Both sides created opportunities in a physical and competitive opening 45 minutes where both goalkeepers were called into action. We enjoyed some good spells of possession with Lauren James proving our brightest spark once again down the right-hand side.

Sam Kerr and the aforementioned James struck a quick-fire double within three second-half minutes to seemingly put the Blues in control. However, Alessia Russo reduced the deficit with a clinical finish 20 minutes from time, only for Erin Cuthbert to seal the victory with a third in stoppage time, sending the points back down south to the capital.

The selection

There was one change to the side that started the 3-1 victory over Aston Villa last time out. Niamh Charles came into the right-back position, with Eve Perisset named among the substitutes. James stole the show with two goals and an assist against Villa and retained her place against the club she used to represent.

As confirmed by Paul Green on Friday, Fran Kirby and Maren Mjelde were missing as they continue to recover from illness and injury respectively. The game came too soon for Jelena Cankovic, while Melanie Leupolz remains on maternity leave. Katerina Svitkova has also been struggling with illness and didn’t recover in time to make the matchday squad.

It was a 4-2-3-1 formation for the Blues with Ann-Katrin Berger in goal, while Millie Bright and Kadeisha Buchanan formed the centre-back pairing. Captain Magdalena Eriksson continued at left-back with Sophie Ingle and Erin Cuthbert holding down the midfield. Guro Reiten, Pernille Harder and James made up a dangerous looking attacking midfield behind Sam Kerr, who led the line.

Evenly balanced

Before kick-off at Leigh Sports Village, both teams and sets of supporters observed an impeccable one-minute silence in our final league game before Remembrance Day. A poppy wreath was brought onto the pitch and the Last Post was played, as we paused to remember those who have lost their lives in conflicts across the world.

We got the game underway on a cold and drizzly night in the north, kicking towards the travelling Blues supporters who were situated behind one goal. However, it was United who conjured the first meaningful chance of the match. A deflected effort from inside the box forced Berger into a smart reaction save, while the follow-up shot could only find the side-netting.

As the rain eased, we orchestrated some nice link-up play down the right-hand side. Charles, James and Cuthbert combined nicely to force a corner, but we were unable to make the set-piece count. We were applying some early pressure, patiently trying to open up spaces to exploit against a resolute United defence.

There was more promising link-up play, this time down the left side from Eriksson and Reiten, however the resulting cross from the skipper was comfortably gathered by Mary Earps in the United goal. Moments later, Charles drove to the byline and delivered a teasing cross that could have gone anywhere, forcing Earps to push the ball behind for a corner which came to nothing.

Finely poised

It was a physical encounter with tough tackles and feisty battles everywhere on the pitch. Reiten drew a foul in the centre of the field, the resulting free-kick was floated in by Cuthbert towards Kerr who picked out Harder, but the Dane directed her header narrowly wide of the post. We were growing in confidence as the search for an opening goal continued.

United almost came unstuck when Cuthbert intercepted their play out from the back, feeding James who was forced wide of the goal. She managed to pick out Kerr inside the penalty area, but the forward could not get enough power on the header to trouble Earps as we entered the final five minutes of normal time at the end of the first half.

There was nothing to separate the sides as half-time approached. Both teams had seen openings on goal, but neither had been able to take advantage and strike that opening blow. There was a brief stoppage in play as Buchanan received some treatment inside our own half, but the Canadian was able to continue.

As six minutes of stoppage time were announced, we nearly fell behind. A mix-up in defence almost opened the door for the hosts, but Bright and Eriksson combined excellently to recover and slam the door shut again. The game remained goalless going into the interval with everything to play for in the second half.

Quick-fire double

United got the second half underway which began in much the same fashion as the first. There was little to separate the teams, who were taking it in turns to ask questions of each other. We were still awaiting the first clear-cut chance of the match, while the physicality and competitive nature were intensifying.

It was end-to-end stuff momentarily with Russo’s cross cleared by Bright, denying the United shirts that were waiting to pounce inside the penalty area. There was some space down the left which Harder raced into at the opposite end, but she miskicked her attempted cross which rolled behind for a goal-kick.

With the game hanging in the balance, we finally found the breakthrough on the hour mark thanks to Kerr. The Australian took the ball under her spell just inside the penalty area, shifting it onto her right foot before burying an expertly taken finish low into the bottom corner past Earps who was left flat-footed.

We were in the mood now and landed another blow just moments later when James netted our second of the night on 63 minutes. Kerr pulled the ball back to James, who had looked sprightly all evening, and she clinically swept the ball across goal and into the far corner of the net to spark wild celebrations among the Chelsea faithful.

Sealing the deal

With 20 minutes to go, United pulled a goal back courtesy of Russo who found herself one-on-one with Berger, picking out the bottom corner to reduce the deficit and light a spark among the home supporters. It was important that we remained calm and composed as the game entered its final quarter of an hour with only one goal between the teams.

United continued to push for an equaliser as the game ticked towards the last knockings of normal time. We made our first change of the match with five minutes remaining as Reiten was replaced by Johanna Rytting Kaneryd on the left-hand side, with fresh legs required in a bid to help us over the finish line.

It was backs to the wall defending for the Blues as we were forced to weather a late storm of United pressure. Bright got across brilliantly to block Ella Toone’s attempted cross from the byline before a speculative effort from range drifted over Berger’s crossbar, much to the relief of the Blues fans behind the goal.

Jess Carter replaced James at the start of five minutes of additional time when we sealed the victory with a third goal thanks to Cuthbert. She took control of the ball brilliantly on the edge of the box, placing a left-footed strike into the far corner which sealed the victory and ensured the points would be heading back to London.

What’s next?

Another international break is now upon us with many of the Blues contingent preparing to represent their countries in various corners of the globe.

We return to Women’s Super League action on Sunday 20 November and it’s a fixture the Chelsea fans have all been waiting for.

Tottenham Hotspur are the visitors to Stamford Bridge for what promises to be a fantastic London derby, with kick-off scheduled for 1pm (UK time). Get your tickets now!

Manchester United (4-1-4-1): Earps; Blundell (Staniforth 63), Le Tissier, Turner, Thorisdottir; Zelem; Russo (Williams 76), Galton, Toone, Ladd (Leon 87); Parris (Thomas 76)

Unused Subs: Baggaley, Moore, Boe Risa, Tounkara, Clinton.

Scorers: Russo (71)

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Berger; Charles, Buchanan, Bright, Eriksson; Ingle, Cuthbert; Reiten (Rytting Kaneryd 82), Harder, James (Carter 90’); Kerr.

Unused Subs: Musovic, Orman, Nouwen, England, Perisset, Fleming, Abdullina.

Scorers: Kerr (60), James (63), Cuthbert (90’)

Crowd: 6, 186