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Five hundred and eighty five days. 34 Women’s Super League games. Finally, Chelsea’s unbeaten domestic league run is at an end.

On a day when Manchester City toiled before finding a way to win, Chelsea were unable to do the same.

The upshot is that City are now six points clear at the top of the WSL, and suddenly a first league title since 2016 seems like it is theirs to lose.

Of course, it would be foolish to make any final calls now. City fans will wince remembering the end of 2023-24, when a late loss at home to Arsenal saw the title slip form their grasp into Chelsea’s hands.

That defeat came after the Blues appeared to have lost their grip on the trophy with a dramatic 4-3 defeat by Liverpool. It was the last time they had lost in the WSL, until Sunday.

That was when Everton, the other Merseyside team, completed a smash and grab at Kingsmeadow which lacked the goals of the game on May 1, 2024, but was no less lacking in drama.

Sonia Bompastor’s first WSL defeat came in a game during which Chelsea had 30 shots on goal, 18 corners and 61 touches in the Everton box.

“You could see that frustration and maybe that little bit of self-doubt and with that, they started to snatch at chances and we saw that a little bit in the second half and later in the game,” former England international Fara Williams told BBC Sport. “You could see the confidence deteriorating with this Chelsea team in the second half.

“We created opportunities to win the game, so it’s really disappointing result,” Bompastor told the BBC. “That happens sometimes in football, it was not a bad performance, but today we couldn’t score and win the game.

“If you look at the stats in terms of possession, chances created and other stats, we had complete control of the game. The only thing was we couldn’t score.”

It seemed in the final stages that they would play until Chelsea scored, with play continuing beyond the allotted additional time as Toffees boss Brian Sorensen waved and roared in frustration on the sidelines.

Of course, Chelsea’s title dreams are not over. But this defeat was coming.

They have now failed to win in their last three league games – drawing at Arsenal and bottom club Liverpool before the international break – and only twice in their last six.

Chelsea’s squad is packed with talent, but it has weaknesses. Baltimore, more comfortable as a forward, was exposed at left back for the goal as she was beaten all ends up by Toni Payne.

Payne cut the ball across for Honoka Hayashi to tap into a net left empty by Livia Peng, who had been unable to gather as she came off her line. The Swiss keeper is deputising for injured Hannah Hampton – and while capable, is no replacement for the best number one in the world.

In midfield, Chelsea missed the bite of Erin Cuthbert. Keira Walsh was deployed as the sole holding player, and does not have the mobility or physicality of the Scot.

“The bigger picture is the league, the unbeaten run was nice but we want to win the league, and dropping points isn’t going to help that,” Walsh told the BBC.

“Man City are a great team, we’ve got to play them again. We’ve got to focus, keep our heads down. We’ve got some tough games, we need to keep working hard.”

On 55 minutes, Lauren James was subbed off for Sam Kerr. These are names which usually would strike terror into opposition hearts, but both are still finding full fitness after injuries, and neither were top of their game on Sunday.

When Chelsea have struggled previously in their unbeaten run, they have turned to individual brilliance. In this fixture last season, Everton seemed set for a creditable 1-1 draw before James pulled out a stunning 93th minute winner. Not this time.

By the end, Chelsea were operating on a wing and a prayer. A total of 53 crosses attests to that.

“This is where they got a little bit desperate as time was ticking down,” said Williams. “They were putting the ball in areas.

Let’s compare to Manchester City. Earlier, City had struggled for 70 minutes against Leicester before finding the breakthrough, and ultimately running out 3-0 winners.

Like Chelsea, the manager Andree Jeglertz turned to his bench for inspiration, and a forward returning from injury.

But while Kerr was unable to change the game for Chelsea, Kerolin made all the difference at King Power Stadium.

The Brazilian has blown hot and cold in the WSL, but here added essential pace and urgency to a City attack which had grown one-note and low on ideas.

Khadija Shaw, who had spurned several earlier chances, found herself with more space as Kerolin drew defenders and scored twice late on. She even provided a stoppage time assist for the Brazilian to deservedly get on the scoresheet.

“We had a lot of chances in the first half but at half-time we spoke about that it’s going to come and be patient and when we get the chance put it in the back of the net,” Shaw told Sky Sports.

While the WSL is still a league with a divide between haves and have-nots, those that have still need guile and adaptability to beat sides lower in the division.

City proved they had that at Leicester. That’s why they have lost just one of their past 26 Women’s Super League games against teams that finished the previous season in the bottom half or were newly promoted – a 2-1 loss away to Everton in December last year.

That is now nine wins in a row for City. In such a short season – 22 games, for the final time – momentum makes a lot of difference, and currently the Citizens have it all.

Whether they can carry that on until February 1, when Chelsea come to down, could be decisive in where the title goes.

European Challenge Cup

Ospreys (5) 24

Tries: Deaves, Cokanasiga, R Smith, Hopkins Cons: Edwards 2

Connacht (21) 21

Wing Iestyn Hopkins scored a 75th-minute winner as Ospreys completed a remarkable comeback to beat Connacht 24-21 in the European Challenge Cup.

The Welsh side look dead and buried when trailing 21-0 in the first half in Bridgend but fought back for a stunning bonus-point triumph in horrendous conditions.

Connacht raced into a 21-0 lead thanks to powerful finishes by tight-head props Finlay Bealham and Jack Aungier, either side of a similar effort by number eight Sean Jansen.

They ultimately paid the price for botched chances as Ospreys flanker Harri Deaves crossed with the final play of the first half to make it 21-5.

Home centre Phil Cokanasiga and lock Ryan Smith went over as Connacht, having emptied their bench, were reduced to 13 men because of an injury and a yellow card for Denis Buckley that led to uncontested scrums.

Connacht set the tone with a dominant first quarter in which they won collisions and had the better of the set-piece exchanges.

Bealham crashed over from close range in the 11th minute and then, after Ospreys blind-side James Ratti was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on, number eight Jansen also scored for the visitors.

A 50:22 by fly-half Jack Carty got the Irish province on the front foot again for their third try with just 22 minutes gone.

Replacement prop Aungier, who came on when Bealham was forced off immediately after his opener, powered through a tackle with Sean Naughton striking his third conversion for a 21-0 lead.

It got worse for Ospreys in the 28th minute when loose-head Garyn Phillips was shown yellow for persistent offending at the scrum.

Connacht wasted three opportunities in the 22 that would have secured the four-try bonus and the hosts had the final say of the half when, after a driving line-out went close, Wales flanker Deaves got over.

Ospreys made a bright start to the second half with wing Hopkins having a line break denied by a forward pass and then being dragged down just short after number eight Ross Moriarty’s inside ball.

The home side did get themselves back in it with 56 minutes gone when centre Phil Cokanasiga crashed over after a quick tap, fly-half Dan Edwards converting to cut Connacht’s lead to 21-12.

With conditions worsening and Ospreys’ scrum transformed by the arrival of Wales loose-head Gareth Thomas, it was game on when loose-head Buckley was sin-binned for repeated infringements in the 67th minute.

That led to uncontested scrums and Connacht losing wing Finn Treacy, with Ospreys immediately punishing the 13 men through lock Smith crossing for a try that Edwards converted despite a slip.

Ospreys go on their travels to France to face Top 14 strugglers Montauban, who started with a 41-17 loss at Zebre, on Saturday, 13 December (15:15 GMT).

Ospreys: Walsh; Kasende, Boshoff, Cokanasiga, Hopkins; Edwards, Morgan-Williams; G Phillips, Parry (capt), Botha, R Davies, R Smith, Ratti, Deaves, Moriarty

Replacements: L Lloyd, G Thomas, Henry, Sutton, G Evans, L Davies, Nagy, Giles

Yellow cards: Ratti, G Phillips.

Connacht: Naughton; Jennings, Gilbert, Aki (capt), Treacy; Carty, Murphy; Buckley, Heffernan, Bealham, Joyce, D O’Connor, J Murphy, S O’Brien, Jansen

Replacements: de Buitlear, Duggan, Aungier, D Murray, Boyle, Reilly, S Walsh, West

Yellow card: Buckley

Referee: Evan Urruzmendi (France)

Assistant referees: Pierre-Baptiste Nuchy & Cyrille Boulay (France)

Mohamed Salah set off a storm at Liverpool with his explosive interview delivered across the M62 at Leeds on Saturday night.

So how were Reds fans feeling as they reflected on events a day later?

In these parts, you don’t need to tell anyone how much the Egyptian has done for this club since joining in 2016. It was Salah’s image, front and centre outside the Kop, that was in the background as we spoke to fans.

Around this time last year, a banner appeared on the Kop with an image of Salah and the words: “FSG. He fires a bow, now give Mo his dough!”

Come April, Salah was sitting on a throne inside Anfield to mark his new contract and just over two weeks later the club won the Premier League title.

But eight months later, the the 33-year-old has found himself out of the starting 11 and has now pitched himself in a civil war with the club and head coach Arne Slot.

“I don’t have to go every day fighting for my position because I earned it. I am not bigger than anyone but I earned my position,” Salah insisted on Saturday.

For fans at Anfield, this comment was a focus of attention.

“I’m hoping it was the heat of the moment but if it’s not, he’s out of order,” said Steve Hughes, 48.

“You can’t say that the position is mine because of what I’ve done for the club.

“It’s sad because we absolutely love him.

Salah’s decision to go public with his feelings towards the club and Slot after a match in which he didn’t play as the team dropped points left fans we spoke to disappointed.

It would be too much to say he has ruined his legacy even though the signs of damage were clear.

“As great a player as he is, you can’t say [what he said] ever. You’ve got to earn the right to play in that position every single game,” said another.

“There’s obviously a distraction between him and Slot so I think one of them has to go.”

Yet a handful defended Salah for expressing his opinions and chose to blame Slot.

“They’ve made him the scapegoat,” said another fan. “I wouldn’t imagine [he plays for Liverpool again].

“He’s definitely on the downward spiral but I’d rather have Mo than Slot.”

To dig deeper into Salah’s frustration, it is worth noting that he said he could not believe he had been benched for three games in a row.

For a man renowned for such high standards, the past week has undoubtedly been testing.

In his defence, any talk that Liverpool were defensively better without him was shown to be questionable by the fact they conceded three against Leeds.

Outside Anfield, the stadium and museum tours went on, elements of business as usual.

Five miles up the road in Kirkby, it was a recovery day for the players at the AXA Training Centre – the venue where Slot told Salah in a meeting on Friday that he would not be starting.

On Monday, Liverpool will train there before heading to Milan for Tuesday’s Champions League tie against Inter.

The first question is whether Salah will be at training and, if he is, whether he makes the travelling squad that will then fly from Liverpool John Lennon Airport to Milan Malpensa.

On the streets surrounding Anfield which are filled with murals of legends past and present, there is one paying tribute to Salah, featuring two of his iconic celebrations.

It’s hard to fathom that the ‘Egyptian King’ may never celebrate a goal for Liverpool again.

He is third on Liverpool’s all-time list of goalscorers with 250, behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt.

Salah insisted to reporters at Elland Road that he would say goodbye to the fans at Anfield on Saturday when Liverpool welcome Brighton.

But right now, that remains up in the air.

He is set to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday 15 December, with Egypt’s first game a week later.

There is a lot to sort out over the next week before that departure date.