After 20 months out, Sam Kerr makes stunning goal-scoring return

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By Richard Hookham

September 15, 2025 — 1.59am

Matildas superstar Sam Kerr has made a stunning goalscoring return after a 20-month injury absence, netting her 100th goal for her English club side Chelsea.

After being kept on the bench for the opening fixture of the Women’s Super League against Manchester City, Kerr was finally unleashed as a late substitute in Sunday’s 3-1 victory at Aston Villa.

And the 32-year-old Australian, who hasn’t played for the Blues since January 2024 because of a chronic ACL injury, immediately made her presence felt at Villa Park by netting the third goal in the Londoners’ second-straight league win.

Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor had hinted the Matildas captain would be in action with a “hopefully we’ll see” at her press conference on Friday.

And Kerr’s appearance off the bench in the 75th minute was a huge boost to the visitors, who were leading 2-1 at that stage thanks to Aggie Beever-Jones’s second strike of the season, which was cancelled out by Ebony Salmon, before a Missy Bo Kearns own-goal.

Sam Kerr celebrates after the team’s victory against Aston Villa.

Kerr then made an immediate impact, racking up a century of goals for her side by ramming home a loose ball in the Villa box from close range, three minutes into injury time.

AAP