In the 96th minute, Guro Reiten tucked in from close range after a scramble in the box to equalize Chloe Kelly’s opener, after Alex Greenwood and Lauren Hemp were both sent off for City.

Greenwood was sent off in the first half of a contest that City had dominated at Joie Stadium on a spectacular afternoon in Manchester.

In the 38th minute, City captain Greenwood was issued a second yellow card for time wasting, and Hemp was also booked for bringing down Lauren James after 81 minutes.

The decision by referee Emily Heaslip to dismiss Greenwood was booed loudly by home fans, and three yellow cards were issued to City teammates Kelly, Laia Aleixandri, and Jill Roord for dissent.

Hemp’s dismissal sparked more outrage in the spectators, and manager Gareth Taylor was reprimanded for dissent.

City played with a sense of unfairness throughout the second half, and their perseverance nearly paid off after Kelly’s thunderous strike from the edge of the box gave them a slender lead early on.

Chelsea, buoyed by the introduction of striker Sam Kerr off the bench, were given a reprieve after a terrible first 45 minutes and tested goalkeeper Khiara Keating more and more as the game progressed.

James hit the crossbar before Reiten’s scrambling equalizer quieted a raucous home crowd, and Kerr headed an effort off the outside of the post as Chelsea came within seconds of winning.

However, City hung on to extend their impressive 20-game unbeaten run at home in the WSL, while Chelsea at least walked away with something from a venue where they have struggled in recent seasons.