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Injured Sam Kerr has joined Chelsea's celebrations, overjoyed at seeing her teammates become English Women's Super League champions for a fifth successive year with a thumping 6-0 triumph at Manchester United.
Australia captain Kerr, who has played a huge part in all five of the triumphs despite missing half of this season with an ACL tear, received her winner's medal on the pitch at Old Trafford after Chelsea's dazzling win.
The side sealed the title on goal difference and provided the perfect send-off for their departing manager Emma Hayes.
But it was a day full of disappointment for two of Kerr's Matildas teammates, Mary Fowler and Alanna Kennedy, whose Manchester City side had to settle for the runner's up spot despite winning 2-1 at Aston Villa.
Fowler scored their first goal but it wasn't enough to propel them to a big enough win, as City needed to both win and better Chelsea's victory margin by three goals.
That was never going to happen once Mayra Ramirez had scored the first of her double in just 89 seconds, the prelude to a dazzling individual performance from the Colombian striker, featuring two assists to go with her brace, that even Kerr would have been proud of.
Chelsea went on to destroy United in front of a whooping Kerr and a VIP audience, including Sir Alex Ferguson, who would have been in full hairdryer mode if any of his teams had played so badly.
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Sjoeke Nusken, Melanie Leupolz and, emotionally, the departing Fran Kirby — Kerr's old partner in a deadly Blues' strike combo — all got on the scoresheet to help coach Hayes earn a seventh league title, the ideal way to leave the club before she takes on the US women's national team job.
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AAP