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Football London
Football London
Sport
Beth Lindop

Emma Hayes hails superb Chelsea side as Blues cruise past PSG to claim Champions League top spot

Emma Hayes has heaped praise on her "superb" Chelsea side after the Blues comfortably dispatched PSG to finish top of their UEFA Women's Champions League group on Thursday night.

Chelsea took the lead 42 minutes into the contest at Stamford Bridge thanks to a sublime strike from Sam Kerr, who rifled the ball into the top corner after letting fly from just outside the box.

A quick-fire double from Lauren James in the second half ensured the hosts held on to the three points and extended Chelsea's unbeaten run to six games in the competiton this term.

READ MORE: Diego Costa moment proves Chelsea point as brutal Reece James lesson realised

The victory - which unfolded in front of more than 10,000 fans in west London - saw Emma Hayes' side end the year top of Group A and having gone 18 home games unbeaten in 2022.

Thursday's euphoria marked a huge departure from last year, when Chelsea crashed out of the Champions League in the group stages following a 4-0 mauling by Wolfsburg.

"I think it was just another training day for us in terms of the work we’ve been doing on the training pitch," Hayes told club media post-match.

"I saw all of it reflected in the performance. I really enjoyed the team - their behaviour this week, their attitude, all the things they took on board from us and then implemented it. I thought every single player out there had a superb game."

Reflecting on how Chelsea's summer signings, such as defender Kadeisha Buchanan, are starting to establish themselves within the side, Hayes added: "It was a lot of fun to watch them play. We could make changes whether it be before the game, during the game - everyone is up to the level.

"I’m so thrilled with the entire squad because the contributions each and every one of them keep making shows the levels of commitment remain high but most importantly they’re learning and understanding our way of playing."

Despite the result, visitors PSG have also qualified for the next round, with teams set to discover their quarter-final opponents when the draw is made on February 10.

Arsenal made their own European statement on Wednesday night with a a 9-1 rout of Swiss champions Zurich that saw them finish top of Group C.

The Gunners will be back in action on January 15 when they'll welcome Chelsea to the Emirates in a bid to end the visitors' nine-game winning run and move level on points with the Blues at the top of the WSL table.

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