CHELSEA cruised to a Champions League victory thanks to a brace from Timo Werner and a second-half strike from Tammy Abraham.
- Final score: Chelsea 3-0 Rennes
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GOODNIGHT FROM THE BRIDGE
Another game, another clean sheet and another win for Chelsea.
The Londoners were in complete control from the off against Rennes as they eased their way to a 3-0 success that keeps them at the top of Group E.
They were given a helping hand, if not by defender Dalbert, then by German referee Felix Zwayer and his officials.
Dalbert had already conceded one penalty – won and scored by Timo Werner – when he was adjudged to have handled Tammy Abraham’s shot.
The decision to award another spotkick following a VAR review was harsh, and the red card that came with it for a second booking was even harsher.
Not that Werner showed any sympathy, slamming home from 12 yards for a second time, and, when Tammy Abraham converted shortly after the break, the contest was all but over.
Most impressively, tonight’s victory came with a fifth consecutive clean sheet for Chelsea, and a sixth in a row for their new goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
The former Rennes stopper had little to do against the club he left in September, but he stayed alert enough to show his class in denying Clement Grenier’s 84th minute effort.
A flurry of second half substitutions gave Frank Lampard the opportunity to rest key players ahead of Saturday’s visit of Sheffield United. If his side are able to keep this form up, perhaps Champions League Group E won’t be the only table that Chelsea are troubling the top of.
Thanks for being with us this evening and goodnight.
FRANK TALKING
A delighted Frank Lampard has been speaking post match about his players’ professionalism, and why Timo Werner is Chelsea’s new spotkick king.
“I think we deserved the win in the way we played.
“The red card and penalty at 2-0 makes it more comfortable, but I think we dealt with the early parts of the second half really well.
“It’s not always easy against ten men when they’ve had time to talk and arrange themselves, but we kept the ball moving so the professional elements of our game were really good and against a good opposition as well.
“We saw at 11 against 11, they’re a good, physical, technical team and we won pretty well.
“[The new penalty taker] wasn’t an easy decision because Jorginho has been pretty faultless for us, but he’s missed two recently and Timo came in to score one.
“I had a conversation with Jorginho and his answer was perfect for a professional. He doesn’t care who takes them, he just wants the team to score.”
RENNES RUE REFEREE’S DECISION
The BT Sport pundits have been discussing the controversial decision to not only award Chelsea a second first half penalty, but to show Dalbert a second yellow card.
MEND REUNITED
Edouard Mendy catches up with his former coach and teammates at full time.
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Read all about it! Dave Kidd has filed his match report following the final whistle at Stamford Bridge.
BLUES ATTACK FROM THE BACK
Chelsea full-backs Ben Chilwell and Reece James continue to prove the attacking threat they possess when patrolling their respective flanks..
This heatmap shows just how much ground the pair covered on each wing this evening.
IF IT’S BROKE
Edouard Mendy it.
E-ASY DOES IT
Chelsea and Sevilla are clear at the top of Group E after their victories this evening, and it means the pair could sew up qualification as early as matchday four with similar results later this month.
The La Liga side recovered from 2-0 down to beat Krasnodar 3-2 in Spain tonight.
FT: CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
A comfortable victory for Chelsea in Group E.
Tammy Abraham’s early second half strike added to two Timo Werner penalties in the first half, and ensured the Blues hold on to top spot.
Rennes remain bottom, having played 50 minutes with ten men after Dalbert’s ridiculously harsh red card.
CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
90+3. Giroud should have scored!
Unmarked at the back stick, the Frenchman headed down Hudson-Odoi’s cross but was uncharacteristically off target with his effort.
That could have been the biggest blue success since Michigan.
CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
90. There will be three minutes of added time before we can all get ourselves a cup of tea and enjoy another moan about the new handball interpretations.
CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
88. Yellow card alert!
Del Castillo is the latest player cautioned for two swipes at Werner, catching him on the achilles with the second after failing to make contact with his first.
CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
84. Edouard Mendy is on the verge of a sixth consecutive clean sheet, and he’s finally had to work for it.
The visitors broke quickly down the right, where the ball was pulled back perfectly for Grenier.
The substitute has never scored for Rennes, but he met the cross well, powering a shot towards goal that the Chelsea custodian was equal to in palming away.
The loose ball was eventually turned in by Doku, but the Rennes man was well offside when he scored.
SHUTTING UP SHOP
The last five minutes show that the Chelsea players have both eyes on the weekend’s game with Sheffield United.
This game has been over for a long time so let the ten men play with the ball.
CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
79. If it’s not a substitution to report, it’s a yellow card.
Kovacic goes into the book for waving an arm in the face of Grenier.
CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
76. That miss brings about another two – and thankfully final – substitutions.
Callum Hudson-Odoi, fresh from his goal at Krasnodar, is on for Ziyech.
Guirassy hasn’t had a sniff for Rennes all night, and he’s replaced by Adrien Hunou.
CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
74. That said, that was a golden opportunity for Olivier Giroud to make it four.
The substitute was sent clear by Ziyech, but his attempted dink over Gomis was cut out by the Rennes goalkeeper.
CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
72. It’s the visiting side that are tidily keeping possession at the moment, which makes you think both sides have settled for 3-0.
CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
68. For heaven’s sake, it’s another substitute.
Antonio Rudiger – remember him? – is on for Thiago Silva.
These multiple subs are worse than the mess they’ve made of the handball rule.
CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
67. This must be the hat-trick for Werner… No!
A brilliant move from Chelsea starts with Thiago Silva’s wonderful 40-yard pass into the path of Reece James.
The full-back is on to it like a flash, and delivers another pass on the plate across the face of Gomis’ goal.
Coming on to it at the far post, Werner looks a certainty to net but fails to make contact after a desperate defensive lunge at the last.
CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
65. Jorginho goes into the book for bringing down Del Castillo.
CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
63. Both sides make triple changes..
Clement Grenier, Jeremy Doku and Romain Del Castillo are on for Rennes with Martin Terrier, Steven Nzonzi and Yann Gboho going off.
Meanwhile, Frank Lampard throws on Emerson, Mateo Kovacic and Olivier Giroud, and gives N’Golo Kante, Ben Chilwell and Tammy Abraham a rest.
That was like a testimonial game.
CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
59. Chilwell comfortably heads away a Rennes corner at the near post.
When you’re 3-0 down and a man light, the last thing you want to do is send a rare set-piece into the first man.
CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
57. It has the feel of a training game now as Chelsea make use of their one-man advantage.
On the touchline, a whole host of home substitutes are warming up, hoping to get in on the action.
CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
53. Some rare respite for the Rennes defenders as one – Nayef Aguerd – gets on the end of a free-kick to head over Mendy’s crossbar.
It will be back to desperately tracking Chelsea forwards shortly for the centre-back, and you fear that the home side could rack up as many as they like this evening.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
