Matildas Abroad Review: Kerr scores in 100th game for Chelsea; Carpenter named POTM in starting return

Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea and Manchester City all booked their spot in the Women's FA Cup quarter-finals, with Kerr scoring in her 100th match for the Blues. While Carpenter made her starting return for Lyon and was named Player of the Match in their win.

Read the review below. 

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England

Kicking off in Brighton, Lydia Williams' Brighton & Hove Albion defeated Coventry United 5-0 to book their spot in the next round, with Williams keeping a clean sheet for the Seagulls.

Braces to Brianna Visalli and Lee Geum-min and an own goal to Coventry defender Fran Orthodoxou saw Brighton book their spot in the last eight. 

Next up, Mary Fowler, Hayley Raso and Alanna Kennedy's Manchester City recorded another dominant win over Bristol City, beating the home side 8-1. 


Four goals to Khadija Shaw, a brace for Julie Blakstad and goals for Filippa Angeldal and Jemima Dahou saw out the 8-1 win. Fowler came off the bench after the break, while Raso and Kennedy did not appear in the matchday squad. 

Sam Kerr's reigning champions Chelsea hosted Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord's Arsenal, with all three Aussies starting for their respective clubs. 

Arsenal was on the front foot early, almost opening the scoring through Frida Mannum in the first minute of the game. However, the Blues took just 21 minutes to find the back of the net, Lauren James playing through Sophie Ingle for the opener. Chelsea took a 1-0 lead going into the break. 

In her 100th appearance for Chelsea, Sam Kerr doubled the home side's lead in the second half. Kerr was left unmarked just outside the box and able to chip the keeper to make it 2-0. 

Kyah Simon's Tottenham Hotspur went down 5-4 on penalties to Reading FC. A tough game saw both sides unable to break the deadlock, forced to go to a penalty shoot-out after a 0-0 draw in regular time. 

Lastly, Mackenzie Arnold's West Ham United went down 7-6 on penalties to Emily Gielnik's Aston Villa, with the Villa booking their spot in the next round.

Aston Villa found the opener in the 50th minute through Rachel Daly, before a late equaliser from captain Dagný Brynjarsdóttir sent the game into extra time. 


The game was forced to penalties, with Gielnik dispatching her attempt past Arnold. The shot-stopper stepped up to take her penalty, with the game already at sudden death and missed the target to see Aston Villa win 7-6. 

Sweden

The Swedish Women's Cup group stage kicked off around Sweden. 

Clare Polkinghorne and Charli Grant's Vittsjö GIK faced a 1-1 draw to Växjö DFF.
Kyra Cooney-Cross' Hammarby beat IF Brommapojkarna 4-0 to move to the top of the table in group c. 
Teagan Micah's FC Rosengård were defeated 1-0 by Kristianstads DFF.

France 

Our last stop takes us to France, where Ellie Carpenter made her starting return for Lyon. After making her return from injury in Lyon's last D1 outing at the start of the month, the defender was named in the Starting XI for the French side for the first time in over 280 days.

Ellie Carpenter (12) from OL in action during D1 Arkema game between Olympique Lyonnais and Bordeaux at Groupama Stadium OL Training Center in DÃ cines-Charpieu, France. (Pauline FIGUET / SPP)
Ellie Carpenter from OL in action during the D1 Arkema game between Olympique Lyonnais and Bordeaux at Groupama Stadium OL Training Center in DÃ cines-Charpieu, France. (Photo: Pauline FIGUET / SPP)

Dzsenifer Marozsán opened the scoring just before the break, linking up with German teammate Sara Däbritz for the opener. Eugénie Le Sommer and Marozsán scored in the second half to collect all three points with a 3-0 win over Bordeaux.

Carpenter played 68 minutes for Lyon, being named Player of the Match in the win.