Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0

Sam Kerr signed off from Chelsea’s Women’s Super League campaign with the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The Australia forward scored in the 34th minute, adjusting to meet a Lauren James cross and volley past Phallon Tullis-Joyce. Chelsea and Sky Sports both said it was Kerr’s final league appearance for the club, and Sky Sports said the goal was her 65th in the WSL and 116th in all competitions for Chelsea. The result closed Chelsea’s league season with a home win, but it did not change the final order above them. Sky Sports reported Chelsea finished third after Arsenal won at Liverpool, while Manchester United’s official match page said Marc Skinner’s side ended the campaign fourth. (chelseafc.com) ### How did Kerr score the goal that decided it? Lauren James created the opening shortly after the half-hour mark, when she was given time to shape a deep ball into the penalty area. Chelsea’s match report said the cross arrived behind Kerr, but the striker adjusted and volleyed beyond Tullis-Joyce from close range. (skysports.com) Sky Sports put the goal 11 minutes before halftime and described it as Kerr’s final league strike for Chelsea. Manchester United’s official report logged the goal in the 34th minute. ### What did the goal mean for Kerr’s Chelsea record? (chelseafc.com) Sky Sports said the strike took Kerr to 65 Women’s Super League goals for Chelsea and 116 in all competitions. Chelsea’s own report said the goal moved her level with former teammate Fran Kirby as the club’s all-time leading goalscorer. (skysports.com) Chelsea’s report also said Kerr’s farewell came on a day that marked the end of an era at Stamford Bridge, with captain Millie Bright also saying goodbye. After the match, Sky Sports showed Kerr and Bright receiving a guard of honour. ### Did Manchester United have chances to equalize? (skysports.com) Ellen Wangerheim came closest for Manchester United after the break, hitting the woodwork as United pushed for an equalizer. Chelsea’s report said Wangerheim smashed a shot off the inside of the post early in the second half, while United’s official page said her header struck the post. (chelseafc.com) Phallon Tullis-Joyce also kept United in the game. Manchester United’s report said the goalkeeper stretched to stop Kerr from turning home another James delivery in the 75th minute. ### What did Kerr say after the match? “It’s an amazing day,” Kerr told Sky Sports after full-time. (chelseafc.com) She said it was “kind of fitting” to play Manchester United, a team she said she had scored many of her favorite goals against. (manutd.com) Kerr also told Sky Sports that “Chelsea and London will always be home to me now” and said, “It’s going to be hard to leave but I only have good things to say about this amazing club.” Sky Sports reported that she is leaving this summer. (skysports.com) ### What else stood out at Stamford Bridge? Erin Cuthbert made her 300th appearance for Chelsea and was presented with a commemorative shirt, according to Chelsea’s report. The club also said Lauren James received the Player of the Season award before kickoff. (skysports.com) Millie Bright led Chelsea out one final time and was honored by supporters in the West Stand with a banner, Chelsea said. The club framed the occasion as a farewell for two long-serving players, with Kerr’s goal supplying the decisive moment on the field. (chelseafc.com) ### What comes next for Chelsea and United? May 31 is Chelsea’s next major date, with the Women’s FA Cup final against Manchester City scheduled at Wembley. Sky Sports said Chelsea had already been dethroned in the league race, leaving the cup final as the next match on the calendar. (chelseafc.com) Manchester United closed its league season on May 16 with the defeat at Stamford Bridge. The club’s official report said United finished fourth in the final WSL table. (manutd.com) (skysports.com)