Player ratings as points shared at Etihad Stadium

From the Etihad Stadium – Manchester City and Manchester United played out an entertaining 1-1 draw in front of 44,259 in a landmark WSL derby at the Etihad Stadium.

Leah Galton’s first half opener was eventually cancelled out by Laura Coombs, with a draw arguably the fairest outcome on the balance of the game.

The travelling contingent of United fans were louder and more passionate with their singing, and it took City around 10 minutes to get into their stride. But the hosts had the first real sight of goal when Mary Earps had to punch the ball away at a corner threatening to drop into the net.

City continued that pressure without creating much more in the way of clear sites of goal, which gave United the confidence to attack more and then take the lead when their opportunity came.

The visitors had been best out wide against Aston Villa last weekend and in the early stages here and it was a move that came from the left. Galton started it, before playing inside to Ella Toone and continuing her run into the box. The deflected low finish beat Ellie Roebuck at the near post.

United clearly took confidence from going ahead, playing more freely than they were earlier. And while Earps made a couple of saves in what remained of the first half, the England number one was comfortable and City hadn’t done enough to get back on level terms.

If anything, United had a great opportunity to make it 2-0 before the break, but Hayley Ladd lacked the composure from a relatively tight angle and fire high and wide.

Marc Skinner’s side then picked up where they left off after the restart and really pinned the hosts in. But the first time that City really broke that press in the second half, they scored. A Chloe Kelly cross from the right wasn’t cleared and Coombs was in a great position to stoop and nod in.

It changed the momentum of the game and soon Kelly went close to putting City ahead with an effort from out wide that flashed across the face of goal. Millie Turner, who had missed her header for the equaliser, then had to stretch to turn a dangerous ball over her own crossbar.

Alessia Russo had a couple of half chances to restore United’s lead, firing just wide from distance. Both goalkeepers were called into action as the final stages approached, Earps twice saved Khadija Shaw headers, while Roebuck just about kept hold of one from substitute Martha Thomas.

With both sides seemingly not settled to accept a draw, it was end to end stuff in the final moments.

United…