one tackle and the cracks a deflected shot which angles across Earps and into the bottom corner. You have to say Chelsea deserve their win, for all that Manchester United have defended excellently for the most part.
Updated
90 min: We will have a minimum of five minutes of stoppage time.
88 min: Adriana Leon is brought off the bench by Marc Skinner for Man Utd …
Harder breaks down the right for Chelsea. She picks out Kerr with a good cross but Le Tissier does excellently to block the effort.
Updated
84 min: A Chelsea change: Kaneryd is on for Reiten. No surprise to see Reiten taken off given the amount of work she got through.
Updated
81 min: Reiten, who has been absolutely full of running all night, links with Eriksson on the left, who swings a cross in for Harder at the far post … a couple of Chelsea efforts are repelled, before Ingle floats a good cross to Kerr … and Kerr, who looks more likely to score, sends her header bouncing just wide!
Updated
78 min: Galton surges down the left and is fouled. Parris is off for Martha Thomas now, for Man Utd. Thomas’s 50th WSL cap. It’s a double change with Rachel Williams also replacing Russo. The home side have 12 minutes or so to find a leveller … maybe even a winner?
Updated
76 min: Staniforth sends a looping header over and on to the roof of the Chelsea net.
Goal! 70 min: Man Utd 1-2 Chelsea (Russo)
Oh yes. We’ve got a ball game. Chelsea’s Cuthbert gives the ball away in midfield attempting a diagonal pass from right to left, gifting it to Man Utd. Toone pounces on it and has no hesitation in sidefooting a stunningly perceptive pass for her teammate Toone, who is one-on-one, and unerringly directs the ball beyond Berger and into the bottom corner.
Russo raises her arms in triumph, and then runs to fish the ball out of the net, eager to try and get another one.
Updated
68 min: So, United conceded twice in the space of five minutes, having previously achieved nothing but clean sheets in this WSL campaign.
And now Reiten hits the post from an angle! And Chelsea can’t follow up successfully … they are knocking on the door for a third goal.
66 min: Chelsea are on the march again. Reiten chases on to a back pass by Turner. Earps has to be alert to come off her line and clear.
Updated
Goal! 64 min: Man Utd 0-2 Chelsea (James)
This is a fantastic goal. Bright pings a brilliant pass over the top from defence for Kerr to run on to, on the left wing. Kerr controls, moves infield and cuts it back to the vicinity of the penalty spot. James is there, and tucks the ball inside the far post, first-time, just coolly rolling it into the net like it’s shooting practice. That was a very accomplished goal. Direct, yes, but brilliant too. Simply no time for this impressive Manchester United defence to get organised.
Updated
62 min: Kerr is sent rushing through towards the Manchester United penalty area, in lots of space … she tries to cut the ball across for Harder but it’s intercepted.
Goal! 60 min: Man Utd 0-1 Chelsea (Kerr)
The breakthrough! Manchester United cough up possession cheaply in defence while trying to play out, with Blundell making the error.
It’s a classy bit of work by Ingle for Chelsea who intercepts, instantly controls, and sends a measured pass to Kerr’s feet. Kerr has time to line up a shot and tucks it into the bottom corner from inside the area. Quality finish.
Updated
57 min: Russo again does well. She tears down the right and powers a cross into the middle. Bright gets a foot to it, and it flicks away to safety, with a large element of luck attached …
55 min: Bright shepherds the ball out of defence. Reiten tries to get in behind but miscontrols and it’s another Chelsea attack nipped in the budd. Next up, James does well to charge down a Man Utd defender and it’s more pressure for Chelsea, but again they cannot fashion anything approaching a clear shot on goal.
51 min: Chelsea play the ball along the back four and try to build into the opposition half. It’s tough: Manchester United’s defensive organisation and shape is really excellent. That is why they’ve got a ‘zero’ in the goals against column. Harder and Kerr try to make inroads but Earps claims Kerr’s cross from the left wing.
48 min: Ladd sends in a cross for Galton but it soars over the Manchester United forward’s head.
Second half kick-off!
Who is going to step up and get this goal?
Half-time! Man Utd 0-0 Chelsea
Parris shows a fine touch on the right wing but the subsequent pass is intercepted.
Anyway, it’s all square.
Half-time reading for you:
45 min + 2: The hosts have a corner. Berger nabs it at the second attempt. Chelsea roar down to the other end, James crosses for Reiten from the right, but the ball is just out of her reach. Earps is called upon to catch a follow-up cross from the left.
Updated
45 min + 1: Chelsea get in a muddle in defence and Toone is nearly in. But the visitors manage to get the ball clear.
45 min: Six added minutes will be played in the first half, following those injuries to Parris and Buchanan.
Updated
42 min: Chelsea’s Buchanan has gone down after getting an accidental elbow in the noggin from Russo.
40 min: Eriksson crosses from the left for Chelsea. Cuthbert then hits a shot but gets it wrong. It’s all Chelsea, to be fair.
38 min: James crosses for Kerr after a sloppy error by Millie Turner in defence for Manchester United. Kerr heads goalwards but can’t get much power on the effort.
36 min: Harder is now on her bike again, down the Chelsea left. She accidentally clips Blundell’s ankle as they both try and outpace each other on to the low through pass. A Manchester United free-kick is the result.
Updated
33 min: Chelsea are edging closer … a set-piece routine ends with a free header for Harder at the far post. She nods it powerfully goalwards but it bounces out for a goal kick.
“She’ll be disappointed with that,” as they [commentators] often say.
Updated
30 min: Charles makes an excellent driving run on the Chelsea right and hits a powerful cross-shot that Earps has to tip over the bar. That may well have dropped into the net without an intervention from Earps. From the corner Bright hits a powerful shot from the edge of the box, but it’s well off target.
29 min: Russo, again, sprints on to a ball into the channel for Manchester United – this time on the left – but she’s fractionally offside.
Updated
26 min: Thorisdottir goes down clutching an ankle after a very meaty challenge by Charles of Chelsea. The referee has words, but there is no booking. That was a naughty challenge and no mistake, Charles is arguably fortunate not to be booked.
Updated
24 min: Chelsea win a corner after some robust play by the Manchester United defender Thorisdottir against James. Ingle hits a shot from distance which is blocked easily enough.
Updated
21 min: On replay, in fact, it looks like that was probably a foul by Le Tissier. She didn’t touch the ball but made plenty of contact with Reiten.
19 min: Harder releases Reiten down the middle, into acres of space, on a swift Chelsea counter. Le Tissier challenges her in the area, and there’s a hint of a foul in there, as Reiten is sent off-balance, but Le Tissier won the ball cleanly enough for the referee’s liking.
Updated
17 min: Chelsea are gaining the upper hand. Cuthbert now floats a set piece into the area. Turner heads it clear.
16 min: Chelsea win a corner now. The initial delivery is cleared. Reiten then tries to cross from the opposite side, and does so, but it’s into the grateful arms of Earps.
Updated
14 min: Reiten makes a dart on the Chelsea left. She hits a decent curling cross looking for Kerr, but Manchester United clear the danger.
Updated
12 min: Very little in the way of goal mouth action. I would say it’s almost like a game of chess, but then, that would betray a complete ignorance of the game of chess. Haven’t these commentators ever played five-minute blitz games? It’s all guns blazing.
10 min: Eriksson and Parris high-five each other to show there are no hard feelings following that accidental clash.
Updated
8 min: There is a pretty lengthy delay while Parris receives treatment … but the good news is she is back on her feet, and is apparently OK. The medical staff give a thumbs up towards the bench.
6 min: Russo does well on the Manchester United right, chasing a ball into the channel, cutting a ball back for Toone, who hits it first time. Berger saves the low shot, which is deflected, but then Nikita Parris goes down injured while trying to follow up. It looks like she took a bang on the head from Magdalena Eriksson’s knee.
Updated
2 min: Chelsea start with a nice bit of front-foot possession. Manchester United answer back with a bit of territory of their own, launching a couple of throws towards the Chelsea penalty box. Heavy rain, a healthy and vocal crowd, but no goalmouth action thus far.
Updated
First-half kick-off!
Let’s go.
It’s raining in Manchester. Typical.
And now we are ready to go.
With Remembrance Day approaching, there is a moment of reflection and silence before kick-off at Leigh Sports Village. Plus a rendition of the Last Post.
Updated
The teams are out on the pitch! It’s on.
WSL results today:
Leicester 0-4 Arsenal
Liverpool 0-1 Aston Villa
Reading 0-3 Manchester City
West Ham 4-5 Brighton
Paul Green, Chelsea’s general manager, has a chat with Sky Sports: “We’ve gone for a little bit more pace [up front] … we think it’ll be a physical game. It’s been nice to have a whole week’s training … we’re all looking forward to tonight. It’s been raining quite a lot but I think it was worth down south.
“People are talking about this as a potential title decider but there’s a long way to go … anybody in this league is capable of beating anyone else.”
In the Premier League, Liverpool have just defeated Tottenham 2-1. Rob Smyth has the details:
As Suzanne Wrack writes, Manchester United are yet to concede in the WSL this season. (The intro mentions Man Utd are top with Arsenal, which was of course correct at time of writing):
Teams
One change for Man Utd. England’s Alessia Russo comes into the hosts’ starting lineup on the night that Mary Earps makes her 150th WSL appearance. Lucia Garcia picked up a knock in training yesterday, reveals the manager, Marc Skinner.
For Chelsea, Niamh Charles replaces Eve Perisset in the only change to their side.
Man Utd: Earps, Thorisdottir, Blundell, Toone, Zelem, Galton, Ladd, Le Tissier, Turner, Parris, Russo. Subs: Baggaley, Tounkara, Boe Risa, Clinton, Moore, Staniforth, Leon, Thomas, Williams
Chelsea: Berger, Bright, Ingle, James, Reiten, Eriksson, Kerr, Charles, Cuthbert, Harder, Buchanan. Subs: Musovic, Orman, Nouwen, Carter, England, Perisset, Fleming, Kaneryd, Adbdullina
📋 Here it is... our starting XI to take on Chelsea! 👊#MUWomen || #WSL pic.twitter.com/ULS1JWNWHg
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) November 6, 2022
Your Blues! 🔵#CFCW pic.twitter.com/qz4j6t44t6
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) November 6, 2022
Updated
Preamble
Manchester United have won five out of five in the Women’s Super League. This evening’s visitors, Chelsea, have won five out of six. A shock 2-1 defeat by Liverpool back on the opening day in September is the solitary time they have stumbled.
However, following a 4-0 win against Leicester earlier today, it is Arsenal that top the WSL table with 18 points from six matches. Will one of Manchester United and Chelsea be level with them at the top in a couple of hours’ time? Let’s find out.
Kick-off: 6.45pm
Updated
