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Manchester United deny champions Chelsea winning start to title defence

Manchester United deny champions Chelsea winning start to title defence
© Reuters
The Manchester United striker swept home the equaliser from close range in the 79th minute.

Leah Galton struck late to deny champions Chelsea a winning start to their new WSL campaign at Leigh Sports Village.

The Manchester United striker swept home the equaliser from close range in the 79th minute as the hosts cancelled out Sam Kerr's 25th minute strike to earn a 1-1 draw.

The visitors, who introduced new signing Pernille Harder for the final 10 minutes, continued to press and almost grabbed the winner when Erin Cuthbert had a shot blocked.

Manchester United v Chelsea – FA Women's Super League – Leigh Sports Village Stadium
Sam Kerr gave champions Chelsea the lead against Manchester United (Martin Rickett/PA)

But Casey Stoney's side held out under the strong late pressure and ultimately proved good value for their point.

Jill Roord scored a hat-trick as Arsenal kicked off their campaign with a 6-1 thrashing of Reading.

Goals from Kim Little and Vivianne Miedema put the hosts in control before Roord opened her account to make it 3-0 at the break.

Two more strikes from Roord sandwiched Miedema's second, which crashed in off the underside of the bar, before Danielle Carter scored a late consolation for Reading.

Adriana Leon fired a superb equaliser as West Ham kicked off their campaign with a 1-1 draw at Tottenham.

Kit Graham hit the crossbar twice as Spurs dominated the first half then grabbed a 53rd minute lead through a Grace Fisk own goal.

But the new-look Hammers pulled level four minutes later when Canadian international Leon cut in from the left win and drilled her shot into the top right corner.

Two goals from captain Lucy Graham helped Everton to a 4-0 win at Bristol City, with the other goals coming from Simone Magill and Valerie Gauvin.

But the visitors, who welcomed back Izzy Christiansen, did not have it all their own way with City coming close through Aimee Palmer and Ebony Salmon.

Megan Connolly and Inessa Kaagman both scored within two second half minutes as Hope Powell's Brighton began their campaign with a 2-0 win over Birmingham.

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Chelsea's Michy Batshuayi in action with Manchester United's Eric Bailly in the Premier League on February 17, 2020
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Olympic medal table header
CountryGold medalSilver MedalBronze MedalT
ChinaChina1671033
JapanJapan154625
United StatesUnited States14161141
Olympics flagOlympic Athletes from Russia912930
AustraliaAustralia921122
Great BritainGreat Britain58821
Today's Olympic highlights header

Friday's key events


ATHLETICS
· The athletics schedule begins, with 100m sprinter Dina Asher-Smith among the names in action on the opening day. The men's 10,000m final concludes the action, with Team GB's Sam Atkin and Marc Scott taking part in the absence of 2012 and 2016 champion Sir Mo Farah (1am-2.30pm)

ROWING
· Victoria Thornley is Team GB's representative in the women's single sculls final (1.33am)
· Great Britain will be going for gold in the men's eight final (2.25am)

SWIMMING
· Team GB duo Molly Renshaw and Abbie Wood take part in the women's 200m breaststroke final, but new Olympic record-holder Tatjana Schoenmaker of South Africa is the hot favourite (2.41am)
· Luke Greenbank has very realistic ambitions of picking up a medal in the men's 200m backstroke final (2.50am)
· There is also British representation in the women's 100m freestyle final, although any medal for Anna Hopkin would be a surprise (2.59am)
· With one gold and one silver already under his belt at these Games, Duncan Scott goes again in the men's 200m individual medley final (3.16am)

TRAMPOLINE
· Bryony Page will be looking to repeat her 2016 heroics in the women's event (5am-7.30pm)

CANOE SLALOM
· Bradley Forbes-Cryans will be looking to emulate Rio gold medallist Joe Clarke in the men's kayak event (6am-9am)

FOOTBALL
· The women's tournament enters the quarter-finals, with Great Britain facing Australia at the Ibaraki Kashima Stadium (10am)

> Today's schedule in full
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