Emma Hayes has branded Sam Kerr as "the best in the business" after the striker helped Chelsea to a 2-0 victory over Arsenal in the Women's FA Cup.
Sophie Ingle opened the scoring just 21 minutes into the contest at Kingsmeadow before Kerr ensured the Blues' passage to the quarter-finals with a cool finish just before the hour mark. The win marked the Australian's 100th Chelsea appearance, with Sunday's strike taking her tally to a staggering 81 goals in all competitions during that period.
Kerr's FA Cup heroics were paricularly impressive considering the 29-year-old played in all three of Australia's Cup of Nations wins last week, culminating in a 3-0 success over Jamaica on Wednesday. And Hayes believes it is that kind of tenacious mentality that sets Kerr apart from other strikers in the WSL.
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"Some players get off a plane on Thursday night and moan about being tired on Friday - not her," the Chelsea boss said. "She comes in, does everything necessary and lifts the spirit of everyone in the building.
"She is the best in the business, and it's not just about 82 goals in 100 games, it is that mentality. That’s why we’re winners today because the mentality shown by the team in challenging circumstances, we showed that."
It was a clinical display from Chelsea, who yielded two goals from just three shots on target. Arsenal meanwhile had 20 shots - 11 on target - but a combination of poor finishing and inspired goalkeeping from Ann-Katrin Berger saw their goalscoring troubles continue at Kingsmeadow.
"In the first half it was a game of transitions," Hayes said, reflecting on her side's overall performance. "Arsenal are a transition team. 60% of their goals are scored with under four passes so, knowing that, you have to set up right and I don’t think we did that in the first half.
"We adapted that in the second half and, as I said to the team at half time, this game could be won and lost with a transition and it was won on a transition for us. That’s football."
She added: "I want to develop more experience within the squad and I feel like as a result of that - and of allowing our new players to settle in - we’re at a place where lots more players can do lots more jobs within the team. I think we’re a better place for that body of work.
"We were at home - we're always happy to be home. We have an unbelievable mentality. We’re elite performers and we do it all the time."
Chelsea will face Arsenal again next Sunday when the two sides battle it out in the Conti Cup Final at Selhurst Park.
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