Chelsea 7-0 Port Vale: Estevao stars as Blues hammer League One strugglers to reach FA Cup semi-finals

Chelsea stormed into the FA Cup semi-finals – and eased the pressure on boss Liam Rosenior – with an emphatic 7-0 win over Port Vale this afternoon.

The hosts enjoyed near total domination against the League One strugglers with six different players getting their names on the scoresheet, in addition to an own goal from Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel.

Chelsea were 3-0 up at half-time and showed Port Vale no mercy in a one-sided second period.

Jorrel Hato, Joao Pedro and the unfortunate Lawrence-Gabriel all scored in the opening 45 minutes and Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos, Willian Estevao and Alejandro Garnacho completed the rout after the break.

It has been a difficult few weeks for Rosenior, whose side had lost four straight games before today while he also had to deal with the two-game suspension imposed by the club on midfielder Enzo Fernandez for comments made during the international break when he said he wanted to live in Madrid, leading to speculation around his future.

Fernandez was never going to be missed against Port Vale, although his absence could be a factor next week when Chelsea host Manchester City.

Chelsea score early through Hato

The visitors’ gameplan would have included keeping it goalless for as long as possible and gradually build confidence but that idea went out of the window after just 64 seconds.

Pedro Neto curled in a corner from the right that goalkeeper Joe Gauci could only punch as far as Hato and he fired into the net via a couple of deflections. It was Chelsea’s first goal in 304 minutes.

Port Vale threatened an equaliser with Ben Waine, the hero of the win over Sunderland in round five, almost connecting with a Ben Garrity cross-shot after 13 minutes.

It was a very brief scare for Chelsea, who doubled their advantage 13 minutes later. Neto was again the architect, outmuscling Liam Gordon down the right before crossing for Pedro, who was given time to turn and pick out the left-hand corner.

If the tie was not already over, it was after 43 minutes when Malo Gusto’s shot, after a sweeping move, was parried by Gauci and Lawrence-Gabriel was unable to keep the ball out under pressure from Palmer.

No respite for Port Vale as Chelsea continue to pour forward

Some Brazilian magic almost conjured up a fourth six minutes into the second half, a back heel from Pedro setting Santos free and his slide rule pass was fired onto the post by Estevao.

It was 4-0 seven minutes later with the impressive Gusto escaping down the right before standing up a cross that Adarabioyo rose highest to meet and power a header past Gauci.

For the first time, Port Vale heads dropped and substitute Garnacho ought to have got in on the act shortly after his introduction, firing a half-volley over the bar.

Gauci was having a nightmare afternoon which got worse with 20 minutes to. He failed to get anywhere near Estevao’s right-wing corner and Santos nodded into the empty net.

Santos turned provider for the sixth, his wonderful through ball picking out Garnacho and, although his shot was saved by Gauci, Estevao was on hand to turn the ball home, the goal given after a lengthy VAR check.

The rout was still not over and Port Vale, and their 6,000 boisterous supporters, arguably deserved better than for the hosts to add a seventh in injury time.

Substitute Tyler Magloire had only been on the field a matter of minutes when he was adjudged to have brought down Garnacho with a clumsy challenge.

The Argentine took responsibility himself and made no mistake from the spot.