Match Report: Chelsea 5-1 Shamrock Rovers | News | Official site

Chelsea’s statistics from the league stage of this season’s Conference League read just six games, six wins. We were already assured of a place in the last 16 but ensured we got there as league winners with an unblemished record.

We were helped along by some botched defending by Shamrock Rovers on this chilly evening at Stamford Bridge as a wayward header left Guiu with an empty net to push the opener into and then a short back pass allowed the Spaniard to round the keeper to score his second .

Between those two goals, the visitors got a shock equalizer from a corner, but when Guiu restored our lead there was no looking back. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall drilled a loose ball into the box to give us breathing space and Guiu headed a Noni Madueke cross into first-half stoppage time to extend our advantage and effectively kill the game as a game at the break.

There was a debut for young defender Harrison Murray-Campbell after the break and Marc Cucurella scored his second goal in as many games to make it five, but in reality the game was all but over by then.

The selection

Marc Cucurella and Noni Madueke were the only two players who started this weekend’s Premier League win over Brentford to keep their place for this game, while Josh Acheampong and Tyrique George joined them in the line-up after being added to the senior squad the day before. .

Filip Jorgensen continued in goal in Europe, with Acheampong and Cucurella at the back either side of Renato Veiga and captain Axel Disasi. Cesare Casadei and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall came into midfield and in attack George and Madueke lined up as wingers while Christopher Nkunku supported striker Marc Guiu.

The chances go begging

The game started as most would have expected, Chelsea in possession in Shamrock Rovers’ half and patiently probing for an opening. As the visitors’ compact three at the back made the direct route difficult, it increasingly meant wingers George and Madueke coming around the block, with Cucurella and Nkunku roaming into wide positions to support.

However, Shamrock Rovers defended resolutely with a number of blocks and we couldn’t make anything of the resulting corners.

Instead, it was the away side who could, and arguably should, have taken the lead with the game’s first chance as Dylan Watts whipped a low ball across goal, only for Conference League joint-top scorer Johnny Kenny to miss his. completion, unmarked eight yards from goal.

We gave Shamrock Rovers something of their own shot moments later. George had started brightly and did brilliantly to pick out Madueke at the back post with a floating cross, but he couldn’t come clean with his volley.

Early Christmas presents

We had the lead before too long and it was a gift as an opener. Shortly after the 20 minute mark, Shamrock Rovers were forced into their first foul and we punished them ruthlessly. Chasing back to his own goal under pressure from George, a miscommunication saw a defender head the ball back beyond his keeper, with Guiu only too happy to slide in the first goal.

Anyone who thought it would be once we had the lead was wrong though. The Irish side hit back almost immediately. It looked like the threat was over when Jorgensen produced a superb save to keep out Kenny’s half-volley from the top corner, but the resulting corner broke kindly in the box and Markus Poom smashed it in, via a flick of Casadei’s heel.

Shamrock Rovers continued to be their own worst enemy, however, and when Daniel Cleary probed a pass back, Guiu was only too happy to take advantage again, showing great composure to round the keeper and tap in from a tight angle.

Hungry for more

The Spaniard was enjoying himself and thought he had his hat-trick when Rovers were at it again, this time the keeper tried to take it around him in the box, only to lose it, but his defenders came back to clear the line.

However, we still managed to extend our lead and find a margin of safety to help dull the edge of the game. Casadei did well to win possession and pass it to Cucurella, who fed a pass in front of Nkunku in the box. The visiting defender did well to slide in when he was ready to shoot, but there was Dewsbury-Hall who raced in to wash up and fire into the bottom corner.

We weren’t done either as there was still time before the break for Guiu to complete a first-half hat-trick, his first for Chelsea. This time it was all our own making as a corner ended with Madueke crossing from the right and Guiu rising highest to head into the bottom corner.

Stroll towards the goal

That goal before half-time killed most of what little threat this game still contained for Chelsea. For Enzo Maresca, it was an opportunity to give others a chance as Under-21 captain Harvey Vale was introduced from the bench at half-time, shortly followed by defender Harrison Murray-Campbell, who came on to make his senior debut for the Blues. .

With the win secured and any Shamrock Rovers hopes quickly fading with a three goal deficit to catch up, the intensity quickly dropped and we were pretty much able to play out the rest of the game in comfort.

Joao Felix had a couple of half chances and Nkunku poked the keeper’s palms from range, but there wasn’t much in the way of real goal action in the second half.

The only exception was Chelsea’s fifth goal and it may have been the most popular of the night with the home fans. It was a lovely, fluid passing move involving several players which ended with Nkunku finding Cucurella on the edge of the box.

The Spanish defender did brilliantly to turn away from his marker into space and curl in a right-footed finish from the base of the left-hand post, bringing the home crowd to their feet in an otherwise quiet second half.

Despite George’s best efforts to find his first Chelsea goal and a couple of half-hearted penalty appeals from Shamrock Rovers, that was pretty much the end of the action as we saw things out in comfort.

What’s next

We are back in the Premier League for our last game before Christmas when we travel to Everton on Sunday 22nd December with kick-off at 2pm before returning to Stamford Bridge to host neighbors Fulham in the same competition at 15.00 Boxing Day.

The teams

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Jorgensen; Acheampong, Disasi (c) (Murray-Campbell 59), Veiga, Cucurella; Dewsbury-Hall (Rak-Sakyi 83), Casadei; Madueke (Vale ht), Nkunku, George; Guiu (Joao Felix 59)
Substitutes: Bergstrom, Sanchez, Tosin, Dyer, Neto, Sancho, Mheuka
Goalscorer: Guiu 22, 33, 45+3, Dewsbury-Hall 40, Cucurella 58

Shamrock Rovers (3-5-2): Pohl’s; Cleary, Lopes (c), Grace; Honohan, Watts (Byrne 67), Poom, (Mandroiu 67), O’Niell (Nugent 77), Burns; Kenny (Greene 73), Farrugia (Burke 73)
Unused subs: Steacy, A Noonan, McEneff, Kavanagh, Clarke, O’Sullivan, C Noonan
Goalscorer: Boom 26
Reserved: Lopes 62

Judge: Willy Delajod

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