Chelsea Women score nine in quarter-final demolition of Liverpool

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd grabbed a second-half hat-trick and Sam Kerr scored twice in three first-half minutes as Chelsea Women crushed Liverpool Women 9-1 to canter into the League Cup semi-finals.

The Blues completely overwhelmed the Women’s Super League strugglers in a blistering start full of aggression, intent and quality that saw them score three times by the midway point of a one-sided first half.

Moments after Niamh Charles had a header from a corner inexplicably ruled out for pushing, Kerr put Chelsea ahead on 13 minutes when she swivelled neatly in the box and found the back of the net with a low, first-time shot after a fine team move.

Within four minutes Kerr had her second, slotting the ball home from a cute pass by Guru Reiten, who then teed up the third with another typically precise ball that Wieke Kaptein controlled and placed past keeper Faye Kirby.

Reiten’s hat-trick of first-half assists was completed with a delicious long pass that set Aggie Beever-Jones through on goal for a cool lobbed one-on-one finish.

The total domination continued in the second half, Rytting Kaneryd curling in a stylish fifth after Kerr had close-range effort harshly disallowed.

Reds skipper Jenna Cook pulled one back with a header from a corner with 20 minutes to go, but that just prompted Chelsea into further action.

Rytting Kaneryd’s deflected strike made it 6-1 and Sjoeke Nusken headed in a teasing far-post cross from Charles for the rampant visitors to make it seven.

The stunning victory was wrapped up in the final ten minutes, Sweden attacker Rytting Kaneryd heading into an empty net on the follow-up to seal her treble after Nusken’s strike hit the bar and Millie Bright rounded off a sensational team performance with a lovely finish following a one-two with substitute Maika Hamano.