3 minute read

Sam Kerr was rested for Chelsea but came on at halftime to help them to a hard-earned 2-0 victory over bottom club Leicester in the Women's Super League.

Sam Kerr's scoring streak from Chelsea is over but the prolific Matildas striker still played an important role in their second-half revival which saw the English champions make hard work of beating the Women's Super League's basement club Leicester.

Kerr, who'd scored seven goals in five successive matches in all competitions, was only deprived of making it six in a row on Sunday by a courageous point-blank save in Chelsea's 2-0 win at their Kingsmeadow home.

But the Matildas captain, who'd only come on at halftime after being given a rest in Chelsea's star-studded squad, did set up their second goal in the match's dying seconds, enjoying her second assist of the season for her equally deadly partner Fran Kirby.

Kerr was missed in the opening half as Chelsea failed to fire and her introduction after the interval didn't exactly spark the champions into life but she was still only deprived of finding the target when her rocket header from close range on the hour was kept out in extraordinary fashion by Kirstie Levell.

The ball smashed into the inspired Leicester keeper's face and, although it left her groggy on the ground, it had been enough to stop the 2021 Golden Boot winner celebrating her sixth goal of the WSL campaign.

Another star, Denmark's Pernille Harder, also came off the bench to ease Chelsea's frustration at not being able to break through when she struck in the 82nd minute, thus ending Leicesters hopes of earning their first point of the season.

They had threatened to keep Chelsea scoreless in a league match for the first time in three years but there was something inevitable about Chelsea's second when Harder's 94th minute flick on from a goal kick was nodded on again by Kerr straight into the predatory Kirby's path.

Chelsea's win saw them maintain their chase of WSL leaders Arsenal, who beat Everton 3-0 to keep up their perfect start and three-point advantage over the Blues after five games.

Tottenham, though, lost 2-1 to Brighton, their first loss of the season, to also now sit three points adrift of Chelsea.

Arsenal's Katie McCabe, the Ireland captain, scored a brilliant dipping volley in the 32nd minute, and her pinpoint corner also then picked out Lotte Wubben-Moy to nod home a second nine minutes later.

Australian international Caitlin Foord got a run-out from the bench with 15 minutes left in time to watch a dazzling third goal from Frida Maanum in the 87th minute.

Reading got their first win of the season with a 3-0 thumping of Aston Villa, while Birmingham picked up their first point this term thanks to a 1-1 draw with West Ham United.

Australian international Tameka Yallop had a fine effort saved by Birmingham keeper Marie Hourihan while her Matildas' teammate Mackenzie Arnold, in the West Ham goal, couldn't keep out Louise Quinn's equaliser.