Kerr scores on return as Chelsea overcome Aston Villa

Updated: Sep 14, 2025, 09:39 am

Sam Kerr scored on her first Chelsea appearance for 20 months as the champions maintained their perfect start to the Women's Super League (WSL) season with a 3-1 win away to Aston Villa.

The Australia international scrambled home her 100th Blues goal in stoppage time after being sent on as a substitute in the second half, as Sonia Bompastor's side were made to work for their victory by a dogged home performance at Villa Park.

United States national team forward Alyssa Thompson made her Chelsea debut when she replaced Guro Reiten in the 46th minute. 

Aggie Beever-Jones had earlier given Chelsea the lead with her second of the season before Ebony Salmon levelled. A Missy Bo Kearns own-goal made it 2-1 before Kerr capped her comeback from an ACL injury.

Chelsea went ahead after 22 minutes. Catarina Macario drove through the heart of Villa's defence and slipped the ball out wide to Ellie Carpenter. The full-back, who had impressed on her debut when The Blues beat Manchester City on the opening weekend, put the ball into the middle where Beever-Jones was waiting to head it past Ellie Roebuck.

It was a repeat of the combination that led to the opening goal during that 2-1 win over City with new-signing Carpenter showing already her value as an attacking presence down the right.

Sam Kerr marked her Chelsea return with a goal during the WSL champions' win at Aston Villa on Sunday.

Villa levelled before half-time through Salmon. Chasity Grant did the work to set it up, cutting the ball back to the edge of the box, and without taking a touch Salmon unleashed a wonderful strike that whipped behind Hannah Hampton and in.

The England goalkeeper then twice kept her side level as Salmon came close to her and her team's second, first saving impressively as the Villa forward bore down then again when preventing Salmon from rounding her.

Keira Walsh's strike restored Chelsea's lead 10 minutes into the second half. Roebuck's clearance at a corner went as far as Salmon who was unable properly to clear. Walsh took aim and her shot took a significant deflection off Bo Kearns to find its way beyond Roebuck.

Kerr was sent on for her first Chelsea appearance since January 2024, completing her long-awaited comeback. Almost immediately she teed up Macario for an effort that was beaten away by Roebuck.

Lucia Kendall came close to a Villa leveller, curling fractionally wide of the post as the home side searched gamely for a way back.

But Kerr gave Chelsea their perfect ending in added time, forcing the ball home after a goalmouth scramble.