Matildas Abroad Review: Kerr scores hat-trick for Chelsea; Foord scores for Arsenal

Sam Kerr scored a hat-trick for the defending Women's FA Cup champions; while Caitlin Foord and Emily Gielnik also found the back of the net in their side's big wins!

Read the review below!

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England

Kicking off in London, Sam Kerr's Chelsea kicked off their title defence with a 3-2 win over Liverpool, with the Aussie striker netting a hat-trick.

Kerr found the opener just after the half-hour mark, getting on the end of Niamh Charles' cross with a volley to finish into the back of the net and give Chelsea a 1-0 lead going into the break. 

Sam Kerr of Chelsea celebrates after scoring the team's third goal and their hat-trick during the Vitality Women's FA Cup Fourth Round match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Kingsmeadow on January 29, 2023 in Kingston upon Thames, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Sam Kerr of Chelsea celebrates after scoring the team's third goal and their hat-trick during the Vitality Women's FA Cup Fourth Round match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Kingsmeadow on January 29, 2023, in Kingston upon Thames, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Chelsea's tally was doubled after the interval, with Fran Kirby finding a wide-open Kerr and threading a perfect through ball to find the number 20.

Liverpool clawed one back through Ceri Holland until Kerr completed her hat trick and ensured Chelsea's path to the next round. 

Clare Wheeler's Everton went down 1-0 to Birmingham City. Jade Pennock scored the match-winner in the 61st minute to see Birmingham through to the next round, with Wheeler coming off the bench in the defeat for the Toffees. 

Meanwhile, Mary Fowler, Hayley Raso and Alanna Kennedy's Manchester City picked up a 7-0 win over Sheffield United. 

Khadija Shaw, Chloe Kelly and Deyna Castellanos found the back of the net in the first half to give the home side a 3-0 advantage heading into the break. 

Shaw scored two more in the second half while Julie Blakstad also netted a brace to finish the game 7-0. Kennedy played the whole game while Fowler came off the bench in the win. 

Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord's Arsenal showed a dominant performance in their opening game of the Women's FA Cup, beating Leeds United 9-0.

Foord opened the scoring just 10 minutes into the encounter, getting on the end of Katie McCabe's corner to give the Gunners the lead. 

Caitlin Foord of Arsenal celebrates after scoring the team's first goal with teammate Kathrine Kuhl during the Vitality Women's FA Cup Fourth Round match between Arsenal and Leeds United at Meadow Park on January 29, 2023 in Borehamwood, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
Caitlin Foord of Arsenal celebrates after scoring the team's first goal with teammate Kathrine Kuhl during the Vitality Women's FA Cup Fourth Round match between Arsenal and Leeds United at Meadow Park on January 29, 2023, in Borehamwood, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Kathrine Kühl scored her first goal for Arsenal since making the move in the January transfer window before skipper Kim Little added the third from the spot. 

Goals to Lina Hurtig, Jen Beattie, Michelle Agyemang, and Victoria Pelova and a brace to Stina Blacksteniues sealed the victory over Leeds to progress to the next round. 

Lydia Williams' Brighton & Hove Albion recorded a 7-0 win over West Bromwich Albion, with Williams appearing on the bench for the first time for the Seagulls after signing during the January transfer window.

Six different goalscorers got their name on the scoresheet for Brighton, sealing their spot in the fifth round. 

Mackenzie Arnold's West Ham United booked their ticket to the next round with a 2-0 win over the Wolverhampton Wanderers.

A goal to skipper Dagný Brynjarsdóttir and an own goal to Wolverhampton's Katie Johnson saw the Hammers advance to the fifth round, with Arnold keeping a clean sheet in the win. 

Courtney Nevin made her club debut for Leicester City who lost 3-2 on penalties to Reading FC. 

Reading took the lead just five minutes in through Sanne Troelsgaard Nielsen before Sam Tierney equalised just before the break for the Foxes.


Nevin came off the bench with eight minutes remaining in normal time, before the game was forced to go to added time to find a winner. 

Hannah Cain scored for Leicester in the 92nd minute before her matchwinner was matched by Reading's Emma Mukandi. Reading progressed to the next round after winning 3-2 on penalties. 

Lastly, Emily Gielnik's Aston Villa beat AFC Fylde 11-0 for a spot in the fifth round. 

The Villans took a 6-0 lead going into the break, with Gielnik adding her name to the scoresheet alongside Rachel Daly, Laura Blindkidle, Kenza Dali and Anna Patten. 


Daly had four in the game, with Alisha Lehmann, Mayumi Pacheco and Sarah Mayling all finding the back of the net. 

France

Our final stop takes us to France, where Ellie Carpenter's Lyon faced Montpellier HSC in the Coupe de France féminine round of 16.

Lyon repeated the same scoreline they beat Montpellier last weekend in the D1, advancing to the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win. 

Dzsenifer Marozsán and Delphine Cascarino scored to give Lyon the win. Carpenter was not named in the matchday squad, with head coach Sonia Bompastor explaining the defender still needs more time to recover from her injury.