AAP Soccer

Kerr a sub as Chelsea resume WSL title chase in 5-0 win

By AAP Newswire

Jan 12, 2026

sandy — France star Sandy Baltimore scored two goals in Chelsea's 5-0 WSL win over West Ham. -AP

Sam Kerr came on as a second-half substitute for Chelsea as they thumped Katrina Gorry's West Ham 5-0 to maintain their pursuit of Women's Super League leaders Manchester City.

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Chelsea, who have won the last six league titles, picked up in 2026 where they left off with their 9-1 League Cup trouncing of Liverpool to end last year as they stayed six points behind City, who defeated Everton 2-0.

Matildas skipper Kerr was brought on in the 61st minute of Sunday's home match.

Chelsea were already 4-0 up at halftime in Rita Guarino's first game as Hammers boss thanks to an own goal from Yu Endo and efforts from Lauren James, Alyssa Thompson and Sandy Baltimore.

They added a second-half penalty from France international Baltimore.

West Ham skipper Gorry was replaced after 46 minutes for her second-bottom side.

Goals from Kerolin and Vivianne Miedema against Everton cemented Manchester City's place at the top table.

Brazil international Kerolin opened the scoring with a deflected 26th-minute effort at the Joie Stadium before Netherlands counterpart Miedema made sure with a well-taken second as the hosts dominated.

City top the standings on 33 points with Chelsea, who dropped seven points in a nightmare three-game spell in November and December, second on 27 points.

Title hopefuls Arsenal and Manchester United played out a 0-0 draw in London on Saturday, as the two sides lost ‌ground on the top two. Arsenal are third on 23 points and United fifth on 22.

Tottenham Hotspur, with Australian defender Clare Hunt on deck, climbed into fourth spot, behind Arsenal on goal difference, with a 1-0 win over Emily van Egmond's Leicester ‍City as a goal from a corner that went in off former Spurs defender Ashleigh Neville gave her old team the three points.

Encouragingly for Spurs, 20-year-old Signe Gaupset was superb on her debut after signing from SK Brann in her native Norway, picking up the player of the match award after an impressive display that lasted just over an hour before she was replaced.

Aston Villa came back from a goal down to beat Australian manager Dario Vidosic's Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 at home, while last-placed Liverpool drew 0-0 with London City Lionesses, who ‍are seventh in the 12-team table.