Sam Kerr marks return to Chelsea starting XI in style

Sam Kerr scored twice on her first Chelsea start since December 2023 as they climbed to second in the Women’s Champions League table with a commanding 6-0 win away to St Polten.

Sonia Bompastor’s side laid down a marker in the competition with Kerr, recently back from an ACL injury, slotting across the goalkeeper for her team’s fourth goal in the 75th minute then heading the sixth in stoppage time.

Earlier, a goal from Wieke Kaptein and a brace from Catarina Macario had put the visitors in command. Lisa Ebert’s own goal, in between Kerr’s double, compounded the misery for the home side.

Chelsea went ahead after 12 minutes as Macario slid the ball up to Ellie Carpenter who picked out Kaptein’s run into the box. The home side had numbers back but were unable to prevent the Netherlands international slipping the ball beyond goalkeeper Carina Schluter into the bottom corner.

Defender Naomi Girma thought she had made it two when the ball rebounded off the post, hit her and went in, but the offside flag intervened to chalk the goal off.

Chelsea would not be denied though, and a minute before the break Macario doubled their lead. Johanna Rytting Kaneryd worked the ball up to her and the forward stepped inside and rattled a finish low across the goalkeeper and in.

Alyssa Thompson won a penalty by tricking her way past defender Izabela Krizaj and drawing a foul. From the spot, Macario stepped up and found the corner for her second and her team’s third.

Kerr’s first goal gave the scoreline the gloss Chelsea’s dominance had warranted, but there was more to come in the closing stages.

Lauren James’ cross was deflected into her own net by the unfortunate Ebert before Kerr headed in Niamh Charles’ cross in stoppage time.