Matildas captain Sam Kerr put on a one-woman show to send Chelsea to the English League Cup final, scoring four times as she prepares to head home to lead Australia in the Cup of Nations.
Kerr was unstoppable in a 7-0 demolition of hapless West Ham, scoring her sixth hat-trick for Chelsea, all in the first half, then adding a fourth for good measure.
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It took her season haul to 20 goals for Chelsea across all competitions, the most of any player.
The result also sets up a Cup final clash against Arsenal and Matildas teammates Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley on March 5.
Kerr opened her account in just the third minute with a tidy first-time finish from a perfectly-timed ball from Chelsea teammate Guro Reiten.
The Aussie’s second of the game was perhaps the sweetest strike of the lot.
A Chelsea teammate won the ball high up the field as the Hammers were defensively all over the place.
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Kerr, who was positioned perfectly to receive the ball from the resulting tackle, spun around and brought the ball on to her right peg before unleashing an unstoppable strike in the 22nd minute.
She then completed her hat-trick after showing her unrivalled anticipation skills to latch onto a through ball before coolly slotting home to score Chelsea’s fourth of the game.
Kerr then made it four goals for herself in the 60th minute.
It bodes well for the Matildas who will take on Spain, Jamaica and the Czech Republic in the Cup of Nations from next Thursday, with games in Gosford, Sydney and Newcastle.
The series is key preparation for the FIFA World Cup being held in Australia in June and July.