Guro Reiten’s penalty earned a 1-0 win for Chelsea over Manchester United that extended their lead at the top of the Women’s Super League.

The Blues are five points clear of second-placed Manchester City in the table as they extended their perfect record under new head coach Sonia Bompastor to 12 wins from as many games this season.

This was a first defeat of the campaign for United, who remain fifth in the standings, but they came so close to continuing their unbeaten run and ending Chelsea’s winning run when Melvine Malard hit the crossbar in the dying stages.

Chelsea threatened first when Sandy Baltimore’s cross ran for Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, whose shot was inadvertently blocked by team-mate Mayra Ramirez.

Another let-off for United soon came as captain Maya Le Tissier lost the ball near her own area to Erin Cuthbert, leading to Maika Hamano stinging the hands of Phallon Tullis-Joyce.

It was one-way traffic in the early stages, as Reiten’s corner was allowed to run all the way through to Sjoeke Nusken, who mis-hit her shot wide.

But Chelsea’s dominance was rewarded after 17 minutes when Tullis-Joyce brought down Ramirez in the area and Reiten calmly placed her penalty into the bottom corner.

The visitors managed to stem the flow of chances against them but were not threatening at the other end and a yellow card for Rachel Williams for a reckless aerial challenge on Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton summed up their frustrations.

United were at least seeing more of the ball the longer the first half wore on, however, and the match was still very much in the balance when the two teams went in for half-time.

Geyse almost equalised five minutes into the second half when her long-range shot looped up following a deflection off Nusken and drew a good save from Hampton.

Having been put under pressure in the early stages following the restart, Chelsea almost doubled their lead in the 56th minute when Ramirez’s shot was turned behind by Tullis-Joyce at her near post.

Tullis-Joyce then had to be alert again in clawing away Cuthbert’s effort across goal just after the hour mark as the Blues began to reassert control.

It was then Le Tissier’s turn to come to the visitors’ rescue as she got across superbly to block Rytting Kaneryd’s shot, following a loose kick from her goalkeeper.

United’s rally early in the second half had long faded away by the time Ramirez had the latest chance to double Chelsea’s advantage when she shot straight at Tullis-Joyce.

But having kept themselves in the picture, United almost snatched a draw in the 90th minute when Malard’s strike from just inside the box crashed off the underside of the bar.