Following a scoreless draw in the other match in Group A, Chelsea had the opportunity to bring its lead at the top of the group to two points. Denise Reddy rotated a few of her mainstays in the starting IX, and in their return to Kingsmeadow, the Blues put on a firework display for the fans, netting an astounding eight goals, sending a message to the rest of the Champions League.
Sam Kerr found the back of the net four times through some quality link-up play with Guro Reiten. Reiten was a clear standout at Kingsmeadow as she was sensational all night in the role of the leading distributor on the left flank. Kerr and Pernille Harder combined as the two-headed monster on the scoreboard for the Blues, combining for seven out of the eight shots that found the back of the net.
The eight-goal triumph is the largest single-game margin of victory by CFC in the Champions League. Critics can say what they want about the quality of the competition, but at the end of the day, the Blues got the job done, extending their unbeaten run in all competitions to six, collecting a clean sheet in three straight contests now.
Reddy had the chance to rest Millie Bright and Erin Cuthbert for the first time this season, making sure the two players that contributed in the most minutes prior to Wednesday night are ready to go against Aston Villa during the weekend. Reddy also had the opportunity to give minutes to a recovering Fran Kirby, and the 21-year-old wing-back Alsu Abdullina who was able to notch her first minutes on the pitch for the Blues this season. Abdullina was even able to collect an assist to new signing Katerina Svitkova who slotted home the eighth and final goal of the contest.
Following the convincing win, Chelsea’s general manager, Paul Green expressed his thoughts on the beginning of this season’s Champions League campaign, stating
"“It was always going to be important to follow up last week’s result in Paris. We did that very convincingly. It puts us in a good position in the group but there’s still a long way to go as it’s only match week 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.”"
Kerr had previously netted just one goal in all competitions and was looking to be out of form, but against the minnows from Albanian, the Australian was able to gain her confidence back which should bode well heading into two crucial Women’s Super League games coming up. She got back to the backflip, sending a signal to the WSL and the rest of Europe that her drought in front of the net is over for good.
Guro Reiten is pure magic
In a match where there could have been three or four players of the match, the Norwegian midfielder put together an outing that stuck out from the rest of the pack. Kerr and Harder may have had the finishing touch to place the ball into the back of the net, but Reiten’s delivery with her left foot put the ball on a platter, making it almost impossible for the forward to miss the target.
There were both team goals and gritty ones, in the center of all of it was Reiten who continued to build off a career year last season. Reiten created an astounding 13 chances in just 73 minutes, more than the rest of the Chelsea team combined who mustered up 11 through 90 minutes. In total, Reiten has accumulated a jaw-dropping six assists in seven games in all competitions, three less than the team leader, Kirby the entire previous campaign.
With distributors like Sophie Ingle in the middle of the pitch to find Reiten, the Blues had a dream combination that resulted in two career nights for Kerr and Harder. The Norwegian is one of six players that has started in six matches this season and has completed 17 more live-ball passes that led to a shot attempt than any other CFC player so far this season. Her vision and creativity with her left foot are second to none as Reiten begins to make her case for the Player of the Season.
Never doubt Sam Kerr in front of the net
For just the second game this season, the two-time Golden Boot winner in the WSL has found the back of the net. Whether it was the offside flag or a shot that went just wide, the football gods did not seem to be with Kerr at the beginning of the season. Against Vllaznia, Kerr became the first player in competition history to net four goals in a single group stage match. Opponent aside, seeing the star striker get back on the scoresheet in a big way, and perform a backflip in celebration of one push her in the right direction going forward.
Following the match, Kerr spoke about her famous backflip coming back, stating, “It wasn’t on my mind but at half-time, Millie [Bright] said: ‘If you get the hat-trick can you please do the backflip.’ I haven’t done one here in a long time and that was my first Champions League hat trick. It will be a night I remember forever.”
The Australian is now just one goal behind Harder for the team lead as the two begin to make their mark known as one of the best attacking duos in women’s football. Kerr was always in the right position at the right time on Wednesday night, connecting with Reiten numerous times. For her, the goal tally may still be low, but Kerr has scored double-digit goals in the league in the previous seven seasons as a professional, so it is only a matter of time before the WSL gets a chance to see the patented backflip in action. The mood around the team could not get better following a match like this, especially when a star goal scorer who is struggling finds her shooting boots in a competition that CFC looks determined to get to the finish line of.
Chelsea playing with a chip shoulder to kick off UWCL
It may have been a matchup against the Albanian champions at home, but piecing together a potentially ruthless attack in the Champions League not only puts them at the top of the group but acts as a signal to the top competition around the league. Last season, the Blues began their Champions League campaign with a draw to Wolfsburg and a victory over Juventus. It put Chelsea in a position where it had to make up ground in the final few group games.
Clinching two victories right off the bat puts the Blues in the driver’s seat, and the future in their own hands. Winning on the road against a Paris Saint-Germain side that made it to the semifinals of the competition last season had to have provided some sort of confidence given the way the competition ended in December of 2021 on the road. Chelsea did not take its foot off the gas pedal once against a reeling Vllaznia side, acting as if it had something to prove to Real Madrid before the next contest in the WCL.
Last season disrupted the continuous improvement in Europe for the Blues, and the players are out to take the loss over 10 months ago and learn from it. It was more than a convincing win for CFC, it was a sign of the offensive talent this team possesses, and the discipline and character it takes to put the past behind them.