Chelsea asserted their dominance in the Conference League as they finished the league stage on top after another thumping win at home to Shamrock Rovers.
Rovers started the day in sixth place but had no answer to the quality of Enzo Maresca's shadow side, with striker Marc Guyot helping himself to a hat-trick in the first half.
The Irish side threatened early as Jonny Kenny failed to finish a dangerous cross and Joey quickly punished him by making the most of a defensive error to score.
The visitors briefly equalized when Marcus Bohm – son of former Derby, Sunderland and Arsenal goalkeeper Mart – fired through a crowd of people.
Mark Cucurella scores the fifth goal for Chelsea 🤩
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/booesylj6U
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 19, 2024
But another error allowed Goyo to put Chelsea back in front and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall sealed the win with a clinical finish.
Guiu headed well from Noni Madueke's cross while after the break Mark Cucurella stormed into the box and finished like a centre-forward.
Chelsea will now play in the last 16 in March, while Rovers – despite the heavy defeat – have a place in the play-off round in February.
Marc Guyot is now the top scorer in the Conference League with 6 goals ⚡⚽️ pic.twitter.com/xGRSqP9Ygn
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 19, 2024
Guiu shares his claim?
Goyo, an 18-year-old former Barcelona striker, is yet to start for coach Maresca in the Premier League, but was named for his fourth European cap, showing a poaching instinct to bury the visitors, twice intercepting passes to the goalkeeper. He scored before glancing in a fine header for his third goal.
Chelsea had more than 80 percent possession of the ball during the first 25 minutes, but it took a disastrous defensive error to advance.
Renato Vega sent a curling ball forward for Tyrique George to chase down. Darragh Burns got there first, but his wayward header headed back to his own goalkeeper was an unfortunate misjudgment allowing Guiu to steal and nod Chelsea in front.
Daniel Cleary provided another gift for Guiu when his pass to Leon Pohls fell short of his own goalkeeper, but he had the perfect path for Guiu to get there first and get past Pohls to make it 2-1.
Maresca later sent academy graduates Samuel Rack Sackhi, Harrison Murray-Campbell and Harvey Vale to get a taste of European football, and then 18-year-old winger George almost opened his Chelsea account, but Rovers captain Lopez turned him down on the line.
