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Chelsea pranced into the last 16 of the Champions League as Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and a brilliant brace by Willian sealed an emphatic 4-0 win for the Premier League champions in Baku.
Qarabag, for all their bright opening exchanges, were reduced to 10-men in the 19th minute as skipper Rasad Sadiqov was dismissed for a foul on Willian, resulting in a penalty that Hazard dispatched hassle-free.
It was all Chelsea thereafter as the goal knocked the winds out of the seemingly vibrant Azerbaijan outfit, who were left chasing red herrings for the remainder of the game. As for Antonio Conte and his men in blue, the London side girded up their loins in style for the mouth-watering clash with Liverpool this weekend.
Here are some of the major talking points from the game.
#5 Willian packs a punch
Not normally among those to hog the limelight, but Willian took home the cake today for what was a delightful show and also one of his best this season. The diminutive Brazilian bagged a brace on the night as he was one of the driving factors behind Chelsea's smooth-sailing across the Caspian sea.
Deployed on the left flank in a slightly tweaked 3-4-2-1 formation, the 29-year old wrote his name on the scoresheet after turning a Hazard backheel clip into the bottom corner with a fierce strike. Just when the prattles of a resurgence in Willian's game started to make the rounds, the latter further consolidated it with another brilliant effort, a tad better than his last.
Scampering across the face of the goal evading the Qarabag defenders, the former Anzhi man then unleashed a ferocious low-drive that capped off a comprehensive evening for Chelsea.
Having seen himself reduced to a mere back-up from the bench last season, Willian seems to be a man on a mission to prove Conte wrong. And on tonight's evidence, he's doing it all right.
#4 Qarabag shoot themselves in the foot
Having been drubbed 6-0 in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge on the opening day, The Horsemen seemingly entered the tie with a plan this time. Posing considerable threat in attack whilst also maintaining composure the back, Qarabag were pretty decent in the opening exchanges.
Then, the red card happened, and it was all downhill thereafter.
Whilst the decision of the sending off was questionable, it turned the tide of the game completely. Qarabab captain Sadigov was at fault for the penalty as it was a poor challenge from him. A more calm and collected approach in the moment would've at least kept them level in terms of personnel.
Post the interval too, the Azerbaijani minnows were guilty of several moments of madness, one of which in fact, resulted in another penalty when a poor defensive clearance culminated in another rattled show by the backline.
For all of their encouraging start, Qarabag were always up against the odds. But the red card coupled with a sense of discountenance in defence made it all the more worse.
#3 Conte clearly has one eye on the Liverpool tie
With their Champions League prospects not completely sealed and the Premier League title defence starting on a less-than-straightforward note, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte had a lot on his plate to deal with. The Italian, resultantly, made a few chops and changes to his line-up keeping in mind the trip to Anfield this Saturday, and regardless, churned out a win.
There were as many as four changes to his line-up with Alvaro Morata, Timoue Bakayoko, Gary Cahill and Andreas Christensen all dropping to the bench as Conte deployed a 3-4-2-1 set-up with Hazard as the unconventional striker.
Whilst it did raise a few eyebrows, the former Juventus honcho knew what he was doing, but at the same time, refused to take anything for granted considering the problems Qarabag created when Atletico Madrid and AS Roma had come to town earlier.
The result was a facile yet dominant win for Chelsea, who not only ensured a ticket to the pre-quarters, but could also conserve some energy for the upcoming clash with a relatively laid-back approach after the break.
#2 Qarabag bow out with a semblance of pride
Qarabag made history earlier this year when they became the first side from Azerbaijan to even qualify for Europe's premier club competition. Having got a whiff of the same in Champions League's less-glamorous sister the Europa League last season, Gurban Gurbanov's side went a step further this time around, but ran out of luck during the draws as they drawn alongside some of the continent's biggies such as Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and AS Roma.
The writing was on the wall ever since. Qarabag were always going to finish at the foot of the table unless they pulled off a Costa Rica of FIFA 2014. So whilst that didn't happen and they did bow out as expected, the club from Baku still wouldn't be too disappointed.
Qarabag made their intentions clear by holding the Rojiblancos to two stunning stalemates, whilst also making the Romans walk the extra mile at the Azersun Arena. The 6-0 thrashing by Chelsea could be excused given they were only stepping into uncharted waters, but they showed flashes of promise today too during the initial proceedings.
Had it been an 11-on-11 contest, the hosts would've surely given Chelsea a run for their money. But nonetheless, they can bow out with their heads held high.
#1 Hazard ready to take Europe by storm
Chelsea's midfield maestro Eden Hazard is said to bracket himself alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar and others. Today, when he was at the forefront, Hazard did deliver, indicating his evolution into a talisman whom Chelsea could look up to this season.
The Belgian wizard ignited the rout with a neatly dispatched penalty in the first quarter of the tie, before turning into a provider for Willian with a cheeky backheel that left the fans floored. Also, it was for the first time in his career that he scored and assisted in the same Champions League game, following up the brilliant performance at West Brom this past week.
Despite injuries blighting his start to the new campaign, Hazard has hit the throttle quickly and easily. The rich vein of form has helped him pull off a string of amazing showings which has in turn, benefited Chelsea in a way that they are once again in the Premier League reckoning as well as the Champions League.
But if they are to go all the way, Hazard is the key. And on current evidence, he's ready to take every challenge by storm.
