Manchester United suffered their first defeat of the 2022/23 WSL campaign as they fell 3-1 to Chelsea on Sunday evening.
Alessia Russo got a consolation for the hosts midway through the second half but goals from Sam Kerr, Lauren James and Erin Cuthbert saw the Blues secure all three points at the Leigh Sports Village.
United manager Marc Skinner wanted his players to go "to the wire" to test themselves against the current WSL champions. There was a genuine calmness to United's play and they were not afraid to play out from the back. Chelsea's aerial attacks were no trouble for Mary Earps and her backline but they couldn't quite secure the win.