It was the perfect way for us to mark our first Champions League knockout game in front of a full Stamford Bridge for two years, with the only stains on the evening coming in the form of injuries to Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech.

Havertz had already had two good chances by the time he emphatically headed us in front in just the eighth minute, Ziyech the set-piece supplier. It crowned a fast Chelsea start but as the half wore on, Lille grew into the game and showed why they are the Ligue 1 champions.

Our defence were in good form, though, and limited them to very few clear openings. We emerged for the second half with a new lease of life, and deservedly doubled our lead in the 63rd minute. N’Golo Kante’s energy and weight of pass freed Pulisic, who finished calmly for his fourth goal of the campaign.

The rest of this last-16 first leg passed without major incident, giving us a useful buffer in northern France three weeks from now. Before then we have domestic matters to focus on, starting with Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Liverpool at Wembley.

The selection

Thomas Tuchel made three changes to his Chelsea team, with the major pre-match talking point centred around the non-inclusion of Romelu Lukaku. Havertz led the line in his place, flanked by Pulisic and Ziyech.

Tuchel’s preference for a 3-4-3 meant the returning Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta slotted in at wing-back. Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva and Toni Rudiger were the central defensive trio.

Kovacic replaced Jorginho in midfield, and there was good news in the shape of Mason Mount being fit enough to take a place on the bench.Lille brought in former Swansea man Renato Sanches, as well as promising youngster Amadou Onana. He played in a no.10 position behind sole striker Jonathan David. Sanches and Jonathan Bamba offered support out wide.

Before kick-off, the Club World Cup was paraded around Stamford Bridge by the injured trio of Ben Chilwell, Reece James and Callum Hudson-Odoi, much to the delight of those already in their seats. They did get a soaking from the sprinklers for their troubles, though!

Try, try and try again

Chelsea started superbly. There was an energy and intent to our play from the first whistle, and it should have led to an opening goal inside four minutes. Azpilicueta crossed low and hard and it was met on the half-volley by Havertz, who couldn’t keep his effort down from six yards.

The German got much closer with his next attempt, only to see it brilliantly tipped around the post by Lille’s Leo Jardim. So it was very much a case of third time lucky when he headed the resulting corner, delivered by Hakim Ziyech, into the ground and beyond Jardim’s reach with the bounce off the turf. Eight minutes had been played and Chelsea had dealt the first blow in this two-legged tie.

Shortly afterwards, Lille threatened for the first time through a Sanches cross that Rudiger sliced over his own crossbar. It needed some gutsy last-ditch defending from the corner that followed to prevent Les Dogues equalising as the ball bounced dangerously in our box.

Searching for balance

Alonso volleyed an N’Golo Kante cross straight at Jardim with our next presentable opening on the quarter-hour, before the pace of the contest abated a little. Edouard Mendy did come to our rescue once, racing out of his goal to clear before David could reach it, and Kante pinched possession to release Ziyech, who couldn’t sort his feet out before getting a shot off.

As the clock ticked past 31, applause broke out around the Bridge following the tragic passing of music entrepreneur and Blues fan Jamal Edwards at the age of just 31. ‘He’s one of our own,’ sung the Matthew Harding.

On the pitch, our visitors continued to grow in confidence, their pace and pressing causing us problems. The lively Sanches shot over, and a cross from Bamba deflected kindly into Mendy’s hands with an unmarked David waiting to pounce. When the half-time whistle blew it was clear we were in a game.

Strong restart

We upped the tempo right from the restart, two driving Pulisic runs in quick succession forcing Lille on the back foot. From the first, Ziyech’s shot was blocked, and Kovacic then couldn’t keep the ball in.

That was the Croatian’s final involvement as he hobbled off to be replaced by Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Kante crossed as we conjured yet another opening down our right, the ball sitting up for Alonso to blast goalwards. Zeki Celik make a crucial block.

After a long pause so Ziyech could receive treatment, Havertz stole the ball on halfway, sprinted clear, stopped then restarted his run, and shot over as the angle narrowed. Ziyech then limped off, Saul his replacement. An hour had been played.

Pulisic pounces

With Saul dropping deeper, Pulisic moved more central to play off Havertz. It paid dividends immediately. Kante was the provider, charging from halfway and picking the perfect moment to slip in Pulisic to his left. The American’s first touch was a good one, and the second cleverly lifted it over Jardim and into the corner of the net.

Two goals to the good, we navigated the remaining half-hour with little fuss. Sven Botman headed tamely at Mendy from a recycled corner, but otherwise the Blues were calm.

A flurry of substitutions contributed to the bittiness of the game’s closing stages, not that Chelsea minded one bit. 2-0 will do us just fine. Our run of Champions League wins at Stamford Bridge without conceding is now at six games, and it is now five straight successes against French opposition.

What's next?

The Carabao Cup final! Kick-off is at 4.30pm UK time on Sunday.

Chelsea (3-4-3): Mendy; Christensen, Thiago Silva, Rudiger; Azpilicueta (c), Kante, Kovacic (Loftus-Cheek 51), Alonso (Sarr 80); Ziyech (Saul 60), Havertz, Pulisic (Werner 80).Unused subs Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Chalobah, Jorginho, Kenedy, Mount, Vale, Lukaku.Scorers Havertz 8, Pulisic 63Booked Loftus-Cheek 83

Lille (4-4-1-1): Jardim; Celik, J Fonte (c), S Botman, Djalo (Gudmundsson 76); Sanches (Ben Arfa 81), Xeka, Andre, Bamba; Onana (Yilmaz 65); David (Zhegrova 81).Unused subs Grbic, Raux, Lihadji, Weah, Gomes, Bradaric.Booked Ben Arfa 87

Referee Jesus Gil Manzano from SpainCrowd 38,832