Sam Kerr scored four goals to help Chelsea Women produce one of the high-scoring football results of the weekend in the Continental Cup. The Irons had held Arsenal to a scoreless draw in their WSL meeting on Sunday, so they were taken aback when Chelsea stormed out to a 3-0 lead in Dagenham within the first 22 minutes. After only four minutes, Kerr scored a free kick at the far post to put the Blues ahead. Fran Kirby was fed by Lauren James after making a break down the right, and before the home team could reorganize, she dashed into the penalty area and smashed a low shot into the bottom corner.
Erin Cuthbert pounced on a wayward pass across the West Ham backline to feed Australia forward, who took a touch before blasting the ball into the top corner, and Kerr fired in her second of the game. Just before the break, Kirby pulled up while running for a long pass and went off, but Chelsea kept the foot on the pedal. When Hawa Cissoko stumbled while attempting a backpass in first-half stoppage time, the ball continued to roll into the penalty area, where Kerr slid the ball past fellow Australian Mackenzie Arnold to complete her trifecta.
West Ham manager Paul Konchesky made four substitutions for the second half in an effort to salvage something from the game, giving a debut to January signing Shannon Cooke. However, Chelsea quickly scored their fifth goal when James cut inside and beat Arnold. West Ham’s miserable night was made much worse when substitute Lucy Parker was forced to leave the game in the 56th minute due to an injury. On the hour, Kerr assisted Eve Perisset’s cross for her fourth goal, and Guro Reiten’s deflected shot in the 65th completed the rout.
Chelsea, who lost to Manchester City in the domestic treble-denying final of the previous season, will next take on Arsenal at Selhurst Park on March 5. Arsenal will face Chelsea in the Continental Cup final on March 5; in the meantime, Emma Hayes’ team will play the Gunners in the FA Cup fifth round on February 26 at Kingsmeadow. On the same day, West Ham will host Aston Villa in an FA Cup match.
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