Chelsea beat Morecambe comfortably 5-0 in League Two to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup.
braces from Tosin Adarabio and Joao Felix, as well as a strike from Christopher Nkunku, which also saw a penalty saved in the first half, ensured there was no upset in the cup at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon.
Eighty-seven places separate the two sides in the English football pyramid and, in the end, the gulf in quality was evident as Enzo Maresca’s side saw off the League Two strugglers in convincing fashion.
The Blues boss has made big changes, the most notable being the return of Reece James to the starting line-up.
Morecambe goalkeeper Harry Burgoyne made an inspired save early on but could do little to stop the home side’s onslaught in the second half.
For Chelsea, this result ended a streak of four consecutive games without a win.
Advance to the fourth round #EmiratesFACup! 🏆#CFC pic.twitter.com/Eqw9mWrJdd
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 11, 2025
How the plot unfolded
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was the Premier League side who started the brightest when Axel Disasi headed James’ free-kick over the bar inside two minutes.
But the visitors also got off to a flying start at Stamford Bridge, with the lively Ben Tollitt making a good save from Filip Jorgensen in the Blues goal.
Adarabioyo then came within inches of the home team’s lead when he hit the post with a header from a corner.
The first quarter of an hour in London was eventful. Yann Songo’o’s handball gave Nkunko a chance to give Maresca the lead, but Burgoyne made a brilliant save to keep the scoreless.
Burgoyne, however, was off his line when the spot-kick was taken but, with no VAR until the fifth round, there was no replay.
It proved to be a busy afternoon for the Morecombe keeper, who was called into action again shortly before the half-hour mark when he denied Felix’s effort.
The League Two side could have been very pleased with their early efforts, but five minutes before the break they fell behind after Adarabioyo’s speculative effort was viciously deflected by Morecambe’s Callum Jones.
Maresca, as well as the entire home crowd, could collectively breathe a sigh of relief because the Blues went on vacation with an advantage.
Forward on break. ✊#CFC | #EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/salt9FY6oI
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 11, 2025
The home team made three changes at halftime, and one of the introduced ones, Marc Cucurella, immediately scored.
The Spaniard was instrumental in the build-up as Nkunku tapped home the ball from close range to double Chelsea’s lead.
Cucurella then almost made it three five minutes later when his shot ricocheted wide of Maresca’s side who were now in complete control.
In the 70th minute, Adarabioyo secured the equalizer when another shot from distance found a defender in the top corner.
Felix then added two more as Chelsea put a clinical spin on an incredible home performance.
