 In the 2003 – 04 season he scored 18 goals in all competitions which, despite the arrival of new strikers Adrian Mutu and Hernán Crespo, made him top-scorer at the club for the third time in four years. On 27 March, his 32nd birthday, Hasselbaink came on as a 60th-minute substitute for Geremi Njitap and scored a hat-trick as Chelsea came from behind to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 5 – 2 at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea finished the season in second place and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League; Hasselbaink played in both legs of the semi-final defeat to AS Monaco, as Chelsea lost 5 – 3 on aggregate.
