KINGSTON, England — In a preparatory match for the League Cup final set for March 15 between Chelsea and Manchester United, Sam Kerr was pivotal as the Blues eliminated their opponents from the FA Cup with a 2-1 victory, advancing to the quarterfinals. However, they will be without their key player when the trophy is contested in Bristol after the international break, as the Australian forward will be participating in the Asian Cup.
After playing for 72 minutes without a designated striker, with USWNT winger Alyssa Thompson filling that role, Kerr’s introduction from the bench transformed the match for Chelsea. Within six minutes, she netted the opening goal, marking her 150th appearance with a strike that benefited from a slight deflection off the post.
This outcome seemed almost predetermined. Kerr has netted nine goals in 10 encounters against United, and although she has been working to regain her pre-injury form following an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in January 2024 that sidelined her for 22 months, she displayed glimpses of her former self during the match on Sunday.
Although her goal was quickly equalized by Simi Awujo after Chelsea failed to clear the ball, the pressure Kerr exerted on the United defense throughout the remainder of the match enabled the Blues to regroup and secure the winner through Naomi Girma in extra time.
However, Chelsea faces a challenge: they will be without Kerr and crucial right back Ellie Carpenter for approximately four weeks if Australia progresses to the later stages of the Asian Cup. This absence means both players will miss the League Cup final on March 15, the Women’s Super League match against London City on March 21, and potentially the Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Arsenal on March 24, depending on their travel and recovery after returning from Australia.
Currently, Kerr is the only striker in relatively good form available to Chelsea, as injuries have sidelined Catarina Macario and Mayra Ramírez, while forward Aggie Beever-Jones has also missed time due to an ankle injury. However, her role has diminished as she works her way back to full fitness, resulting in just one start in 14 WSL matches.
Even a partially fit Kerr remains the clear choice when a goal is needed to secure a victory — with 30 of her goals for Chelsea being decisive and 10 scored in finals — but Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor will need to rely on another player to step up in the interim.
Against United on Sunday, it was sufficient. However, it was challenging for the visitors to inflict significant damage as the players appeared fatigued after just 30 minutes. This should not come as a surprise.
In their inaugural season, United will face Bayern Munich in the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) quarterfinals after defeating Atletico Madrid in the knockout phase playoffs. This marks the first occasion the team has had to balance the intense competition and travel of the UWCL alongside a demanding domestic schedule, which proved too much for their squad to handle this time.
They were competitive and managed to match Chelsea, but by conceding possession and allowing the Blues to control the ball, they limited their opportunities to counterattack effectively. This strategy had been successful in the past — United defeated Chelsea in the 2024 FA Cup semifinal — but they lacked the stamina to maintain it this time, and with an additional 30 minutes to play, their only hope was a late handball appeal that went unanswered.
Despite their FA Cup elimination, United’s journey to the UWCL quarterfinals and League Cup final will undoubtedly be seen as a successful season, regardless of their final position in the WSL. While finishing outside the top three in the league would be disappointing and viewed as a failure by some fans, the opportunity to face either Real Madrid or Barcelona — likely the latter — in the semifinals of Europe will come at a price.
With Champions-elect City still eight points ahead of United and nine points clear of Chelsea, both teams are nearly out of contention for the WSL title. Unless a miracle occurs or something goes drastically wrong for City, the two will now focus on the race for the top three and their meeting in the League Cup final.
Both teams can draw lessons from this encounter as they prepare for Bristol. However, with Chelsea needing to adjust for the absences of Kerr and Carpenter, and United keeping an eye on Bayern, the dynamics of their next meeting will change significantly.
