Sky Sports columnist Laura Hunter breaks down the big talking points from the latest Women’s Super League fixtures and explores the key stories at the heart of the women’s game.
Mr. Kerr celebrates a well-deserved milestone
For Sam Kerr, there’s no better way to end his journey at Chelsea than by becoming the club’s all-time leading WSL scorer. Rumor has it that she plans to leave the company this summer when her contract expires.
He was sidelined for 20 months with an anterior cruciate ligament injury and didn’t play as much time as he would have liked, and there was a time when it felt like he’d never reach Fran Kirby’s goals. Very little of the time she played was at her very high pre-injury standards.
But since returning from the Asia Cup in March, where she scored four goals to help Australia reach the finals, she has returned to her old self, contributing an average of 1.4 goals per game. This is the Kerr of yesteryear, a player revered as the most feared forward in the game. Probably one of the best players ever at her position.
Kerr’s opening goal against Leicester at the weekend meant he surpassed Kirby’s long-standing total. The 32-year-old had started the last three league games against Leicester, scoring in each of them, so there was no reason this game would be any different. This also means she has found the back of the net in three consecutive WSL matches for the first time since May 2023.
It’s right in Kerr’s code to get back to form like this and make history for Chelsea. The way she scored her 64th goal was also typical, perfectly timed to line up with Niamh Charles’ floated ball. Kerr’s dual movement makes her particularly difficult to track, and even if defenders manage to achieve touch-tight, her physical superiority and aerial power are such that she is rarely overcome with a header.
Her social media message to fans after the match reinforced the idea that this season would be her last in west London. “It’s a real honor,” Kerr said in a selfie video. “It’s amazing to score 64 goals in front of everyone. Let’s finish the season strong.”
Since his debut in January 2020, only Bunny Shaw, 81, has surpassed Kerr’s incredible goal rate. The Chelsea striker’s total goal contributions (86) are second only to Shaw’s 99 after he was sidelined for the better part of two years. It’s really amazing. Had it not been for such a severe injury, she definitely would have kept her pace.
Winning against Leicester was equally important for Chelsea. They are now guaranteed to play European football again next season as coach Sonia Bompastre looks to rebuild her title-winning side with a new squad. Champions like Kerr, the now-retired Millie Bright and Guro Leiten, who left in January, were pillars of the bygone Emma Hayes era.
Bompastor must now find a mainstay around which he can build. Perhaps no one has been more prolific than the great Sam Kerr. But she has an iconic figure to model Chelsea’s next generation of strikers from.
Man City must keep their nerves in check
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Highlights of the Women’s Super League match between Manchester City and Liverpool.
Manchester City are in a dangerous situation. A close 1-0 win over Liverpool at the weekend means they are on the brink of a first WSL title in 10 years, but the dodgy finish has nerves rattling.
After losing to Brighton last week, all they needed was a win. It was achieved with minimal margins. Rebecca Knaak scored from a set-piece in the 91st minute to secure all three points against a team whose manager knows all too well how difficult it is to fight at the back.
Things have always been far from perfect for City under Gareth Taylor. And on Sunday, a long, unforgettable story unfolded with jarring irony. Your old boss comes back and ruins the job you never could have seen on your own.
Man City looked to be struggling against Liverpool, with the match meandering towards a heartbreaking goalless finish. “We struggled quite a bit in the first half,” admitted Andriy Szegrats. “They’re good, they’re making it difficult for us.”
Teams managed by Taylor are always well-trained. They play proper soccer. With better finishing, Liverpool could have actually reached a three-goal lead within the first four minutes, and City’s title would have been on the brink. But in this case, their need was even greater, and their dogged determination to find a way even after the clock struck 90 was palpable.
Rebecca Knaak gets mopped up by team-mates after scoring the final goal in victory over Liverpool
“There’s something about this group. We never give up,” Jegratz added afterwards. “It’s all up to us. We’re not playing the best football ever, but that’s what good teams do to win games anyway.”
Knaak stooped to head the winner, watching the ball drip by chance under an otherwise perfect Jennifer Faulk, then lay motionless on the deck. She was swarmed by her teammates, who celebrated and fell to the ground in relief. An accumulation of symbolic consolation.
Given their overwhelming goal difference, they are likely to need just one point on the final day to get ahead of Arsenal, their only remaining challenger on the circuit. In fact, if Arsenal slip up between now and May 16th they could win the title without ever kicking a ball again, but it’s hard to imagine that happening.
What is certain is that for the first time since 2018/19 we will have a new WSL champion. That’s suitable for Manchester City. Please be brave. They will be playing against each other for the first time in 10 years. There is one final hurdle left to jump…
Read last week’s column
Last week’s column assessed the impact of a disastrous weekend for both Manchester clubs and the impact of two poor results in their respective league matches.
What happens in WSL?
Wednesday, May 6th 7:35pm
7:45pm kickoff
Arsenal will keep their WSL hopes alive by playing two games in three days against Brighton on Wednesday and Aston Villa on Saturday, both of which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. In case of anything other than a win, Man City will be awarded the title.
