Sam Kerr bid the perfect farewell to Chelsea with a stunning winner to beat Man Utd 1-0 in her final game for the club.
Despite the win, Chelsea were forced to settle for third in the Women’s Super League owing to Arsenal’s victory at Liverpool.
Kerr departs Chelsea this summer as the club’s all-time top WSL goalscorer, and netted her 67th and final league strike for the club to volley home Lauren James’ deep cross 11 minutes before half-time. It was her 116th goal for Chelsea in all competitions.
That also ensured the Blues’ season ended on a high note after they were dethroned of the WSL title for the first time in seven years but their victory was not enough to secure second, and automatic qualification for next season’s Women’s Champions League, after Arsenal’s emphatic victory on Merseyside kept the Gunners above them in the final table.
United, who came into the game having failed to win any of the teams’ previous 14 WSL meetings, were dominated in the opening 45 minutes at Stamford Bridge but had a number of chances to level after half-time.
The best of those fell to Ellen Wangerheim, making only her third WSL start since her January move from Hammarby, but her header from Jess Park’s cross cannoned off the woodwork and away to safety.
Dominique Janssen also had Hannah Hampton briefly worried when her 25-yard free-kick flashed across the face of goal but ultimately inches past the far post.
Hampton herself was forced off in the final minutes after suffering a recurrence of a knock picked up earlier in the match, though there was little indication whether it would throw her involvement in next month’s England World Cup qualifiers into doubt.
Her replacement, Livia Peng, was then at full stretch to deny United a last-gasp equaliser, but could soon celebrate a victory which left United nine points outside the top three, though only four behind their 44-point haul of last season.
More to follow…
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