Chelsea stayed in the Women’s Super League title picture with a 3-1 victory at Leicester City, highlighted by two goals from Lauren James and a record strike from Sam Kerr that secured a top-three finish and kept pressure on leaders Manchester City heading into the final round of matches.

The visitors raced into a dominant position at King Power Stadium, as Kerr opened the scoring before James added two more inside 33 minutes, putting Chelsea three goals ahead before Leicester reduced the deficit through Shannon O’Brien, but the hosts could not turn that reply into a sustained fightback.

Chelsea took control from the start, with Kerr’s opener followed by a sharp brace from James, who struck twice in the same Women’s Super League game for the first time since 27 January 2024, moving James to five league goals for the season and giving Chelsea a 3-0 cushion before Leicester responded.

Kerr’s finish carried extra significance, as the Australia striker moved past Fran Kirby to become Chelsea’s all-time leading Women’s Super League goalscorer on 64 goals, underlining Kerr’s long-term influence for the club during a night that also showcased James’ attacking quality for the visitors.

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Team-mate Ellie Carpenter underlined Kerr’s importance on and off the pitch, saying: “I think that she is a world-class striker, and I’m happy to see her thriving after that long spell she had out with her knee, and I’m happy that she is back, scoring goals and what an achievement it is for an Australian as well.”

Carpenter added further context to Kerr’s status, saying: “I think she is such a legend for Australian football, and she sort of put Australian football on the map when she got introduced in the WSL. She is a phenomenal world-class striker, and Chelsea have been lucky to have her at this club and be their all-time leading goalscorer.”

Chelsea Women’s Super League display earns praise for Lauren James

Manager Sonia Bompastor focused strongly on James’ impact, telling BBC Two: “I really have fun watching LJ when she plays at that level. I think she is one of the best players in the world when she is playing with that quality, and no one needs to teach her this quality. Her talent is great to watch for the fans and her team-mates. For the women’s game, it’s very important to have a player like her.”

James left the pitch before full-time while on a hat-trick, a decision Bompastor explained was agreed in advance, saying: “No, it was part of the plan, but of course it is always good when the players want to stay on the pitch. It was part of the plan to go into the game with fresh legs, though.”

Bompastor assessed the overall Chelsea performance in the Women’s Super League fixture, adding: “I think we are in a good place. We are playing with confidence. We have a lot of intensity. The performance was good. The important thing tonight was the result.”

Chelsea Women’s Super League position after Leicester victory

Leicester’s goal from O’Brien changed the scoreline but did not alter the direction of the contest, as Chelsea maintained control to protect the lead and ensure a result that left the visitors second in the Women’s Super League table, six points behind Manchester City with one league match remaining in the campaign.