Olivier Giroud was making only his second Chelsea start of the seasonOlivier Giroud scored all four goals in a comprehensive Chelsea victory over Sevilla that ensures the Blues take top spot in Champions League Group E.
The Frenchman scored early in each half with two delightful finishes after being fed by clever passes from Kai Havertz and Matteo Kovacic respectively.
He completed the treble with a flicked near-post header, then converted a penalty after he was bundled over in the box.
Already assured of qualification for the last 16, Chelsea made nine changes to the team that drew 0-0 with Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday.
Both Havertz and Christian Pulisic made their first Blues starts since October following illness and injury, while 19-year-old midfielder Billy Gilmour came off the bench for his first appearance of the season.
Sevilla, also sure of their place in the knockout stages, were without a number of first-choice players and were forced to give a debut to goalkeeper Alfonso Pastor after Tomas Vaclik was injured in the warm-up.
There was little the 20-year-old could do about the goals and his saves ensured Chelsea’s winning margin was not greater.
Listen to the latest Football Daily podcastReaction from Wednesday’s Champions League actionGiroud makes his point – againGiroud had made only one previous start for Chelsea this season, in the EFL Cup defeat by Tottenham, but this haul came after he scored a stoppage-time winner as a substitute against Rennes last week.
His path to regular Premier League football is blocked by Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham, but he could do no more to take the opportunity presented to him in southern Spain.
“He’s the ultimate professional,” said Lampard. “You see his numbers for France and his numbers in the Champions League.
“He wasn’t a regular before I got here but as soon as I came in I saw his positivity, how he wants to train, how he wants to affect people, whether he starts or not.
“He’s a great example for the younger players and other players, that when they’re not always playing, they keep training well then come in and perform like he did tonight.”
The former Arsenal man put in a complete performance, not only displaying clinical finishing, but also a physical presence that tortured the home defence.
Chelsea found regular joy with runs from midfield and it was Havertz’s early burst that ended in a lay-off to Giroud, who cut back and tucked inside the far post with his left foot.
The second goal was a joy, a dinked right-footed finish over Pastor, while the header from N’Golo Kante’s cross from the right completed a ‘perfect’ hat-trick.
The spot-kick, drilled in with his left foot, was Giroud’s final act before he was withdrawn.
“I didn’t know until two years ago that you called it a ‘perfect’ hat-trick,” Giroud told BT Sport. “When I scored against Kyiv in the Europa League I said ‘what do you mean?’ It was good, I had good assists, though.
“I will try to carry on like that to finish the good work of the team. It’s always nice to be in the club history and we play football to mark our history so I’m pleased to help the team to win and to score the four goals.”
Chelsea coast to top spotWhile both teams made changes safe in the knowledge their progress was already certain, there was still the carrot of a theoretically easier draw in the last 16 to play for.
Chelsea would not have expected such a straightforward evening against a Sevilla side who sit fifth in La Liga and took a point from a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge in October.
Yet, bar a period in the first half when set-pieces from the left caused trouble in the visiting defence, the Blues coasted to a fourth successive Champions League victory for the first time since they lifted the trophy in 2012.
Havertz and Pulisic, who have seen Hakim Ziyech emerge during their time on the sidelines, were both lively, while Callum Hudson-Odoi was a threat down the right.
Antonio Rudiger saw a header from a corner cleared off the line at the end of an even first period, before Chelsea dominated the second half as the hosts tired.
By the end, they had extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 15 games, during which time they have kept eight clean sheets.
Olivier’s army – the statsSevilla were unbeaten in 14 home matches in all European competitions coming into this game (W12 D2), with this their first such defeat since April 2018 vs Bayern Munich.Chelsea have won two Champions League games by at least four goals under Frank Lampard – only under Jose Mourinho do they have more such wins (six).In what was Sevilla’s 100th home match in European competition, they lost by a four-goal margin on home soil for the very first time.Chelsea’s Olivier Giroud (34 years and 63 days) became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League/European Cup since Ferenc Puskas for Real Madrid vs Feyenoord in September 1965 (38 years and 173 days).Giroud became just the second player to a score a Champions League hat-trick for two English sides (Arsenal & Chelsea), after Michael Owen (Liverpool & Manchester United).He also became the first Chelsea player to score four goals in a single game since current manager Frank Lampard did so against Aston Villa in March 2010.What’s next?
Chelsea host Leeds in the Premier League on Saturday (20:00 GMT), before rounding off the Champions League group stage at home to Krasnodar next Tuesday. Sevilla play Real Madrid in La Liga at the weekend before a European date with Rennes.
Player of the match
GiroudOlivier Giroud
with an average of 9.43
SevillaSquad number33Player namePastor
Squad number10Player nameRakitic
Squad number16Player nameNavas
Squad number20Player nameDiego Carlos
Squad number3Player nameGómez
Squad number5Player nameOcampos
Squad number4Player nameRekik
Squad number12Player nameKoundé
Squad number6Player nameGudelj
Squad number21Player nameTorres
Squad number23Player nameIdrissi
Squad number15Player nameEn-Nesyri
Squad number22Player nameVázquez
Squad number14Player nameRodríguez
Squad number8Player nameJordán
Squad number11Player nameEl Haddadi
ChelseaSquad number18Player nameGiroud
Squad number16Player nameMendy
Squad number29Player nameHavertz
Squad number7Player nameKanté
Squad number17Player nameKovacic
Squad number10Player namePulisic
Squad number28Player nameAzpilicueta
Squad number22Player nameZiyech
Squad number2Player nameRüdiger
Squad number20Player nameHudson-Odoi
Squad number19Player nameMount
Squad number23Player nameGilmour
Squad number33Player nameEmerson
Squad number5Player nameJorginho
Squad number4Player nameChristensen
Squad number11Player nameWerner
Line-upsSevilla33Pastor16NavasSubstituted forKoundéat 59’minutes3GómezBooked at 82mins20Santos Silva4Rekik6GudeljBooked at 15mins10RakiticSubstituted forTorresat 75’minutes22VázquezSubstituted forEl Haddadiat 66’minutes14RodríguezSubstituted forJordánat 60’minutesBooked at 90mins23IdrissiBooked at 41minsSubstituted forOcamposat 59’minutes15En-NesyriSubstitutes5Ocampos8Jordán9de Jong11El Haddadi12Koundé21Torres25Reges29González30Zarzana35Vázquez36RomeroChelsea16Mendy28Azpilicueta4Christensen2Rüdiger33Emerson29HavertzSubstituted forKantéat 67’minutes5JorginhoSubstituted forGilmourat 85’minutes17KovacicBooked at 37minsSubstituted forZiyechat 67’minutesBooked at 90mins20Hudson-Odoi18GiroudSubstituted forWernerat 84’minutes10PulisicBooked at 43minsSubstituted forMountat 67’minutesBooked at 90minsSubstitutes1Arrizabalaga3Alonso7Kanté9Abraham11Werner13Caballero14Tomori19Mount21Chilwell22Ziyech23Gilmour24JamesReferee:Artur Manuel Soares Dias
Live TextMatch ends, Sevilla 0, Chelsea 4.
Second Half ends, Sevilla 0, Chelsea 4.
Attempt saved. Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Óliver Torres.
Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Emerson (Chelsea).
Joan Jordán (Sevilla) is shown the yellow card.
Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea) is shown the yellow card.
Mason Mount (Chelsea) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Joan Jordán (Sevilla).
Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Karim Rekik (Sevilla) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by César Azpilicueta (Chelsea).
Foul by Joan Jordán (Sevilla).
Mason Mount (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the left wing.
VAR Decision: No Penalty Chelsea.
Substitution, Chelsea. Billy Gilmour replaces Jorginho.
Substitution, Chelsea. Timo Werner replaces Olivier Giroud.
Goal! Sevilla 0, Chelsea 4. Olivier Giroud (Chelsea) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the top right corner.
Sergi Gómez (Sevilla) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Penalty conceded by Sergi Gómez (Sevilla) after a foul in the penalty area.
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