London, March 12th 2023: Sam Kerr (20 Chelsea) goal celebration during the Barclays FA Womens Super League game between Chelsea and Manchester United at Kingsmeadow, London, England. (Pedro Soares / SPP)
Sonia Bompastor was pleased to see Sam Kerr back in the starting eleven for Chelsea – for the first time in almost two years.
More than that, the Australian also bagged a brace in her return to UEFA Women’s Champions League action after a lengthy layoff due to an ACL injury as the Blues beat FC Polten 6-0 away in Vienna.
Goals from Wieke Kaptein, Catarina Macario (2), and a Lisa Ebert own goal completed the Chelsea tally.
“It’s always good to score some great goals, a lot of goals,” Bompastor said after the game, according to the club’s official website.
“I think tonight’s game gave us that opportunity. We scored six and we created a lot. It’s always good for individual confidence, but also for team confidence, to be able to do that.
“Having players returning is really positive, especially coming into this period, where it’s really busy.
“We are going to play every three days with big games coming up, so it’s important to have depth and quality. Some players can have a real impact on the club and the team. That’s really positive news.”
Bompastor was also referring to Naomi Girma, who took her place at the heart of defence for the first time this season, and Lauren James, who played her first minutes since the summer when she came on as a substitute for the last 14 minutes of the game.
All in all, it was no wonder the head coach declared it a “very good performance”.
Sonia Bompastor: We controlled the game
She went on: “We controlled the game from start to finish. We defended very well. We prevented St. Polten from creating situations, especially in transition, that they could have created against other teams.
“I also think that we were very good with the ball, we were patient, and we were able to open up spaces. The movement was really good, the players were connected to each other and created a lot of chances.
“So, in that respect, I’m very satisfied with the performance and, in fact, that’s what I expect from my squad, given the quality we have at Chelsea.”
