Chelsea may not have delivered their sharpest performance under Sonia Bompastor at Villa Park, but the 3-1 win over Aston Villa will be remembered for two special moments — the debut of young star Alyssa Thompson and the long-awaited goalscoring comeback of Sam Kerr.
Aggie Beever-Jones opened the scoring for the Blues with a well-placed header from close range, but Villa struck back before halftime. Ebony Salmon produced a brilliant 20-yard strike that sailed over goalkeeper Hannah Hampton into the top corner. Hampton then kept Chelsea in the contest with two crucial saves before Keira Walsh restored the lead after the break, her effort from a corner taking a deflection on its way into the net.
In the 75th minute, the moment fans had been waiting for arrived — Sam Kerr stepped onto the pitch for her first competitive appearance in 634 days following a knee injury suffered in January 2024. True to form, the Australian forward made an immediate impact. Deep into stoppage time, she pounced on a loose ball from a corner to score Chelsea’s third, securing her 100th goal for the club in the process.
Kerr’s strike capped off back-to-back victories to start the Women’s Super League season, giving Chelsea momentum and fans plenty to celebrate. The return of their talisman, combined with the promise of Thompson’s debut, made for a memorable afternoon in the Midlands.
