Sam Kerr has ended a quiet spell for Chelsea by getting back to her familiar prolific ways with a second goal of the Women’s Super League season in their win at Everton.
With injury concerns and a trip back home for Olympic qualifiers having made it a largely unproductive start to the English campaign for the two-time Golden Boot winner, Kerr struck in deadly fashion on Sunday to help the champions to a 3-0 stroll.
It proved a good day for Emma Hayes’ side as they strengthened their position at the top of the league, with Manchester City surprisingly losing 1-0 at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Arsenal moved up to second, three points adrift of Chelsea, with a come-from-behind 6-2 win at Leicester City.
Matildas star Caitlin Foord scored one, to make it 3-2, and assisted for another in a stunning second half after trailing 2-0 at the break.
Kerr was heavily involved for Chelsea and scored a drought-breaking goal on their way to a 3-0 victory over Everton
Caitlin Foord scored for Arsenal as they turned an early deficit into a huge 6-2 win over Leicester City
Compatriots Steph Catley played a full game and Kyra Cooney-Cross was subbed out in the 90th on a successful outing for the visitors, while Courtney Nevin battled for the beaten Foxes.
Kerr has not been at her brilliant best yet for Chelsea this season, with her only goal for them in her first three matches having come against West Ham United and she was rested last weekend after a trip back to Australia for the Matildas’ Olympic qualifiers.
But the 30-year-old was back at her sharpest at Everton’s Walton Hall Park home when she muscled ahead of the home defence to divert Johanna Rytting Kaneryd’s sharp low cross from the right into the net just after the hour mark to put Chelsea two up.
Her second goal of the campaign still leaves the ace predator well adrift in the race for this season’s Golden Boot as the league’s leading scorer, as she lies four behind Tottenham’s Scottish international Martha Thomas.
It has been a busy year for Kerr, coming back from dual calf injuries and playing in the FIFA Women’s World Cup and Olympic qualification matches in Perth
Matildas star Mary Fowler is still searching for her mojo as she went goalless again for Manchester City
Kerr had already been involved with Chelsea’s opening goal after 14 minutes, when her header in the box didn’t get cleared by her fellow Matilda, Everton defender Clare Wheeler, who just gently lobbed the ball back carelessly for Canadian star Jessie Fleming to volley home.
Mary Fowler and Alanna Kennedy had a frustrating afternoon as City dominated possession but ended up losing to a Brighton side, for whom Australian Charlie Rule had a late cameo off the bench.
Both Fowler and Kennedy had shots on goal, but it was South Korean substitute Lee Geum-Min who scored with one of only two efforts on target for the Seagulls.
In London, Norway international Celin Bizet scored a brilliant solo goal to put Tottenham ahead against Liverpool but her national teammate Sophie Roman Haug equalised to grab a 1-1 draw for the visitors – another good result for Chelsea as both teams have now fallen five points behind the Blues.
Manchester United are now four points adrift after West Ham’s Matildas keeper Mackenzie Arnold suffered a tough afternoon in their 5-0 away hiding. Geyse, Millie Turner, Nikita Parris, Lucia Garcia and Melvine Malard all scored for United.
