London, ENGLAND – Chelsea emphatically secured their place in the FA Cup semi-finals with a ruthless 7-0 demolition of League One side Port Vale at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The dominant victory provided a much-needed reprieve for head coach Liam Rosenior, effectively ending a damaging run of four consecutive defeats for the Blues.
Okay News reports that the hosts extinguished any hopes of a giant-killing almost immediately, with Jorrel Hato poking home the opener after just 64 seconds. Joao Pedro doubled the advantage in the 25th minute, brilliantly turning his marker in the box before slotting past goalkeeper Joe Gauci. An own goal from Port Vale’s Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel just before the break made it 3-0, putting the contest well out of reach.
The second half saw Chelsea continue their relentless attack against Jon Brady’s side. Tosin Adarabioyo headed in a fourth from a Malo Gusto cross in the 57th minute, followed by an Andrey Santos header to make it five. Eighteen-year-old Brazilian standout Estêvão Willian, who was the star of the show throughout, scored the sixth in the 82nd minute following a lengthy VAR check. Alejandro Garnacho then completed the 7-0 rout from the penalty spot in stoppage time.
The commanding win offers Chelsea a ticket to Wembley and shifts focus away from recent off-pitch turbulence, including the two-match suspension of midfielder Enzo Fernandez. For Port Vale, who currently sit bottom of League One and 15 points from safety, the heavy defeat brings a harsh conclusion to a historic FA Cup campaign that saw them reach the quarter-finals for the first time in 72 years.
