Sam Kerr scored a hat-trick as Chelsea Women beat PSG Women 4-1

Chelsea Triumphs Over PSG with Kerr's Hat-trick

Chelsea Women thrived in Emma Hayes' absence, securing a 4-1 win against PSG Women. While Hayes plans to depart at the end of the season to coach the U.S. women's national team, her impact on Chelsea is undeniable.

PSG started the game aggressively, with Mathilde Bourdieu spearheading the attacks. However, their efforts were in vain as Chelsea goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger expertly parried Bourdieu's attempts.

The stalemate was eventually broken after a half-hour, when Lauren James fed Millie Cole with a pass, leading to the latter scoring past PSG's Chiamaka Nardozzi. Chelsea continued to dominate, and despite PSG's pressure, Chelsea's defense held firm.

Halfway through the second half, Fran Kirby came off the bench, and Chelsea swiftly regained their two-goal advantage. Millie Cole capitalized on a Johanna Rytting Kaneryd pass, scoring her second goal of the night.

Sam Kerr then sealed her hat-trick in an exhilarating fashion, demonstrating her incredible skill and precision. A long ball from Berger evaded the PSG defender, and Kerr confidently dispatched it past the Nigerian goalkeeper.

Chelsea's momentum continued, with Erin Cuthbert coming close to extending their lead, but PSG's Louise Fleury managed to thwart her effort. Kerr missed an opportunity to score the fourth, but she quickly made up for it, wrapping up the win in the first minute of stoppage time.

Sophie Ingle's brilliant half-volley from a well-worked combination with replacements was the final nail in the coffin, and Chelsea celebrated a well-deserved victory.

"I thought it was a performance where we found something – our strength came from the bench today," Hayes said post-match. "Sophie (Ingle) came on and brought a calm, composed influence we needed."

Kerr, who led the team in the absence of Millie Bright as captain, impressed Hayes. "If 80 percent of her is what we get every week, then I'd take that any day, and that's not bad!" Hayes added.

With PSG struggling at the bottom of the group following two losses, Chelsea moved to second place with a four-point deficit after Häcken Women's 2-1 victory over Real Madrid.

Insights

Emma Hayes is renowned for her adaptability and versatile approach to the game, as detailed in Equalizer Soccer's analysis[1]. Despite her upcoming departure, Chelsea continues to excel under her leadership, as demonstrated by their dominant performance against PSG.

Sam Kerr's hat-trick was a testament to her ability to shine when the spotlight is on her, as she stepped up in the absence of Millie Bright. Her teammates also contributed significantly to the team's success, such as Keira Walsh and Guro Reiten, as evidenced in Chelsea's recent 1-0 win against Arsenal[2].