Emma Hayes' team dropped vital points as their main title rivals pulled level with them at the top of the WSL table

Manchester City have blown the Women's Super League title race wide open, beating Chelsea 1-0 at Kingsmeadow on Friday night to go level with the Blues on points and goal difference at the summit, with their slender advantage at the top of the table only now on goals scored.

There were only 14 minutes on the clock when Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw broke the deadlock, Jess Park robbing Erin Cuthbert of the ball in the midfield before slipping her team-mate in behind the Chelsea defence to coolly beat the onrushing Hannah Hampton. Were it not for a superb save from the England goalkeeper minutes later, it would've been 2-0, Park and Shaw linking up wonderfully once more.

Chelsea will feel aggrieved that they didn't have the chance to level the score from 12 yards, though. Mayra Ramirez, who arrived for a British record fee from Levante in January, raced past Alex Greenwood and darted into the box, only for the defender to bring her down for what seemed to be a clear penalty. The referee was not interested, though, much to the disbelief of the grounded Colombian.

Fran Kirby came close to a leveller before the break, only for Khiara Keating to tip her shot around the post and it was the teenage shot-stopper who was by far the busier of the two in the second half. Pouncing on a ball at Kirby's feet and parrying a Jelena Cankovic strike away, she will have also been relieved to see a Cuthbert effort fly off target just when it looked destined for the top corner.

For the final 25 minutes, it felt for sure that Chelsea would score. As City dropped further and further back, struggling more and more to get out, an equaliser felt inevitable. But Gareth Taylor's side stood firm and took a huge step towards delivering City a first WSL title for eight years.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Kingsmeadow…

GettyLOSER: Chelsea

This game was a huge opportunity for Chelsea. At home, in front of a sold-out crowd at the intimate and, for opponents, intimidating Kingsmeadow, avoiding defeat felt imperative but a win would've been huge, opening up six points' worth of breathing space for them at the top of the WSL. With eight games remaining, it would've been an almost insurmountable gap for Man City, their closest rivals for the title.

However, instead it looks like the Blues will be having a straight shootout with City for the right to be English champions. It felt for certain that Chelsea would manage to claw back an equaliser given the amount of pressure they put on the visitors in the final 25 minutes, with City unable to even get out of their own box at times. But a lack of conviction in the final third meant that they went away empty handed, with the pair now level on points and goal difference at the WSL summit, with Chelsea's superior goals scored tally all that puts them top. Forget breathing space – it's enough to induce claustrophobia.

AdvertisementGettyWINNER: Khadija Shaw

After being unlucky not to win at least one, if not two, penalties in the clash with Arsenal last weekend, Shaw got the goal she deserved on Friday with a wonderfully composed finish that gave City the lead. The Jamaica star linked up with Park in the No.10 role fluidly, getting on the end of the England youngster's through ball for the opener before coming close to another after the pair worked together to get behind the defence a few minutes later, only for Hampton to come up with a big stop.

Shaw can come in for unnecessary criticism for her stats in these 'big' games from time to time, though those are not surprising given the opponents so often centre their defensive plans on nullifying her. However, she showed her quality with a match-winning strike on this occasion.

GettyLOSER: Mayra Ramirez

There's no doubt about it: Ramirez should've had a penalty. The Colombian caused plenty of problems with her powerful running and there was most evident when she got the better of Greenwood and left the England star scrambling to rescue the situation in the box, only for her to take out Ramirez's legs for what looked sure to be a spot-kick. The referee, however, gave nothing, leaving those in Chelsea blue astonished.

Overall, the January signing didn't have a bad game at all. She got involved nicely in build-up play, looked an absolute menace for the City defence whenever she ran with the ball and was a real handful for Greenwood and Laia Aleixandri. However, Ramirez also didn't have any real chances of note, with the service into her lacking as much as the luck.

GettyWINNER: Jess Park

After being granted a start in the FA Cup win over Arsenal on Sunday, Park was back in the XI on Friday for the first time in the WSL this season and she more than justified her inclusion, causing a problem for Chelsea's midfield all evening. A livewire both in and out of possession, her eye for a pass put the Blues on the back foot several times, none more so than when she robbed Cuthbert of the ball in the middle of the pitch and slipped Shaw in to break the deadlock.

For Taylor to trust Park with a place in the team for both of these games said a lot, especially given it meant players like Mary Fowler and Filippa Angeldahl remained on the bench. This week could be massive in igniting the 22-year-old's City career and it comes just before an England camp, too. Park will hope Sarina Wiegman was watching.