Sam Kerr will have a further frustrating wait to make her return to soccer after 20 long months, but she could at least savour a virtuoso match-winning debut from her Matildas teammate Ellie Carpenter while watching on from the Chelsea bench.

After all the anticipation that Australia’s superstar skipper would burst back into action in the Women’s Super League opener against Manchester City, it all felt a little anti-climactic as Kerr spent Friday evening (Saturday morning AEST) as an unused substitute at Stamford Bridge.

But there was nothing anti-climactic about the debut of Carpenter, who proved comfortably the game’s outstanding player as she capped her livewire contribution by laying on Chelsea’s first goal in the 2-1 home victory over one of their big title rivals.

It wasn’t th

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