Chelsea had a comfortable 5-0 win over League Two Morecambe to reach the FA Cup fourth round.

Brackets from Tosin Adarabio and Joao Felix, as well as goals from Christopher Nkunku, who also saved a first-half penalty, ensured there would be no cup upset at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon.

Eighty-seven places separate the two sides in the English footballing pyramid and, finally, the gulf in quality was glaring as Enzo Maresca’s side saw off the League Two strugglers in convincing fashion.

The Blues boss made wholesale changes, the most notable being the return of Reece James to the starting line-up.

Morecambe keeper Harry Burgoyne made some inspired saves early on but could do little to stem the hosts’ onslaught in the second half.

For Chelsea, the result ended a run of four games without a win.

advancing to the fourth round #EmiratesFACup! 🏆#CFC pic.twitter.com/Eqw9mWrJdd

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 11, 2025

How the action unfolded

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was the Premier League side who started the brightest when Axel Desassi headed James’ free-kick over the bar inside two minutes.

But the visitors also made a spirited start at Stamford Bridge, with the lively Ben Tollitt making a fine save from Philip Jorgensen in the Blues goal.

Adarbioyo was inches away from giving the hosts the lead when his header from a corner hit the post.

It was the first quarter of an hour in London. Yann Songo’s handball gave Nkunku a chance to put Maresca’s side ahead but Burgoyne made a brilliant save to keep the tie goalless.

However, Burgoyne was off his line when the spot kick was taken but, as VAR was not in place until the fifth round, was not taken again.

It was proving to be a busy afternoon for the Morecombe keeper, who was called into action again just before the half-hour mark to parry away Felix’s effort.

The League Two side could have been very pleased with their early efforts but, five minutes before the break, they fell behind after Adarabio’s speculative effort badly deflected Morecambe’s Callum Jones.

Maresca, and indeed the entire home crowd, could breathe a collective sigh of relief as the Blues went into the break with the advantage.

Next on the break. ✊#CFC | #EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/salt9FY6oI

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 11, 2025

The hosts made three changes at half-time, and Marc Cucurella was one of those introduced, making an immediate impact.

The Spaniard was instrumental in the build-up as Nkunku headed the ball home from close range to double Chelsea’s lead.

Cucurella then made it three minutes later when his snap shot left Maresca’s side now in full control.

On 70-minutes, Adarabio secured the tie when another strike from distance from a defender found the top corner.

Felix then added two more as Chelsea put a clinical spin on a commanding home performance.