Chelsea run riot in 10 goal thriller as Kaneryd hat-trick helps beat Liverpool 9-1

Chelsea Women produced a sensational performance to hammer Liverpool 9-1 and secure their place in the Women’s League Cup semi-finals, with Johanna Rytting Kaneryd grabbing a hat-trick and Sam Kerr netting twice.

Wieke Kaptein scored a brace, while Sjoeke Nusken and Millie Bright also found the net. Jenna Clark scored Liverpool’s lone goal.

Sonia Bompastor made wholesale changes to her starting XI, with seven alterations from the team that faced Wolfsburg on Wednesday night. One of the four players who remained was Sam Kerr, who immediately set the tone, opening the scoring after just 13 minutes. 

Niamh Charles’s low ball into the box allowed Kerr to dart in front of her marker and slot home into the near bottom corner. Not long after, Kerr doubled Chelsea’s advantage, exploiting the space in Liverpool’s defence to extend the lead to 2-0.

Liverpool have been hit hard by injuries this season, and this made their 1-1 draw with Chelsea a month ago all the more remarkable given the limited options Gareth Taylor has had at his disposal. This time though, the Reds were completely overwhelmed.

Bompastor, often criticised for cautious tactics, took a bold risk by deploying five attackers, and it paid off immediately. Wieke Kaptein and Aggie Beever-Jones added two more goals before the 32nd minute, giving Chelsea a commanding 4-0 lead

Chelsea continued their relentless attack in the second half, with Johanna Rytting Kaneryd striking a fine goal to make it 5-0. Jenna Clark’s header for Liverpool prevented a clean sheet for Chelsea goalkeeper Livia Peng, but the Blues responded with four more goals. 

Millie Bright scored a rare goal, while Kaneryd completed her hat-trick, and Kaptein netted her second. Nusken also got on the scoresheet, sealing an emphatic 9-1 victory.

“This was a great performance, a great win”, Sonia Bompastor told the media after the game. “We rotated the squad and the squad proved they are really good players. We were able to score with different players. Pleased for Johanna and the team, lots of positives to take. I wish we could’ve kept a clean sheet. Complete performance, great result.”

Despite the dominant display, there was concern over Beever-Jones, who appeared to pick up an ankle injury during the match. “It’s on her ankle, so we’ll assess her. It’s too soon for me to have more news. Hopefully it won’t be too bad, but it doesn’t look great at the moment”, Bompastor said.

The pressure on Gareth Taylor, appointed in August, will only intensify after this poor defeat.

Chelsea’s Women delivered a Christmas cracker of a performance and their clinical finishing, attacking fluidity, and squad depth were on full display as they dismantled Liverpool with ease.

Chelsea will now face Manchester City in the semi-final, following City’s 5-1 victory over West Ham.