Chelsea secured their spot in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday with a dominant 5-0 victory over League Two side Morecambe at Stamford Bridge. The win featured braces from Tosin Adarabioyo and João Félix, along with a goal from Christopher Nkunku.
Despite the convincing scoreline, Chelsea missed opportunities to extend their lead further, including a missed penalty by Nkunku in the 17th minute.
Head coach Enzo Maresca made several changes to his lineup, resting regular starters like Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernández, and Nicolas Jackson. The match also saw 18-year-old Tyrique George earn a starting place, while Reece James and Romeo Lavia returned from injury to make their first starts of the season.
Early Dominance
Chelsea started on the front foot and nearly took the lead in the 14th minute when Adarabioyo headed Pedro Neto’s cross against the bar.
Three minutes later, Nkunku had a chance to break the deadlock from the penalty spot after Morecambe’s Yann Songo’o was penalized for handball. However, goalkeeper Harry Burgoyne made a crucial save to deny him.
Chelsea’s pressure eventually paid off when Adarabioyo’s deflected shot from the edge of the box found the bottom corner, giving the home side a deserved lead.
- Autumn Brockman’s “ARock” Empowers the Beauty Industry
- Miss Universe Guyana organization appoints new Assistant Director Ivonn Novikova
- Diana Richardson helps others create a Legacy of their own in the beauty Industry
- Live the Life of Your Dreams: The Journey of Alita Rozhanska
- Art Lewin, through Artistic Excellence in Fashion, ‘wins’ in the Clothing Niche
Second-Half Onslaught
Maresca made one change at halftime, bringing on Marc Cucurella for Lavia. Chelsea wasted no time extending their advantage, with Nkunku making up for his earlier penalty miss by slotting a left-footed shot into the bottom corner just five minutes after the restart.
Adarabioyo struck again shortly after, smashing a brilliant effort into the top right corner after being set up by George. The defender’s second goal of the game shattered Morecambe’s resistance, and Chelsea capitalized with two quick goals in the following minutes.
João Félix added a fourth, finishing off a swift counterattack with a clinical shot into the bottom corner. He then completed his brace with a curling effort that left Burgoyne with no chance.
Looking Ahead
Chelsea will discover their fourth-round opponents when the draw takes place at 5 p.m. GMT (noon ET) on Sunday.
