Chelsea 8-0 Vllaznia: Sam Kerr scores four as Chelsea sit top of group

Sam Kerr and Pernille Harder scored a combined total of 44 goals in all competitions for Chelsea last season

Sam Kerr scored four goals as Chelsea recorded an emphatic victory over Albanian visitors Vllaznia to extend their lead at the top of their Women's Champions League group.

Kerr opened the scoring after just 10 minutes and was later set up three times by midfielder Guro Reiten, while team-mate Pernille Harder grabbed a hat-trick.

Norwegian Reiten, making her 100th appearance for Chelsea, also teed up Harder for a fourth assist, while Katerina Svitkova scored her first goal for the club.

Victory gave Chelsea a two-point lead at the top of Group A over Real Madrid, who drew 0-0 with Paris St-Germain in the earlier match.

Chelsea, finalists in 2020-21, failed to progress from the group stages in a disappointing campaign last season but have made a strong start to this year's competition.

They backed up their impressive victory over Paris St-Germain last week with a comfortable win at Kingsmeadow, against opponents cheered on by 420 fans travelling as part of Vllaznia's official supporters' allocation.

"It was always going to be important to follow-up last week's result in Paris. We did that very convincingly," said Chelsea general manager Paul Green.

"It puts us in a good position in the group but there's still a long way to go as it's only matchweek two. There's still a lot of work to be done to ensure we go through to the latter stages.

"We have made a great start though."

The Albanian fans - despite being outnumbered in the overall crowd of 3,022 - were in terrific voice as they supported their side, competing in the group stages of the Women's Champions League for the first time.

They chanted throughout, cheering Chelsea's missed chances and waving flags before throwing a flare on to the field and causing a brief stop in play late on.

"I loved it. I thought it was awesome. I thought about stirring them up but didn't want them to take it the wrong way," Kerr joked.

"I think that's what makes football so great. When I scored the second goal down there, I was thinking about it… I thought they were excellent."

Vllaznia were backed by more than 400 fans at Kingsmeadow

However, it was Chelsea who dominated on the pitch, with Kerr and Harder in clinical form and Reiten heavily involved in creation.

Substitute Svitkova joined in on the action when she headed in her first goal in Chelsea colours since signing from West Ham in the summer.

This was Chelsea's third match in a week and they made seven changes from their Women's Super League victory over Brighton on Sunday.

Kerr was able to come off having scored four goals in just over an hour, while England international Fran Kirby made a welcome return off the bench after recovering from illness.

Chelsea host Aston Villa in their next Women's Super League match on Sunday and they welcome Real Madrid in their next Champions League game on 23 November.

Kerr enjoys herself as goals flow

Kerr was the WSL's top scorer last season with 20 goals for Chelsea - but heading into this match, she had just one goal from five games to her name this season.

She looked hungry to increase her tally against the group's lowest-ranked side and she did not take long to open her account, dinking the ball coolly over the goalkeeper after Harder's incisive pass.

Reiten was the provider for Kerr's next three goals, though the hat-trick goal was originally awarded to captain Magdalena Eriksson following a corner.

Kerr, who clearly made contact with the header, smiled as she tried to correct the referee but saved her familiar backflip celebration for her fourth goal.

She said: "[The backflip] wasn't on my mind but at half-time Millie [Bright] said: 'If you score the hat-trick can you please do it?'

"I haven't done a backflip here in a long time and this was my first in the Champions League. Scoring my first Champions League hat-trick is a night I will remember forever."

Kerr also had a disallowed goal in the first half - again set-up by Reiten - and general manager Green hopes it will give her confidence to add to her tally in the WSL.

"Sam is a born goalscorer. She has won the Golden Boot in the last few years. We had no doubt she would score goals this season," said Green.

"Scoring four tonight will give her confidence and hopefully she can be on the scoresheet again this weekend. We haven't been worried about that at all.

"She is certainly one of the world's best strikers. She is very important to us and has proven that over the time she has been with us."

Former Netherlands striker Marco van Basten was the first man to score four goals in a Champions League group game 30 years ago, but Kerr has now become the first woman to do so.

"Three games is a long time for me [not to score]! It was nice. I'm paid to score goals but I also think I bring a lot when I'm not scoring too," said Kerr.

"It's about being patient and getting into my groove and I did that tonight. Hopefully I can do the same against Villa."