Manchester United's Maya Le Tissier scores from about 20 yards

Manchester City visited Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday as the Women’s Super League leaders faced their second-placed rivals, two points behind and seeking a response after consecutive draws.

Chelsea held the goal-difference advantage before kick-off. The closest challenger was a further four points behind, while victory would put City five points clear, The Guardian reported.

City took first place last week when Chelsea drew 1-1 with Everton, a Lucy Bronze own goal costing Chelsea two points.

Everton had 35% possession and did not register a shot on target.

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor said the results had prompted a response from her players and staff. "I think the two last results have been frustrating for us so it’s good to see from the players’ reaction but also the staff reaction," she said.

Bompastor said Chelsea’s hunger came from the Everton performance, which she said "was a game where we didn’t produce much on the pitch in terms of the attacking aspects." Chelsea had also dominated Hacken in Gothenburg during the week but could not score in a 0-0 Champions League draw.

"I’m convinced tomorrow we’ll create opportunities and we will have to be clinical for sure," Bompastor said. Before kick-off, she told the BBC that "it’s still too early to focus on where we will be at the end of the season."

City manager Andree Jeglertz said before the game that "these games are very special for everybody involved." He hoped Niamh Charles, Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema would be available after all three trained on Thursday.

City came into the match having beaten West Ham 5-0 the previous weekend. "I feel we are in a good place," Jeglertz said.

Mead and Miedema made City’s published bench, while Knaak captained a starting side featuring Khadija Shaw.

Your City side to face Chelsea 🩵

XI | Yamashita, Beney, Rose, Knaak (C), Wamser, Coffey, Hasegawa, Fowler, Fujino, Hemp, Shaw

SUBS | Cumings, Shimizu, Clinton, Mead, Miedema, Casparij, Blindkilde Brown, Lohmann, Prior

🤝 @etihad

— Manchester City Women (@ManCityWomen) November 14, 2026

Jeglertz told the BBC that Chelsea "have a central midfielder who is dominating a lot of games." He added, "Both teams are playing a lot man-to-man in the defending phase, so you need to escape from that."

Buchanan kept possession inside her own penalty area in the second minute as Shaw tried to take it, then toe-poked the ball to a teammate.

The final score was not immediately known.

The Guardian’s Suzanne Wrack wrote that Chelsea, City and Arsenal once played title-deciding matches against each other because investment and quality separated them from the rest of the league. She wrote that momentum, confidence, belief and bragging rights carried more importance in this game than the three points. City ended Chelsea’s run of six consecutive titles by winning the league last season.

Manchester United were at home to Crystal Palace at the same time. Maya Le Tissier was presented with a framed shirt for her 150th United appearance before kick-off and scored about 20 minutes later.

Le Tissier struck from about 20 yards, sending the ball dipping into the net’s corner. United had 79% possession after just over half an hour.

Victory would move United close to third-placed London City Lionesses, while Palace would enter the top half with a win. The Lionesses play Arsenal this weekend, with six points separating them.

Chelsea travel to the Joie Stadium for the return match against City in January, after three intervening rounds of league fixtures.