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Kvaratskhelia has seven goals and four assists for PSG in the Champions League this season, including three goals against Chelsea over two legs
Chelsea suffered their joint-heaviest defeat in a two‑legged European tie, losing 8-2 on aggregate and 3-0 on the night to European champions Paris St‑Germain at Stamford Bridge.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring after just six minutes, with Bradley Barcola doubling PSG’s lead with their second shot of the game in the 14th minute.
It effectively ended the tie as a contest, and substitute Senny Mayulu piled further misery on Chelsea in this last‑16 meeting.
There were chants from home supporters for former owner Roman Abramovich – despite the Premier League issuing a record £10.75m fine for more than £47m of undeclared payments to agents – as well as others directed against the current ownership watching from the directors’ box.
The opening goal came after hesitant defending from Mamadou Sarr, allowing Kvaratskhelia to reach the ball first before driving a low left‑footed shot into the net.
Chelsea then mounted a flurry of attacks through Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, Pedro Neto and Trevoh Chalobah before PSG struck again.
After Moises Caicedo lost possession in midfield, PSG broke forward, and Barcola produced a superb first touch with his weaker left foot before half‑volleying into the top corner to double the lead.
Chelsea continued to attack and created good opportunities through Joao Pedro, Palmer and Jorrel Hato, but they also continued to concede big chances on the break to Kvaratskhelia and Barcola.
The Blues were booed off at half-time, and head coach Liam Rosenior responded by replacing Sarr with academy graduate Josh Acheampong.
After the break, Joao Pedro again went close in the 56th minute, but minutes later Rosenior appeared to concede defeat, taking off star players Palmer, Fernandez and Joao Pedro.
Liam Delap, one of the replacements, had a close-range shot soon after, which was saved, before Mayulu, 19, curled a stunning shot from just inside the box to add a third on the night, building a staggering 8-2 win on aggregate.
And a night in which Chelsea became only the third English team to concede eight goals in a European tie got even worse in the closing stages with defender Chalobah stretchered off, leaving the hosts down to 10 men for the final minutes.
PSG now face the winner of Liverpool versus Galatasaray, with the Turkish club taking a 1-0 lead into the second leg at Anfield tomorrow night.
Chelsea analysis: Glass ceiling stops Blues in Europe
Chelsea have shown in spells – most notably when they beat Paris St‑Germain 3-0 in the Club World Cup final in July – that they are capable of defeating anyone on their day. The issue is their inability to consistently reproduce that level, a flaw that continues to undermine them both domestically and in Europe.
In the Champions League, holders PSG have comfortably beaten Chelsea over two legs, underlining their own ability to consistently play at a high level.
Chelsea, on the other hand, went all in for the first leg and were beaten 5-2 because of poor concentration, individual errors and ill‑discipline, rather than a lack of technical quality.
And the second leg began in the same manner when Mamadou Sarr, 20, lacked conviction defending a long ball to give Kvaratskhelia the yard he needed to do the damage.
It was not just Sarr; Caicedo was at fault for the second, and Trevoh Chalobah got away with a bad mistake in the 33rd minute.
Of course, Sarr only played because of selection issues stemming from Rosenior picking his strongest XI against Newcastle on Saturday, a match Chelsea lost 1-0. Reece James has suffered a potentially serious hamstring injury, while players such as Palmer, Caicedo and Neto appear fatigued despite starting.
Alongside Sarr, 10 other members of this Chelsea squad had not played in this competition before this season, highlighting how this is a new frontier for so many of them.
It perhaps stands to reason that this is too much too soon for the youngest starting XI to play a Champions League knockout game for Chelsea, regardless of the expectation of the shirt they wear.
But Chelsea have now lost four consecutive Champions League knockout games for the first time in the club’s history.
This is a squad capable of beating anyone on its day, which has led to cup successes in the Conference League and Club World Cup and they could yet deliver FA Cup silverware to the Todd Boehly and Clearlake ownership.
However, those days do not come often enough to win a competition like the Premier League or Champions League.
PSG analysis: Making English teams look like ‘farmers’
PSG boss Luis Enrique said his joke about England being a so‑called “farmers’ league” “follows him all the time” when asked about it in his pre‑match comments before kick‑off.
The phrase is often used derogatorily against French clubs, but PSG have been sweeping aside English teams with ease over the past two seasons.
His remarks resurfaced from when PSG beat Arsenal in last season’s semi-final, having already defeated Aston Villa and Liverpool on their way to a 5-0 final win over Inter Milan.
They did, of course, go on to lose to Chelsea in the Club World Cup final in New Jersey.
However, they made amends over two legs in the Champions League, asserting their dominance over them and, perhaps, over English – and even European – football more broadly.
They will be among the favourites to win the competition despite being on the tougher side of the draw, which features Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and, potentially, Liverpool in the quarter-finals.
Now top scorers in the tournament, with more different scorers than any other team, Luis Enrique’s side seems capable of making any side look like “farmers”.
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