Report as Sam Kerr's hat-trick inspires Chelsea to victory; Chelsea are now 12 games unbeaten at home - a new WSL record; They close the gap on leaders Manchester United to three points with a game in hand
Sunday 6 December 2020 21:25, UK
Sam Kerr scored a hat-trick as Chelsea held on for a 3-2 win at home to West Ham as the Women's Super League welcomed back fans for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fran Kirby assisted two of the striker's goals, with the first coming after 15 minutes. Kirby's low, driven cross into the box was tapped in by Kerr past fellow Australian Mackenzie Arnold.
West Ham grabbed an equaliser when Rachel Daly got on the end of Canadian team-mate Adriana Leon's cross a minute into the second half.
Emma Hayes' side went ahead for the second time 10 minutes later as record signing Pernille Harder's looping cross was pushed away by Arnold, only for Kerr to score on the rebound.
The NWSL and W-League's all-time top goalscorer Kerr completed her hat-trick in the 68th minute, slotting home from six yards once again from Kirby's pinpoint low pass.
Kerr ran into a defender as she wheeled away in celebration and was immediately substituted.
West Ham substitute Alisha Lehmann made an immediate impact as her pressure resulted in an own goal from Chelsea captain Magdalena Erikkson to make it 3-2 but Chelsea held on.
Chelsea are now 12 games unbeaten at home - a new WSL record - and closed the gap on current leaders Manchester United to three points with a game in hand.
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes: "In terms of the hat-trick, I want to talk about the amount of running players are doing around her to help with that, especially Beth England who made a lot of selfless decisions today. The same with Fran, who made just as many selfless decisions."
West Ham interim head coach Billy Stewart: "I'm pleased Rachel scored on her birthday, it's just a shame we didn't have 11 birthdays today, we would have won 11-3!
"I thought we were in the game right until the last second. Getting a goal with the last kick of the game pretty much shows the standard of the club. "I told the players (at half-time) to keep believing in themselves. We had a game-plan and we stuck to that. But sometimes we held onto the ball for too long, and you can't do that with Chelsea's attacking five players."
Three first-half goals saw Manchester City climb above opponents Everton with a 3-0 win at Walton Hall Park.
Ellen White opened the scoring - her fourth goal in eight league appearances - with looping a header past goalkeeper Sandy MacIver in the 25th minute and Gemma Bonner nodded in Caroline Weir's cross to double the lead a minute later.
Canadian international Janine Beckie put Gareth Taylor's side up 3-0 in first-half added time, again with the assist coming from Weir.
The Toffees were unable to make anything out of a number of set-piece opportunities as City kept a clean sheet and moved up to fourth in the table, five points behind leaders Manchester United.
Arsenal beat Birmingham 3-0 as the hosts welcomed fans to Meadow Park for the first time since February.
The Gunners, who warmly applauded their supporters before kick-off, came flying out of the blocks and won a penalty in the 19th minute, when Kim Little was blocked in the box.
Little stepped up to take the spot-kick herself, but her low drive to the bottom right-hand corner was smartly stopped by Birmingham goalkeeper Hannah Hampton.
Vivianne Miedema's low shot on 30 minutes clipped the outside of the post and Leah Williamson headed just over two minutes from half-time, leaving Birmingham grateful to head down the tunnel goalless at the break.
The second half continued in the same vein and Arsenal got the goal their dominance deserved on 57 minutes, when Katie McCabe's floating left-wing cross was nodded in by Caitlin Foord.
They doubled their lead emphatically just five minutes later, when Jill Roord played a smart one-two and looped a shot over Hampton from 22 yards out for her seventh goal of the season.
Hampton produced a fine one-handed save on 82 minutes when she kept out a Malin Gut shot, but the referee awarded Arsenal another penalty a minute later for a handball in the box.
This time Little made no mistake and buried it low into the left-hand corner to seal the game for the Gunners and welcome their fans back with a win.
Alex Morgan scored her first goal for Tottenham to help them beat Brighton 3-1 for their first win of the Women's Super League season.
Tottenham opened the scoring when Morgan was fouled on the right-hand side and Kerys Harrop swung the free-kick into the top left-hand corner of the goal to make it 1-0 in the 11th minute.
Brighton levelled from a 33rd-minute penalty after Allana Kennedy's high foot caught Brighton's Aileen Whelan. Inessa Kaagman fired powerfully inside the right post to make it 1-1.
In the 63rd minute, Angela Addison took the ball past two Brighton players and the keeper to slot into the bottom right-hand corner and brilliantly restore Spurs' lead.
Morgan then scored a penalty, awarded for a foul on Ria Percival, to make it 3-1 to Tottenham in their first match under new manager Rehanne Skinner.
Reading came from behind to draw 1-1 at home to Bristol City as fans returned to the Madejski Stadium for the first time in the Women's Super League this season.
The hosts earned a point thanks to Fara Williams' equaliser, which cancelled out the opening goal from Emma Bissell, but they wasted a host of chances to take all three points.
The visitors went in front in the 43rd minute after following a fantastic counter-attack, Bissell finding the back of the net just seconds after Jess Fishlock had been denied at the opposite end.
Williams equalised five minutes after the break, scoring with a cool finish from inside the six-yard box.
Danielle Carter, Fishlock and Natasha Harding all saw efforts saved by City goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley, who kept her side in the match and ensured they earned just their second point of the season.
