{"id":24101,"date":"2021-11-23T17:48:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-23T22:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24101"},"modified":"2021-11-24T08:51:55","modified_gmt":"2021-11-24T13:51:55","slug":"chelsea-demolish-juventus-at-stamford-bridge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24101","title":{"rendered":"Chelsea Demolish Juventus At Stamford Bridge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Trevoh Chalobah, partially obscured, celebrates his opening goal with team-mates (AP\/Press Association Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Trevoh Chalobah, Reece James, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Timo Werner struck to sink Juventus 4-0 and march an imperious Chelsea into the Champions League\u2019s last 16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The defending champions battered the outclassed Italians, Chelsea booking their place in the knockout stages but also overhauling their Serie A rivals at the top of Group H.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Match or better Juve\u2019s result in the final set of round-robin fixtures in early December and the Blues will top the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chelsea\u2019s sole concerns on a raucous west London night proved injury scares for N\u2019Golo Kante and Ben Chilwell, who both hobbled out of action well ahead of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

England wing-back James became Chelsea\u2019s outright top scorer for the season so far. The unassuming 21-year-old now boasts five goals and five assists for the term and continued his revelatory form with a sublime finish against The Old Lady.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast-improving young defender Chalobah lashed Chelsea into an early lead, palming his hands together in celebratory prayer. An outmaneuvered Juventus side would quickly be left to wish for divine intervention, such was the scale of Chelsea\u2019s stifling dominance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas Tuchel has long since vowed to make Chelsea horrible to play against, and on this evidence that mission is complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James struck and Hudson-Odoi finished a sumptuous team goal before replacement Werner rounded off the rout at the death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chelsea ripped straight into opponents seemingly entirely unprepared for the Blues\u2019 gameplan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sluggish visitors were pulled apart time and again by an increasingly slick Chelsea side and once the hosts coupled that tight attacking approach with the ability to recover the ball almost immediately, a bleak night unfurled in front of the stunned Juve players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chalobah could have opened the scoring in mere minutes with a squarer connection to Ziyech\u2019s corner, before Matthijs De Ligt had to deflect Chilwell\u2019s low cross to safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James almost caught Wojciech Szczesny napping from a free-kick on the wing after the out-of-sorts Juan Cuadrado had been booked for hauling down Hudson-Odoi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chalobah finally provided the inevitable Chelsea lead, lashing into the net after a deflected corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juventus\u2019 woeful first-half showing descended into protesting an obviously issue-free goal, the visiting defense clutching at straws in claiming any kind of Chelsea handball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adrien Rabiot\u2019s faltering clearing header deflected off Antonio Rudiger\u2019s arm at point-blank range, with the Chelsea defender looking entirely in the opposite direction. Chalobah swept home as Juve protested pointlessly, with the Blues\u2019 goal rightly standing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juve rallied to the point of Morata lobbing Mendy on the break, only for the ageless Thiago Silva to conjure a stunning goal-line clearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James chested down Hudson-Odoi\u2019s crossfield ball to fire in a sweet strike on goal that forced Szczesny to tip around the post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rudiger nodded wide from another teasing Ziyech corner and Bonucci had to mop up just as Hudson-Odoi looked to pull the trigger having nipped in behind on Jorginho\u2019s lofted pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silva flicked a header on target to open the second half before Ziyech and Hudson-Odoi should have combined for a goal, but neither could quite find space for a shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James\u2019 bullet finish doubled the home lead however, as the England wing-back chested down before delivering the killer blow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juventus never recovered, and conceded again in a flash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rudiger raked a ball out to James and he chopped inside in one touch then laid off to Ziyech, who slipped a first-time pass into Ruben Loftus-Cheek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The resurgent former England midfielder skipped over two challenges in the area and cut through to Hudson-Odoi, who did the rest with a fine finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just when Juventus thought their ignominy was at an end, James pinged a crossfield pass to Ziyech and his low ball invited Werner to tap into the empty net.<\/p>\n

Share this:<\/h3>