Sam Kerr keeps racking up new goalscoring landmarks for Chelsea after netting another double in the champions’ crushing 5-0 win over Reading in the Women’s Super League.
The Matildas skipper scored in the 66th and 77th minutes at the Blues’ Kingsmeadow home on Sunday as she forged further clear in the race for the Golden Boot as the league’s top scorer.
Kerr popped up twice soon after the hour following one of her quieter games for the champs to take her tally for the season to 16.
She’s now four clear of her nearest Golden Boot challenger, Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema, as she seeks to retain the trophy she also won last season.
The 28-year-old Aussie has also now been involved in 50 goals since the start of 2020 – 38 goals and 12 assists.
It’s a landmark that puts her six clear of Dutch star Miedema over the same period.
Kerr might even have had another hat-trick but, like the consummate team player she is, she immediately handed the ball to Beth England in stoppage time when her strike partner won a last-ditch penalty.
England converted the spot kick for her second goal of the night and Canadian Jessie Fleming also got on the scoresheet with Chelsea’s opener just before halftime.
Kerr had barely been involved in the action when she scuffed home the easiest of chances gifted to her by Norwegian teammate Guro Reiten after clumsy Reading defending.
Eleven minutes later, she put away a sharp low cross from Erin Cuthbert with a sweet first-time, right-foot finish.
With four games each left to play, the win puts Chelsea back one point ahead of Arsenal, who had earlier briefly reclaimed top spot with a 5-0 win of their own at Leicester.
Miedema scored twice and Kerr’s Matildas teammate Caitlin Foord set the ball rolling in the second minute for the Gunners by setting up Beth Mead’s opener.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have secured their WSL comeback after two years away as a 4-2 victory at Bristol City saw them crowned Championship winners with two games to spare.
