Aussie star Sam Kerr scores four in Chelsea masterclass

Chelsea 8-0 Vllaznia

Sam Kerr reminded the Republic of Ireland just what they'll be up against at next summer's World Cup as she rattled home four goals in Chelsea 8-0 hammering of Albanian side Vllaznia in the Women's Champions League on Wednesday.

The Blues had beaten Paris St Germain in their first group game and followed it up in emphatic fashion at Kingsmeadow against a club making their tournament debut this season.

Kerr has only scored once in the Women's Super League so far this campaign, but completed her four-goal haul just after the hour mark before producing an emphatic back-flip celebration.

She'll line up for Australia against Ireland in the group opener in Sydney on Thursday 20 July.

Pernille Harder netted a treble of her own and Katerina Svitkova was the other to put her name on the scoresheet, while Guro Reiten finished the match with four assists on her 100th club appearance.

Chelsea, runners-up in 2021, continued their impressive start to the campaign after failing to qualify from the group stages last season.

Kerr gave Chelsea the lead after just 10 minutes when she collected a ball from Harder and fired into the back of the net.

The Blues were then kept at bay by the Albanian side until the 37th minute when the Australian forward scored her second after she was picked out by Reiten.

Harder then tapped home from another Reiten assist and Kerr thought she had her hat-trick before half-time but she was flagged for offside.

Kerr was credited with her hat-trick in the 57th minute when she beat team-mate Magdalena Eriksson to head in Reiten's cross and she soon netted a fourth before being replaced.

The scoring did not stop in her absence, though as Harder added a sixth in the 72nd minute, before scoring her third of