Player ratings as Tosin and Felix star in FA Cup defeat

A late second-half flurry of goals helped Chelsea to an eventual 5-0 win at home to fourth-tier Morecambe in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.

The appearance of the almighty FA Cup the upset briefly turned from a distant impossibility to a faint hope when Christopher Nkunku saved a penalty in the first half. Morecambe goalkeeper Harry Burgoyne wasn’t overly tested before a tame spot-kick, instead watching Enzo Maresca’s expensively assembled B-team squander the many chances they created.

The Blues took a late lead on the stroke of half-time thanks to Tosin Adarabio’s powerfully deflected long-range shot.

After a barely convincing first half, Maresca made three changes at the break, introducing form Jadon SanchoMalo Gusto and Marc Cucurella. The Spanish full-back – whose £55million transfer fee is roughly five times the value of the entire Morecambe FC club – burst into the box shortly after coming off the bench, firing a low cut for Renato Veiga to aim. The Portuguese international’s shot was saved, but it fell to Nkunku and made it 2-0.

Morecambe, so defiant, so determined, so dogged for the first 70 minutes, were dismantled during a seven-minute spurt. Before that, Tosin made a second shot from outside the penalty area Joao Felix cut his own braces in just over 100 seconds. After converting an incisive counter-attack, the Elfin forward hit the top corner in Chelsea’s 27th goal of the afternoon.

The Blues have unequivocally sealed their place in tomorrow’s fourth round draw as Morecambe return to the daily grind of relegation at the foot of the English Professional Football League.

*Ratings are provided by FotMob*

Subs not used: Robert Sanchez (GK), Josh Acheampong, Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Jackson

Man of the match – Tosin Adarabioyo (Chelsea)

READ THE LATEST FA CUP NEWS, REVIEWS AND REVIEWS HERE