Chelsea Women’s forward Fran Kirby believes that competition in the first-team squad provided the catalyst for their win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

The Blues had already qualified for the knockout stages prior to the game but Kirby says the standards in training helped the team put in an excellent performance on Thursday evening:

“You see the players that come out on the pitch, but the players sitting in the stands are making it so difficult for us yesterday in training. It allows us to have performances like this, so a special mention has to go to the whole squad for how we prepared for this week.”

Sam Kerr opened the scoring just before half-time at Stamford Bridge, while a second half brace from Lauren James secured a comfortable 3-0 victory.

The win ensured that Emma Hayes’ side finished top of the group, and it also means that the London club head into the winter break on a high.

Chelsea are top of the Women’s Super League table, three points ahead of Arsenal, who they face in their next game on January 15th. Next month could well define their season, with two ties also coming up in the League Cup and FA Cup.