When it emerged that Chloe Kelly’s winning penalty against Nigeria at the Women’s World Cup was the most powerful shot by any player, male or female, in the 2022-2023 season, a fiery debate ensued.
“Not possible,” said the critics, and there were many.
Scientists got involved to explain how her hop, skip and jump routine and the angle of the hit had contributed to an exceptional transfer of energy between person and ball.
But in the end, the numbers said it all. Kelly’s 62mph blinder, which propelled England to the World Cup quarter-finals, had surpassed the Premier League’s most powerful shot of the season – from West Ham’s Said Benrahma – by almost 3mph.
And on Thursday, Kelly was in Manchester’s Northern Quarter to open a giant 2,774 square meter mural in honor of her formidable penalty.
Chloe Kelly sparked a fiery debate with her record-breaking penalty at the Women’s World Cup
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“It was an amazing moment for me and a highlight of my career when I came out and was my bravest self on the field – setting a record that even beat the fastest male kick of the season,” says Kelly.
“I wasn’t surprised that as many as one in six people in Britain didn’t believe it was a record set by a woman, but that’s why I’m going to keep turning up and doing my best because it’s not men’s football or women’s football. football, it’s just football.’
The Manchester City star’s installation has been unveiled in her team’s hometown to launch a new campaign with Doritos which, says Kelly, ‘encourages people to break through any prejudices that stand in their way’.
‘It was incredible to see the people of Manchester witness the giant mural of me and my record-breaking kick for the first time. This is a big moment for all women, those involved in sport and beyond, as it marks a step in the right direction when it comes to the recognition of our achievements.”
Just like at the World Cup, and of course at the European Championships, the 26-year-old always seems to be the one to step into action when her team needs her most – she’s at the launch of her mural, just four days after delivering the match. winning free-kick to take City to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
A giant mural celebrating her formidable penalty has been unveiled in Manchester
The match-winning penalty against Nigeria was the most powerful shot by any player last season
‘We train for those moments every week, and just the day before we scored a similar free-kick in training, so if we show that the hard work is paying off, it will be an even bigger achievement.
‘It was a huge win and to go through to the next round of the cup and take part in all three (domestic) competitions is a huge achievement. At the end of the season we want to have as much silverware as possible, so this was definitely a step in the right direction,” she said.
City are just three points behind leaders Chelsea in the WSL and the Sky Blues have not won the title since 2020. They have waited longer for an FA Cup and last won it in 2016.
Chelsea, on the other hand, are still playing in all three domestic competitions, as well as the Champions League, and they want to give their outgoing manager Emma Hayes an emphatic farewell.
Rain during Chelsea’s parade would be the dream of Gareth Taylor’s side, but Kelly is not interested in how the other teams are doing.
‘It is very important that we focus on ourselves and not too much on the others around us. The key is to put in the work on the training pitch and then get the results over the line at the weekend.
The forward now has her sights set on helping Man City in the hunt for three trophies
“We know there is still a lot of football to be played and we want to keep doing what we do best.”
And of course there will be a change in attitudes towards women’s football.
“It is very important to be able to fill stadiums with supporters, so we must continue to move our game in the right direction and put in hours of training and practice, which in turn will mean success on the pitch.”
The Doritos ‘Bold for Everyone’ campaign aims to support inclusive grassroots football clubs across the country to improve access for women and girls to the game and ‘champion the bold in everyone’.