Chelsea grind out UWCL draw in Madrid: Should we be worried about Kerr?

After the triumph over Vllaznia, many believed after a four-goal outing that the Aussie would be on her way to another goal-filled season. But, in reality, Kerr’s shooting boots have been surprisingly inconsistent.

It has always been true that Kerr usually finishes somewhat close to her expected goals, with the expectation of last season’s 20-goal Women’s Super League masterclass. Over the last five seasons, not counting the 2021/22 campaign, Kerr has accumulated a goal total of 4.6 of her expected goals in each respective domestic league. At this point last season, Kerr already had 13 goals in all competitions, but right now, Kerr has only been able to muster up nine. Now, this is a small criticism given the run that the Blues have been on over the last few months, but is one of those chances missed by Kerr in the first half going to cost Chelsea later on in the Champions League?

The largest concern has to be that Kerr right now is sitting at her lowest expected goals per 90-minute total in her professional career at 0.60. On top of that, Kerr has accumulated a career-low shots-on-target percentage at just 41.6 percent on 34 shots in the WSL. In her first full season with the Blues, Kerr was flying, putting together an expected goals total of 1.03 in 22 matches played in the WSL.

These instances could mean she is getting into different positions compared to the past, but her effect on the match each time out is evident.