Three goals befitting a big European night at the Bridge crowned an eye-catching display in SW6. Sam Kerr picked out the top corner from range shortly before the interval to give us the advantage in what had been a tight opening first 45 minutes.

Two more brilliant goals followed before the midway point of the second half had been reached. Both were finished with aplomb by Lauren James, the first Champions League goals of her career, but much of the credit must go to Kerr and the irrepressible Fran Kirby for their work in the build-up.

Over 10,000 fans inside the Bridge headed home happy having been served a Christmas cracker in our final fixture of 2022, another year in which Chelsea Women have made great strides on and off the pitch.

Emma Hayes made four changes to the side that started the 4-0 victory at Vllaznia on Friday. Captain Magda Eriksson returned in defence and she was joined there by Millie Bright. Eve Perisset and Aniek Nouwen made way.

Jelena Cankovic and Jessie Fleming, who played 90 minutes in Albania, were also on the bench, as in come Erin Cuthbert and James, joining an attack-minded side that also included Kirby, Guro Reiten and Kerr.

PSG started with Ramona Bachmann on the bench, and another former Blue, Jackie Groenen, missed out through illness.

The Blues kicked us off under the Stamford Bridge lights with Kirby operating close to Kerr, and James and Reiten providing the width.

Our visitors from Paris settled quicker, and in the fourth minute a Sandy Baltimore strike from distance didn’t miss by much. It had Zecira Musovic scrambling to her left, but the Swede was more comfortable in saving a shot from Mengwen Li soon after.

Surviving a scare

The first Chelsea move of note had the home support purring. Initiated by Kerr, we switched the ball from right to left and right again at speed, though unfortunately Niamh Charles couldn’t bring the ball under her spell when controlling Reiten’s cross.

We survived a major scare in the 14th minute when Kadidiatou Diani, a scorer against us in 2019, ambitiously tried her luck from a good 40 yards out, the ball thudding against the crossbar with Musovic frantically backpedalling.

James burst into life with a pair of efforts either side of the half-hour mark. The first, a volley from Kirby’s cross, nicked off a Parisian defender and hit the side-netting; the second, on her left foot from the edge of the box, also took a slight touch on its way through to Sarah Bouhaddi.

Advantage Chelsea

It was James vs Bouhaddi again on 34 minutes, and again it was the PSG stopper who came out on top, producing a stunning save low to her right to tip our forward’s goalbound strike around the post. James had outmuscled Elisa De Almeida in the build-up to create a clear run at goal.

We didn’t have to wait long to take the lead, though! Kerr pounced on a miscontrol but still had so much to do. She cut inside on to her left and from 20 yards out bent a sweet, sweet strike away from Bouhaddi and into the top right-hand corner. Advantage Chelsea!

A half of two halves finished with the Blues leading 1-0 and 45 minutes away from securing top spot.

Attacking brilliance pays off

That outcome turned into a formality 10 minutes into a second period the Blues had dominated. Bouhaddi tried to play out from the back, but James stretched to intercept her attempted pass, guiding it into the path of Kirby, who quickly moved it forward to Kerr. With her back to goal, the Australian unselfishly squared back to James, and the finish that followed was unerring, powered past Bouhaddi and celebrated wildly in front of the Shed.

It was a case of déjà vu seven minutes later as James made it 3-0 at the end of another slick Chelsea move. Kerr dropped deep to drag her centre-back out of position, Eriksson fizzed a pass in to Reiten who didn’t hesitate moving the ball on, incisively freeing Kirby. The outstanding Super Fran knew exactly what she wanted to do, unselfishly teeing up James who swept the ball in for her second of the night. She was immediately replaced by Johanna Rytting Kaneryd to a huge Stamford Bridge ovation.

Aside from a Magnaba Folquet shot that skimmed the outside of the post, the Blues looked more likely to add a fourth goal. Kirby was yet again the provider, releasing Bethany England who fired past Bouhaddi and, agonisingly, the far post. That same piece of woodwork was struck by another sub, Aniek Nouwen, in stoppage time, as the Blues finished the game, and the year, with a flourish.

The draw for the quarter-finals of the Champions League is on 10 February. Before then the focus returns to domestic matters, with Hayes and her side next in action away to Arsenal on 15 January. Until then, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Musovic; Charles (Perisset 78), Buchanan, Bright, Eriksson (c); Cuthbert (Fleming 74), Ingle; James (Rytting Kaneryd 63), Kirby, Reiten (Cankovic 73); Kerr (England 73).
Unused subs Berger, Orman, Nouwen, Carter, Svitkova, Mjelde, Abdullina,
Scorers Kerr 42, James 55, 62

PSG (4-3-3): Bouhaddi; Li, Ilestedt, De Almeida, Karchaoui; Fazer (Hamraoui h/t), Jean-Francois, Geyero (c), Martens (Bachmann h/t), Diani (Ngueleu 79), Baltimore (Folquet 59).
Unused subs Williams, Picaud, Simon, Thorvaldsdottir, Yang.

Referee Iuliana Demetrescu from Romania
Crowd 10,129