Chelsea defeated Port Vale, bottom of League One, 7-0 at Stamford Bridge to advance to the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley.
Liam Rosenior and Chelsea needed a bounce back after four consecutive defeats and the break in international football had left the club with a record financial deficit, and Enzo Fernandes and Marc Cucurella made unpleasant headlines. This FA Cup draw brought about that.
It won’t be so easy to get back here as Rossenia and Chelsea are visited by Man City in the Premier League next Sunday, but it’s a timely boost for the Blues in their bid to win the FA Cup for the first time since 2018 and finish in the top five of Champions League football next season.
Vale’s side, 61 places below Chelsea in the Pyramid,’s chances of an upset were effectively dashed in just 64 seconds when Jorel Hato took advantage of a poor punch from goalkeeper Joe Gauci.
Vale, who had shocked Sunderland in the Premier League in the previous match, looked like they had gained a foothold into the game when poor defending from Liam Gordon allowed Pedro Neto to finish off João Pedro.
game over? It happened just before half-time, when Cole Palmer, wearing his captain’s armband, deflected Jordan Gabriel’s third goal after Maro Gusto’s shot was deflected.
Jorel Hato celebrates with teammate Wesley Fofana after giving Chelsea an early lead against Port Vale
Regaining their confidence, Chelsea shifted into gear after the break, with Tosin heading home in the number four after Estevao hit the post. The Brazilian went into the woodwork again, but the unmarked Andrei Santos headed home again to give Chelsea their fifth goal.
Estevao eventually scored, but had to wait for a lengthy VAR check to finally correct a narrow offside decision when he followed up Alejandro Garnacho’s shot onto the uprights.
And Garnacho was not to be ruled out either, winning a penalty from Tyler Magloire and converting the kick himself at the end to score Chelsea’s seventh goal.
Andrei Santos scores Chelsea’s fifth goal against Port Vale
It was a bitter and brutal end to Port Vale’s remarkable run to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 72 years.
With relegation from League One now very likely, manager John Brady hopes a run in the cup will give his side a boost as they rebuild in the summer ahead of next season.
Rosenior expects the result to have an immediate impact on Chelsea’s side.
Rosenior satisfied with Chelsea’s ‘application’
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior:
“I was very happy with the team’s play and intensity. Of course we have outstanding players, but the way we chased, the way we tackled, how that gave us the foundation to continue to win games.
“We can still have a great season in terms of winning the FA Cup and qualifying for the Champions League.”
Palmer said of becoming a captain: “It’s a natural step for Cole. He shows leadership. There are different types of leadership. He’s very brave and will get the ball up on the field. That reflects what I want for our team.”
Brady: We have a huge history.
Port Vale manager John Brady:
“We set some goals to not concede in the first 20 minutes. It was really tough to concede in the first minute, as were the three set-pieces. Overall, our position and their position shows the level. If that doesn’t motivate the players, myself and the coaching staff to try to get better every day, can we aim to get better every day?”
“We have a huge amount of history at the club and what a week it was for the football club to beat Bristol City and then Sunderland. We have created lifelong memories for so many of our fans and we are so grateful to have 6,000 fans here today.”
what happens?
Chelsea host Man City on Sunday, April 12th, with kick-off at 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports.
Port Vale return to League One action on Tuesday night at home to Rotherham, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports+. Kickoff at 7:45 p.m.
