Chelsea ended the league stage of the UEFA Conference League with a 100 per cent record thanks to another comfortable victory, inspired by Marc Guiu's first-half hat-trick.
The Chelsea statistics from the league stage of this season's Conference League read simply six games, six wins. We were already guaranteed a spot in the last 16, but ensured we got there as league winners with a flawless record.
We were helped along the way by some error-prone defending by Shamrock Rovers on this chilly evening at Stamford Bridge, as a wayward header left Guiu an empty net to slide the opener into, and then a short back-pass allowed the Spaniard to round the keeper and score his second.
Between those two goals the visitors got a shock equaliser from a corner, but once Guiu restored our lead there was no looking back. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall drilled in a loose ball in the box to give us breathing room and Guiu headed in a Noni Madueke cross in first-half stoppage time to extend our advantage and effectively kill off the game as a contest by half-time.
There was a debut for young defender Harrison Murray-Campbell after the break, and Marc Cucurella netted his second goal in as many games to make it five, but in reality the game was all but over by that point.
The selection
Marc Cucurella and Noni Madueke were the only two players who started the weekend's Premier League win over Brentford who retained their place for this match, while Josh Acheampong and Tyrique George joined them in the line-up after being added to the senior squad the previous day.
Filip Jorgensen continued in goal in Europe, with Acheampong and Cucurella the full-backs, 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 the wingers, Christopher Nkunku supporting striker Marc Guiu.
Chances go begging
The game started as most will have expected, Chelsea in possession in the Shamrock Rovers half and probing patiently looking for an opening. With the visitors’ compact back three making the direct route difficult, that increasingly involved wingers George and Madueke getting around the block, with Cucurella and Nkunku roaming into wide positions to support.
However, Shamrock Rovers were defending resolutely with a series of blocks, and we couldn’t make anything of the resulting corners.
Instead, it was the away side who could, and probably should, have taken the lead with the first chance of the game, when Dylan Watts whipped a low ball across goal, only for the Conference League’s joint-top scorer Johnny Kenny to miscue his finish, unmarked eight yards from goal.
We gave Shamrock Rovers something of their own let off moments later. George had started brightly and did brilliantly to pick out Madueke at the back post with a floated cross, but he didn’t connect cleanly with his volley.
Early Christmas gifts
We did have the lead before too long, and it was a gift of an opener. Shortly after the 20-minute mark, Shamrock Rovers were forced into their first error, 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, where Guiu was only too happy to slide in the first goal.
Anyone who thought that would be that once we had the lead was mistaken, though. The Irish side hit back almost immediately. It looked like the threat had passed when Jorgensen produced an excellent save to palm Kenny’s half-volley away from the top corner, but the resulting corner broke kindly in the box and Markus Poom smashed it in, via a flick off Casadei’s heel.
Shamrock Rovers continued to be their own worst enemy, though, and when Daniel Cleary underhit a back-pass Guiu was only too happy to take advantage again, showing good composure to round the keeper and slot 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 trying to take it round him in the box, only to lose it, but his defenders got back to clear off the line.
We still managed to extend our lead and find a safety margin to help dull the game’s edge, though. Casadei did well to win possession and pass it on to Cucurella, who fed a pass ahead of Nkunku in the box. The visiting defender did well to slide in as he was poised to shoot, but there was Dewsbury-Hall racing in to mop up and fire into the bottom corner.
We weren’t finished 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 of our own making, as a corner ended with Madueke crossing from the right and Guiu rising highest to head into the bottom corner.
Strolling towards the finish
That goal before half-time killed off most of what little threat this fixture still held for Chelsea. For Enzo Maresca, it was an opportunity to give others a chance, as Under-21s captain Harvey Vale was introduced from the bench at half-time, followed before long by defender Harrison Murray-Campbell coming on to make his senior debut for the Blues.
With the win secured and any Shamrock Rovers hopes fading fast with a three-goal deficit to make up, the intensity dropped quickly and we were largely able to play out the remainder of the game in comfort.
Joao Felix had a couple of half chances and Nkunku stung the keeper’s palms from range, but there was little in the way of real goalmouth action in the second half.
The one exception to that was Chelsea’s fifth goal, and it may have been the night’s most popular among 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 roll a right-footed finish in off the base of the left-hand post, bringing the home crowd to their feet in an otherwise quiet second half.
Despite the best efforts of George to find his first senior Chelsea goal, and a couple of half-hearted penalty appeals by Shamrock Rovers, that was pretty much the end of the action, as we saw things out in comfort.
What is next
We are back in Premier League action for our last match before Christmas, travelling away to Everton on Sunday 22 December, with kick-off at 2pm, before returning to Stamford Bridge to host neighbours Fulham in the same competition at 3pm on 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 h-t), Nkunku, George; Guiu (Joao Felix 59)
Substitutes: Bergstrom, Sanchez, Tosin, Dyer, Neto, Sancho, Mheuka
Scorers: Guiu 22, 33, 45+3, Dewsbury-Hall 40, Cucurella 58
Shamrock Rovers (3-5-2): Pohls; 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
Scorer: Poom 26
Booked: Lopes 62
Referee: Willy Delajod
Crowd: 38,467