Chelsea crushed League One side Port Vale 7-0 in the FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday at Stamford Bridge. The Premier League club advanced to the semi-finals with a ruthless performance that left no doubt about the outcome.
Liam Rosenior watched his side take control from the first whistle. Defender Jorrel Hato opened the scoring after just 64 seconds. Hato capitalized on a weak punch from Port Vale goalkeeper Joe Gauci during a corner and forced the ball home.
Chelsea continued their attack and added a second goal in the 25th minute. Forward Joao Pedro struck to make it 2-0. The hosts then extended their lead before halftime when an own goal from Port Vale defender Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel pushed the score to 3-0.
Port Vale, who sat at the bottom of League One, offered little resistance. Chelsea maintained pressure after the break and refused to ease off despite the comfortable lead.
Defender Tosin Adarabioyo headed in the fourth goal in the 57th minute. Midfielder Andrey Santos added a fifth in the 69th minute with a clinical finish. Brazilian winger Estevao Willian netted the sixth in the 82nd minute. In the final moments of normal time, forward Alejandro Garnacho converted a penalty he had earned himself to complete the 7-0 scoreline.
The victory marked Chelsea’s seventh straight win in the FA Cup. The Blues kept a clean sheet throughout and showed clinical finishing against lower-league opponents who had previously caused upsets in the competition.
Chelsea now head to the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley. They will discover their opponent after the remaining quarter-final between West Ham United and Leeds United concludes on Sunday.
The result brought some positive momentum to Stamford Bridge after a turbulent period. Rosenior’s team delivered a straightforward win that highlighted their attacking depth and defensive solidity.
Chelsea players celebrated each goal with energy. Port Vale manager expressed disappointment but acknowledged the gulf in class between the sides. The match ended without incident as Chelsea secured their place among the final four teams in England’s oldest cup competition.
