Sunderland thrashed by seven-up Chelsea

Fran Kirby scored twice as the Blues put in a tremendous display in the first half at Hetton in the FA WSL1 Spring Series.

The Blues were on top from the off, with Gemma Davison missing from the penalty spot before Erin Cuthbert fired in after a strong run from Maren Mjelde.

And once So Yun Ji clipped a delightful pass through for Karen Carney to score, the floodgates opened and Sunderland succumbed to Chelsea’s pressure.

Carney and Ji combined to set up the wonderful Mjelde to fire home, before substitute Ramona Bachmann, who replaced the injured Eniola Aluko early on, crisply found the bottom corner.

And there was time for a fifth just before the break as Carney supplied Cuthbert from close ranges.

Chelsea continued to create in the second period but Sunderland defended far better, while Lucy Staniforth and went close to pulling one back.

But Chelsea extended their lead with 15 minutes remaining as Kirby marked her return to the team with a neat finish from a Carney pass, before bending it another shortly before the end.

The result moves Chelsea above Arsenal and up into second in the table, behind early pacesetters Liverpool.

Sunderland: Preuss, Sharpe, Bannon (capt), Williams, Holmes (Brown 84), Hill, Lambert (Joice 45), Staniforth, Bruinenberg, Roche, Ramshaw (Leon 70). Subs not used: Olsen, Pattinson, Galloway, Gibson.

Chelsea: Telford, Flaherty (capt), Fahey, Davison, Carney, Aluko (Bachmann 15, Kirby 52), Ji, England (Dunn 52), Mjelde, Cooper, Cuthbert. Subs not used: Kitching, Bright, Spence.

Attendance: 775

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