Chelsea had no trouble reaching the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday, beating League One’s bottom club Port Vale 7-0 at Stamford Bridge in a quarter-final that was effectively settled inside the first minute. Jorrel Hato opened the scoring after just 64 seconds, capitalising on a poor punch from Port Vale goalkeeper Joe Gauci from a corner.
Joao Pedro doubled the lead in the 25th minute after good work from Pedro Neto, and a Cole Palmer shot was then parried by Gauci before deflecting off Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel into his own net for the third. Chelsea were already well clear before half-time.
Tosin Adarabioyo headed in a fourth in the second half, Andrey Santos added a fifth, and Estevao Willian tapped home the sixth before Alejandro Garnacho rounded things off with a late penalty he had won himself. Six different scorers in a rout that could have been even more one-sided.
Enzo Fernandez was not in the squad. Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior had suspended him for two matches after comments he made during the international break, suggesting uncertainty about his future at the club. The suspension also covers next weekend’s Premier League home game against Manchester City.
With captain Reece James also sidelined with injury, Cole Palmer skippered the side for the occasion. Rosenior praised Palmer’s leadership qualities after the game, describing him as “brave” on and off the ball.
Port Vale had made it to the quarter-finals for the first time in 72 years, beating Premier League side Sunderland along the way. Their run ends here, on a ground 61 league places above them in the football pyramid. Relegation from League One is now looking near-certain.
For Chelsea, the result was a timely lift after a chaotic week. Record financial losses of £262.4 million were announced, Fernandez was suspended, and Marc Cucurella made headlines criticising the club’s leadership direction publicly.
“We can still have an outstanding season in terms of winning the FA Cup and qualifying for the Champions League,” Rosenior said. Those dual ambitions now look more credible after this dominant afternoon.
Chelsea discover their semi-final opponents later today when the draw takes place at the London Stadium following the West Ham versus Leeds quarter-final. The semi-finals are scheduled for April 25 and 26.
