Chelsea confirmed their dominance in the Conference League as they ended 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, as striker Marc Guiu helped himself to a first-half hat-trick.
The Irish side threatened early on as Johnny Kenny failed to get on the end of a dangerous cross and Guiu swiftly punished him by making the most of a defensive error to score.
The visitors were level briefly when Markus Poom – son of former Derby, Sunderland and Arsenal goalkeeper Mart – fired in through a crowd.
Marc Cucurella makes it 5️⃣ for Chelsea 🤩
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/booesylj6U
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 19, 2024
But another error allowed Guiu in to put Chelsea back in front and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall all but sealed the win with a clinical finish.
Guiu headed in well from a Noni Madueke cross while after the break Marc Cucurella broke into the area 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 Guiu is now the highest scorer in the Conference League with 6 goals ⚡⚽️ pic.twitter.com/xGRSqP9Ygn
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 19, 2024
Guiu stakes his claim?
Guiu, the 18-year-old former Barcelona striker is yet to start for head coach Maresca in the Premier League but selected for the fourth time in Europe he demonstrated a poacher’s instinct to bury the visiting side, twice intercepting passes back to the goalkeeper to score before glancing in a fine header for his third.
Chelsea enjoyed more than 80 per cent possession during the first 25 minutes but it took a disastrous defensive error for them to take the lead.
Renato Veiga hoofed a looping ball forward for Tyrique George to chase. Darragh Burns reached it first, but his wayward header back to his goalkeeper was woefully misjudged allowing Guiu to steal in and nod Chelsea in front.
Daniel Cleary offered Guiu another gift when his pass back to Leon Pohls was under-hit and got nowhere his goalkeeper, but had the perfect trajectory for Guiu to get there first and nip around Pohls to make it 2-1.
Maresca later sent on academy graduates Samuel Rak-Sakyi, Harrison Murray-Campbell and Harvey Vale for a taste of European football, then 18-year-old winger George nearly opened his Chelsea account, denied on the line by Rovers captain Lopes.
