Key Takeaways
- Sam Kerr scored twice but was denied a record-breaking third goal by a refereeing error in Chelsea’s 4-1 win at Everton
- Blues manager Sonia Bompastor urges the league to introduce goal-line technology before next season kicks off
- Manchester United’s goalless draw at Tottenham damages their hopes of securing a spot in next season’s Champions League
Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has demanded that the Women’s Super League introduces goal-line technology next season. Her comments follow a refereeing error that denied striker Sam Kerr a hat-trick during Sunday’s 4-1 victory against Everton.
The Australian forward scored two clinical finishes to help Chelsea take control of the match. However, television replays clearly showed that her header struck the post and rolled over the goal line before Everton goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan flicked the ball away. The officials failed to spot that the ball had crossed the line.
The two goals Kerr did score moved her level with club legend Fran Kirby on 63 league goals for Chelsea. Had the third goal stood, she would have become the club’s all-time leading scorer in the competition.
“Kerr has matched Fran Kirby’s record, but she actually broke it because that was clearly over the line,” Bompastor explained after the match. “This proves again that we must have technology in this league next season.”
The Chelsea boss stressed that while her team won comfortably on this occasion, such errors could decide tight races. “This is the most competitive league in the world, so we need better standards for these decisions,” she added. “We won by three goals today, so it was not a big issue. But if goal difference matters at the end of the season, I would be very angry about this mistake. We need technology to keep things fair for every team.”
Chelsea confirmed their win with further goals from Ellie Carpenter and Erin Cuthbert. The result puts them in a strong position to qualify for the Champions League. Victory against Leicester City next weekend will guarantee them a spot in Europe’s top competition.
The win looks even more significant after Manchester United dropped points in a 0-0 draw away at Tottenham Hotspur. United now trail Chelsea by four points with only two rounds of fixtures remaining, meaning their hopes of European qualification are no longer in their own hands.
At the opposite end of the table, Leicester City appear destined for a relegation playoff after suffering a 5-1 defeat away at London City Lionesses. West Ham United boosted their survival chances with a 1-0 victory at Liverpool, moving seven points clear of the bottom club with three games left.
In the second tier, Portsmouth were relegated to the third tier following a 1-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest. Birmingham City’s promotion bid suffered a setback after a surprise 3-0 defeat to Ipswich Town. They now face a tense final-day clash with Charlton Athletic, while Crystal Palace also remain in the hunt for promotion after beating Sunderland.