It’s a happier Christmas this 12 months for Emma Hayes and her Chelsea workforce.
This time final 12 months, the Blues crashed out of the Champions League with a 4-0 defeat by Wolfsburg of their remaining group sport. The Blues had solely wanted to keep away from defeat by three targets to progress. It was undoubtedly their lowest level of the season.
Quick ahead 12 months and Hayes’ aspect are within the quarter-finals having topped their group with out shedding a sport after a superb Sam Kerr strike and a brace from Lauren James gave them a 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain.
Sam Kerr’s first-half end kickstarted Chelsea’s convincing 3-0 win over PSG at Stamford Bridge
Lauren James doubled Chelsea’s lead after 55 minutes to assist information the Blues to a convincing victory
It’s some achievement, given they began their marketing campaign with Hayes having to look at on from house after recovering from an emergency hysterectomy.
Chelsea knew they’d progress as group winners in the event that they averted defeat by two targets and PSG boss Gerard Precheur had promised a ‘full on assault’.
The French aspect began brightly as Kadidiatou Diani almost created a objective out of nothing. The ahead hit a speculative 40-yard shot at objective that Blues’ goalkeeper Zecira Musovic did nicely to push onto the crossbar.
However PSG didn’t capitalise on that probability as Chelsea began to take management of the sport. Lauren James got here near opening the scoring as she fired a shot to the near-post which Sarah Bouhaddi simply managed to maintain out.
James continued to trigger issues down the left and compelled Bouhaddi into one other effective save as she fired a low drive to the underside left nook.
However there was nothing Bouhaddi might do to stop Kerr from discovering a breakthrough within the forty second minute.
Sakina Karchaoui misplaced the ball in her personal half and Kerr pounced, dribbling previous Amanda Ilestedt earlier than firing a sensational left-footed strike into the highest nook.
If that was a formidable objective, Chelsea’s second was sensational. James lastly discovered the again of the online simply after half-time as she capitalised on a Bouhaddi mistake.
The ahead reduce out the goalkeeper’s slack move to Kheira Hamraoui, laid the ball again to Fran Kirby, who then discovered Kerr. She performed a first-time move again to James who then slotted the ball into the online.
Chelsea have been cruising and 7 minutes later that they had third and James had her second.
James scored her second of the sport simply seven minutes later as Chelsea topped Group A
Emma Hayes’ aspect are within the quarter-finals having topped their group with out shedding a sport
One other well-worked transfer noticed Guro Reiten play in Kirby down the left, who crossed for an un-marked James to fit house.
PSG almost pulled a objective again when substitute Magnaba Folquet curled an effort simply large however that’s the greatest the French aspect managed within the second half.
The draw for the quarter-finals doesn’t happen till February 10. The toughest draw Chelsea might get can be holders Lyon, who completed a shock second behind Arsenal.
The Blues might additionally face Roma or Bayern Munich.
