Laura Hunter, a columnist for Sky Sports, breaks down the headline‑making moments from the most recent Women’s Super League fixtures, drawing readers into the narratives that shape the modern women’s game. It is a storybook ending for Sam Kerr’s tenure at Chelsea: she is set to become the club’s all‑time leading scorer in the WSL.
Rumours abound that she will depart the club when her contract runs out this summer, marking the close of an era. There was a stage in her career when it seemed almost impossible for her to catch up with the benchmark set by Fran Kirby. A 20‑month lay‑off after an ACL reconstruction limited her playing time, and the minutes she did manage to log were far from the lofty standards she displayed before the injury. Yet, since returning from the Asian Cup in March – where she netted four times as Australia reached the final – Kerr has rediscovered the form that made her a household name, averaging 1.4 goal contributions per match.
This resurgence mirrors the Kerr of earlier seasons, a forward widely regarded as one of the most intimidating attackers in the sport, perhaps even among the best ever in her position. Her opening goal in a 3‑1 win over Leicester over the weekend saw her overtake Kirby’s long‑standing tally. The 32‑year‑old had previously scored in each of her three starts against Leicester, so there was no surprise that she continued the streak.
The strike also marked her first sequence of three consecutive WSL goals since May 2023. Finding this level of performance at a moment when Chelsea can add another historic milestone is quintessentially Kerr. The manner in which she notched her 64th goal was textbook: a perfectly timed run to meet a floated pass from Niamh Charles, followed by a sharp double movement that left the defence guessing. Even when opponents manage to stay tight on her, her physical presence and aerial strength make her a near‑unstoppable threat in the air.
After the match, Kerr posted a selfie video to her social channels, reinforcing the belief that this will be her final season in west London. "I’m absolutely honoured," she said, "it’s been amazing to score 64 goals in front of all of you – let’s finish the season strong." Since her debut in January 2020, only Bunny Shaw (who has 81 contributions) boasts a better goal‑per‑game ratio than Kerr.
The Chelsea striker’s total contributions – 86 at the time of writing – sit second only to Shaw’s 99, a remarkable achievement considering the two‑year stretch she spent sidelined. It is reasonable to assume that, without the injury, Kerr would have been neck‑and‑neck with Shaw for the top spot. The victory over Leicester also carried weight for Chelsea’s broader ambitions.
It secured the club’s place in European competition for the coming season as manager Sonia Bompastor looks to reshape a title‑winning side with a fresh set of players. The likes of Kerr, the recently retired Millie Bright and Guro Reiten – who left in January – were the foundations of the Emma Hayes era.
Bompastor now faces the task of identifying new leaders to build around, yet it is unlikely any newcomer will match Kerr’s prolific output. Nevertheless, Kerr remains an iconic figure for the next generation of strikers to emulate.
Across the league, Manchester City are navigating a precarious finish. A narrow 1‑0 win over Liverpool this past weekend puts them on the cusp of their first WSL crown in a decade, but the tension is palpable.
After a defeat to Brighton the previous week, a victory was essential, and it arrived in the 91st minute when Rebecca Knaak headed home from a set‑piece. The goal secured all three points against a side whose manager intimately understands the pressure of a title chase.
City’s campaign under Gareth Taylor has often been described as a series of near‑misses. In this fixture, the narrative nearly turned ironic: a former City boss, now with Liverpool, seemed poised to derail the title bid he never completed himself.
City’s performance was laborious, and the match threatened to end in a goalless draw that would have left the title hanging by a thread. As Andree Jeglertz admitted afterward, “The first half we struggled a lot – they are good, they’re making it difficult for us.” Taylor’s teams are known for disciplined, tidy football.
If Liverpool had been more clinical, they might have taken a three‑goal lead within the first four minutes, which would have forced City into a desperate finale. Instead, City’s resolve shone through as they pushed for a winner beyond the 90th minute. Jeglertz summed it up: “There’s something with this group. We never give up.
Everything is up to us – we’re not playing the best football we have ever done but that’s how good teams win games anyway.” Knaak’s header was a moment of pure emotion; she collapsed to the pitch after the ball slipped under a superb performance by goalkeeper Jennifer Falk. Teammates swarmed her, a mix of relief and celebration that turned the goal into a symbolic pile‑on of solace. With a superior goal difference, City need merely a point on the final day to stay ahead of Arsenal, the only other club still mathematically in the hunt. The title could be secured without City even kicking the ball if Arsenal falters before the season concludes on 16 May, though such a scenario seems unlikely.
What is certain is that the league will crown a new champion for the first time since the 2018/19 season, and all signs point to Manchester City. If they can hold their nerve, a decade‑long drought will finally be broken, leaving just one final hurdle to clear.
Last week’s column examined the repercussions of a difficult weekend for both Manchester clubs and the ripple effects of two disappointing results within the context of each team’s league campaign. Arsenal now face a packed schedule, with fixtures against Brighton on Wednesday and Aston Villa on Saturday, both crucial for preserving their own title aspirations. All matches will be streamed live on Sky Sports, and any result other than a win could hand the crown to a resilient City side.