Page 4 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.15 2021-22

Kerr powers Chelsea to Cup glory

Chelsea 3 (Kirby 3, Kerr 57,77)
Arsenal 0
att: 40,942; at Wembley Stadium
Sam Kerr scored a second half double and Fran Kirby added the other as Chelsea won the
Vitality Women’s FA Cup for the third time with a dominant victory at Wembley.
The Final was actually the 2020-21 season version of the competition and Chelsea
are now the holders of all three major domestic trophies, having lifted the Barclays FA
WSL title and won the FA Women’s Continental League Cup Final against Bristol City
back in March.
An early goal proved to be a crucial moment in the game and it came Chelsea’s way
in the third minute. After Arsenal had given away possession, Kerr’s deflected pass
released Kirby goal and she confidently buried her shot past Manuela Zinsberger and into
the corner of the net.
Just four minutes later, Zinsberger made a crucial save to deny Kerr as she ran
through on goal and the Austrian goalkeeper did even better to keep out a firm Kirby
strike at her near post with a reflex save.
The Gunners were finding it hard to contain the Chelsea strikers and Kerr was to
go close again when, whilst chasing a long ball forward, she shrugged off the attentions
of Lotte Wubben-Moy and although this time her shot beat Zinsberger, the ball came
back off the bar.
Arsenal had looked completely out of sorts and overrun up until this stage, but
then began to have their best spell of the game as half time approached. They did have
what appeared to be legitimate claims for a penalty just before the break as the ball looked
to have hit a sliding Erin Cuthbert’s hand inside the area, but play was waved on.
Given the way the first half had gone, Chelsea would probably have been
disappointed to only have been one goal ahead at half time. Jess Carter need to make a
good sliding tackle from Beth Mead in the opening moments of the second half but
Chelsea were quick to wrest control once again.
Kerr headed straight at Zinsberger from an Erin Cuthbert cross but the Australian,
who had looked like scoring all afternoon, finally got on the scoresheet just before the
hour.
Kirby’s ball down the left was chased down by Kerr, who cut inside past Wubben-
Moy and drilled a shot which beat Zinsberger for pace at her near post and the Blues were
two ahead.
With Jessie Fleming and Melanie Leupolz, well supported by Sophie Ingle,
controlling matters in midfield, Chelsea had things completely in their hands. Arsenal
brought on Mana Iwabuchi and Caitlin Foord in an attempt to give them more strength
going forward but in truth, Chelsea were looking like scoring every time they attacked and
were inches away from making it three as the impish Kirby ran at the Gunners defence
and curled a left foot shot from the edge of the area which crashed against the post.
However just five minutes later, the game was put beyond all doubt with a goal
that will long be remembered to grace the occasion. Leupolz won possession in midfield
a slid a pass into the path of Kerr who powered goalwards and she took the ball into the
area, she dinked a sublime effort over a stranded Zinsberger and into the far corner to
spark off wild Chelsea celebrations.
Issue no. 15 - 9 December 2021 womenssoccerscene@mail.com