West Ham 0-7 Chelsea: Sam Kerr scores four goals as Emma Hayes' side reach fourth straight Continental Cup final
Match report as Chelsea reached a fourth straight Continental Cup final by beating West Ham 7-0; Sam Kerr scored four times while Fran Kirby, Lauren James and Guro Reiten also found the net; Chelsea will meet Arsenal in the final but Kirby limped off injured in semi-final
Friday 10 February 2023 07:55, UK
Sam Kerr scored four goals as Women's Super League leaders Chelsea thrashed West Ham 7-0 at the Chigwell Construction Stadium to reach the Continental Tyres League Cup final.
The Irons had held Arsenal to a goalless draw in their WSL match on Sunday, but were left stunned as Chelsea raced into a 3-0 lead inside the opening 22 minutes in Dagenham.
Kerr converted a free-kick at the far post to set the Blues on their way after just four minutes.
Before the home side could regroup, they fell further behind as Lauren James broke down the right and fed Fran Kirby, who raced into the penalty area and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner.
Kerr fired in her second of the night after Erin Cuthbert pounced on a stray pass across the West Ham backline to feed the Australia forward, who took a touch before rifling the ball into the top corner.
Just before the break, Kirby went off after pulling up when running for a long pass but Chelsea kept the foot down.
In first-half stoppage time there was some more wayward defending from the Irons when Hawa Cissoko fell over before attempting a backpass, the ball rolled on into the penalty area and Kerr slotted past fellow Australian Mackenzie Arnold to complete her treble.
Looking to salvage something from the tie, West Ham manager Paul Konchesky made four changes for the second half which saw January signing Shannon Cooke handed a debut.
Chelsea, though, soon had a fifth when James cut inside to fire past Arnold, before West Ham's forgettable evening was compounded when substitute Lucy Parker was forced off with injury in the 56th minute.
Kerr nodded in her fourth from Eve Perisset's cross on the hour, with Guro Reiten's deflected effort in the 65th minute completing the rout.
Chelsea - beaten by Manchester City in last season's final to deny them a domestic treble - go on to face Arsenal at Selhurst Park on March 5.
Konchesky: As the manager, I'm embarrassed
West Ham manager Paul Konchesky to the club's official website:
"As the manager, I'm embarrassed. Embarrassed more because of the effort my team put in on Sunday to get a 0-0 draw and a point against Arsenal - and listen, I know we're playing a fantastic football team tonight - but the desire to work and resilience my team showed on Sunday, I don't think they brought that to the table today.
"It's tough to take right now, but in the league and in the cup run to get to the semi-final we've been fantastic.
"We're disappointed with the way we've gone out and lost, but hopefully that's going to bring us together and stronger for the rest of the season.
"All I can do is apologise [to the fans] on my behalf and the girls' behalf for the result.
"If it's not for [fans] like them who come here and cheer our girls on, maybe we wouldn't be where we are right now because they are our 12th player like I said on Sunday, and they were fantastic again tonight."
Hayes: A well-balanced performance
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes to the club's official website:
"A perfect end to a tough block. Really pushed the group, I think it's challenged us a lot in this period, but tonight was a perfect end to a good six weeks for us.
"I liked the performance, the mentality of the team from start to finish, the desire. Not just to get goals, but make it difficult for the opponent. And the fact we kept a clean sheet, I'm just as pleased.
"I thought we managed the moments well today and all around the performance was well balanced.
"We want to be serial winners. Anything less is unacceptable for us. The challenge I put forward to the team is making sure they know the gap has closed and every team around us is ready to take titles from us, so we have to be at our very best. But I wouldn't want to be in any other dressing room."
Kerr: A game where everything clicked
Chelsea goalscorer Sam Kerr to the club's official website:
"That was our aim to get to the final and hopefully go and win it this year. The most important thing about tonight was making the final so I thought it was a really good team performance and a clean sheet after a couple of rough games so we're really happy.
"Everyone did their job and when we play like that, no one can get near us. It's quite scary how quickly we can move the ball. It all clicked and came together and it's one of those nights where it felt like every pass, every run was the right one.
"I do get that service every week, it's just about putting it away. The movement off the ball allowed me to have space in the box. It was a good night for everyone."
What's next?
With Arsenal waiting for Chelsea in the Continental Cup final on March 5, Emma Hayes' side turn their attention to another cup game against the Gunners - with a FA Cup fifth-round tie at Kingsmeadow on February 26.
West Ham are also in the FA Cup, hosting Aston Villa on the same day.
