3 minute read
Even without Sam Kerr, Chelsea are dominating the start of the Women's Super League season in England with Mary Fowler's Man City their nearest chasers.
On a chilly night in her Kingsmeadow kingdom, Sam Kerr watched another Chelsea super show while wrapped up on the sidelines and must have wondered how she will get back into the rampant champions' team when she's fit again.
Slowly recuperating from her torn ACL and determined not to rush her comeback, Kerr will, like the rest of the Chelsea faithful, have savoured an electric performance from Swedish ace Johanna Rytting Kaneryd in a 5-2 demolition of Tottenham on Sunday evening.
But it was another example of just how comfortably Chelsea, under their new French manager Sonia Bompastor, are thriving without their long-time key Australian striker and even their injured England superstar Lauren James.
The handsome victory made it four wins out of four in the Women's Super League for Chelsea, to go alongside their two Champions League wins in what has been a perfect opening to their season.
They remain one point behind Manchester City at the top, after Mary Fowler helped the leaders to a 2-1 comeback win at home to Aston Villa earlier on Sunday. City, though, have played a game more than the champions.
Rytting Kaneryd was outstanding from the start, winning the ball high up to trigger the move that ended with Maika Hamano putting the champs one up in 10 minutes.
But it was only after the break she really dazzled, first with a stunning volley in the 70th minute and then with a spectacular solo effort for Chelsea's fifth.
It didn't prove the happiest nights from Spurs' Matildas' defender Clare Hunt, who gave away a 74th minute penalty with a handball. Guro Reiten hit the post with the resultant spot kick, only for fullback Sandy Baltimore to slot in the rebound.
Earlier, Fowler continued her fine form, helping set up City's crucial equaliser after Villa had taken a shock lead against the run of play through an opportunist 20th minute finish from Brazilian Gabi Nunes.
But as City huffed and puffed to make their possession count, Fowler linked up with Leila Ouahabi down the left flank, before the Spaniard whipped over a deep cross that Lauren Hemp headed up in the air before hooking the ball spectacularly into the net.
Seven minutes later, player of the match Hemp then set up Jill Roord for the winner, the Dutch international's first goal since returning from a serious knee injury.
Arsenal, under interim boss Renee Slegers and complete with their full contingent of three Matildas, won their first league match since the resignation of manager Jonas Eidevall in midweek, a 2-0 win at Katrina Gorry-captained West Ham moving them to fifth, two points behind Dario Vidosic-managed Brighton.
An early goal for Courtney Nevin's Leicester earned them a 1-0 home win over Clare Wheeler's struggling Everton, while Crystal Palace continued their good start to the season with a 1-1 draw at Liverpool.
