Chelsea manager Emma Hayes was quick to downplay any speculation of a serious injury suffered by Sam Kerr on Sunday evening during the Blues’ 7-0 rout of Everton in the Women’s Super League.
The Australian striker was forced off shortly after the half-hour mark during Chelsea’s comfortable thrashing of the Toffees from what appeared to be a twisted ankle.
But it was the image of Kerr, head in hands on the turf while receiving medical treatment, that threatened to overshadow a positive performance from the reigning champions as they ramp of their pursuit of a fourth consecutive title.
It is a vision that has come to feel more like an unofficial drill this season, with serious injuries suffered by key players becoming an almost ominous norm. Arsenal’s slew of injuries reaches deep, while Chelsea have suffered their own injury woes this season, with Fran Kirby forced to curtail her season due to knee surgery after months of rehab.
Meanwhile, the recent absences of England international Millie Bright and Kadeisha Buchanan in the backline have been conspicuous in the last months.
But Hayes swiftly minimised talk of Kerr’s injury with just 72 days until the Women's World Cup, owing the 29-year-old’s premature departure to a bout of illness and cramp.
"Sam was sick last night. She decided to play but her calf was cramping up so we decided to take her out," Hayes said post match.
Kerr’s departure arrived seven minutes after she snatched Chelsea’s second on the night, a superb header from Niamh Charles’ cross. The goal marked Kerr’s 10th of the season, placing her in prestigious company as only the second player in history to score 10 or more goals in at least three successive WSL seasons.
Only Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema has achieved such a feat, having done so four times between 2018 and 2022.
The record is testament to Kerr’s inimitable impact in Chelsea's attack and their sustained chokehold of the WSL’s upper echelons.
Injury to Kerr would issue serious concerns for Chelsea as they veer into a tense final month of competition with the FA Cup and title race still on the line.
Hayes, however, was able to call on Pernille Harder, who has slowly been returning from injury, and the Danish international’s introduction very nearly blotted out lingering worry of Kerr’s injury as she scored with her first touch moments after coming on to seize Chelsea’s third goal, and later added to her tally by grabbing the sixth of the night.
It was Harder’s first goal in 193 days, her last arriving during a hat-trick against Vllaznia in October during the Women’s Champions League group stage.
"[Kerr's injury] allowed [Harder] to have a little bit longer than maybe we would have wanted," Hayes said afterwards. "But we have missed so many goals from Pernille Harder this year."
Harder's goals atoned for another lethargic start to the match, of which Hayes criticized in her post-match assessment. Such a start very nearly cost Chelsea in their narrow 2-1 defeat to Liverpool mid-week and has been a troublesome habit for the reigning champions to shake this season.
"I was disappointed with us in the first 20 minutes of the game," Hayes said. "We didn’t execute the gameplan defensively.
"That’s something for me to address tomorrow with the team because for two games running we have started slowly. That’s not acceptable.
"If you’re playing a top team, you can’t afford to go one and two down in a game. I will deal with it tomorrow in analysis. The team know that, we will show and share that, and it’s something we will improve."
Goals from Guro Reiten, Kerr, Harder, Sophie Ingle, Jessie Fleming and Erin Cuthbert voided the anaemic start, and Hayes lauded her side's ruthlessness, noting that during a game which produced just 2.08 expected goals (xG), the team scored seven.
"There’s been many games where we’ve had higher xG, more clear-cut chances and been less efficient," Hayes said.
The victory lumps more pressure onto Manchester United at the top of the WSL table, particularly after Manchester City's shock loss to Liverpool on Sunday all but rules them out of the title race. Just four points separate Marc Skinner's side and Chelsea, albeit the latter touts two games in hand.
Chelsea face a mid-week match against relegation-threatened Leicester before facing United in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Sunday. Victory in both could issue a serious psychological blow to Skinner's side in a heady title race.
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