Matildas Sam Kerr, Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord have all enjoyed wins in the latest round of England’s Women’s Super League, while Mackenzie Arnold’s West Ham earned a last-gasp point against Liverpool.
Meanwhile Mary Fowler and Matildas teammate Alanna Kennedy played in Manchester City’s 1-0 win over Leicester City in England on Sunday.
Now they have all made a mad dash to the airport to return to Australia got three crucial World Cup qualifiers as Matildas players.
In a busy schedule for the international stars, the Matildas will face Iran on Thursday, the Philippines on Sunday and Chinese Tapei on November 1.
And they had an ideal tune-up in the WSL with a series of strong results for the Matildas stars.
Kerr provided two assists for Chelsea in WSL action on the weekend and will be looking to play a key role in the Matildas qualifiers this week
![Caitlin Foord was another Matilda who enjoyed a WSL win before jetting back to Australia for the World Cup qualifiers](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/23/02/76875189-12660199-image-a-3_1698022838757.jpg)
Caitlin Foord was another Matilda who enjoyed a WSL win before jetting back to Australia for the World Cup qualifiers
Kerr provided two assists as her Chelsea side came from behind to beat Brighton 4-2 and move joint-top with Manchester City on the league table.
New signing Sjoeke Nüsken scored twice for Chelsea, the Germany midfielder’s first goals since her summer move from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Brighton defender Guro Bergsvand scored an own goal in the 74th minute — turning in a Kerr cross — and Chelsea’s Aggie Beever-Jones came off the bench to put the game out of reach before Elisabeth Terland’s second-half stoppage-time consolation for the visitors.
Catley and Foord both played the full 90 minutes as Arsenal won 2-1 at Bristol City thanks to two goals from Ireland star Katie McCabe.
Arsenal have seven points from four games, leaving them three points off top-two Manchester City and Chelsea.
In east London, West Ham’s equaliser in the fifth minute of added time stole a late point at home to Liverpool.
Marie Hobinger opened the scoring for the visitors in the 52nd minute and goalkeeper Arnold kept her side in it with a good save from a powerful Fuka Nagano half-volley shortly afterwards.
The Matildas No 1 was grateful to the woodwork, which twice came to her rescue before West Ham’s Japan international Riko Ueki bundled the ball home at the death to grab a late share of the spoils.
![Mackenzie Arnold said the Matildas have an eye on the Paris Olympics where they hope to claim a maiden medal](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/23/02/76875195-12660199-image-a-4_1698022843888.jpg)
Mackenzie Arnold said the Matildas have an eye on the Paris Olympics where they hope to claim a maiden medal
![Women's World Cup star Hayley Raso also wants to see the Matildas put up an improved performance in Paris](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/23/02/76875217-12660199-image-a-5_1698022846961.jpg)
Women’s World Cup star Hayley Raso also wants to see the Matildas put up an improved performance in Paris
The Matildas’ stars have only a short window to ensure they are World Cup bound, with the Perth round of qualifiers to be followed by a second home-and-away series in February.
Then the Paris Olympics.
‘Hopefully a gold medal at the Olympics,’ Arnold told News Corp on what the players were hoping to achieve next.
‘I think we‘ve come up short so many times that we’re just, we’re over it. It’s time to win something.
‘What we did at the World Cup has put so much belief in us. We want to win a medal, we want it to be gold, but we’re done losing at the last hurdle. I think there’s a lot of success to come for us.’
Real Madrid star Hayley Raso agreed.
‘Going to the last Olympics and finishing fourth, playing in the World Cup and finishing fourth, there‘s three medals and you finish fourth – I really don’t think there’s anything worse than finishing fourth,’ she said.
‘So the desire from our team, from us all as individuals to win something with Australia is huge.’