Wearing the captain’s armband for the host nation, Sam Kerr scored four goals in six matches, and the Matildas reached the final of the tournament, thus settling an outstanding debt after having her participation in the 2023 World Cup at home limited due to a calf injury.

Even then, she showed flashes of her brilliance, especially with a spectacular goal against England in the semifinals, but this time she truly demonstrated what she is made of, as only two players in the Asian Cup outscored her.

In a season largely characterized by a lack of finishing accuracy, Bompastor has lamented the injuries her Chelsea team has had to contend with. Mayra Ramirez, who led the Blues’ attack for most of last year, suffered a hamstring injury during preseason that required surgery and could keep her out for the entire 2025/26 season.

Catarina Macario, now on the verge of signing for San Diego Wave in a record-breaking deal, has not played since Christmas. Aggie Beever-Jones has also suffered minor injuries, which has meant that summer signing Alyssa Thompson has often played in a more central role than perhaps suits her, with Lauren James, another player who has spent time on the sidelines, also playing as a false nine.

But Kerr has shown in recent weeks that, after returning early in the season from a 20-month injury layoff, she is in top form and ready to once again be the key figure in Chelsea’s attack. Her future may not be at the club, as reports suggest she will leave the team this summer, but what she can contribute in the final two months of this season remains immense.

It has been a strange season for Kerr. She returned with a bang in September, making her first appearance since December 2023, with a late goal against Aston Villa that sparked emotional celebrations, given the long road to recovery she had traveled.

After suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in January 2024, Kerr had an issue with the surgical graft that extended her layoff to 20 months, rather than the nine to 12 months typically required for ACL tears.

Understandably, Bompastor was cautious with the forward thereafter. Her minutes were limited to brief off-the-bench appearances, and her first starts came in two consecutive matches against Australia in October.

Kerr’s first start for Chelsea after the injury came a couple of weeks later, against St. Polten in the Champions League, followed by six more before her last appearance in January. In those seven matches, the Australian scored seven goals.

However, in the four matches following that last start, which came in the loss to Arsenal two months ago, Kerr has again come off the bench, as Bompastor has opted to start Thompson or James at the tip of the attack.

It has worked at times, with James proving especially effective in a free-roaming role, but there have been matches where Chelsea has lacked structure in attack and, as a result, players have frequently gotten in each other’s way.

When Kerr has entered the field, those problems have often been mitigated, while her off-the-bench goalscoring impact in the FA Cup victory over United last month was a reminder of the game-changing moments she can deliver simply by being on the pitch, thanks to her goalscoring instinct.

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