Cole Palmer captains Chelsea to seven-goal FA Cup rout of Port Vale
Port Vale arrived at Stamford Bridge having made history just by getting there, becoming the first League One side to reach an FA Cup quarter-final at the ground in decades. They left on the wrong end of a seven-goal thrashing. Chelsea were thorough, patient, and ultimately merciless.
A crisp first half
Chelsea were ahead inside two minutes through Jorrel Hato, who finished from close range after a corner kick. Joao Pedro added a second with a composed strike on 25 minutes. Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel's own goal on 42 minutes, forced by Cole Palmer's pressing, made it three before the break. Port Vale were already facing a very steep hill.
Palmer wore the captain's armband throughout the first half. Reece James was unavailable through injury, Enzo Fernandez was suspended, with Liam Rosenior confirming the Argentine would not feature. Palmer handled both the responsibility and the occasion without any visible fuss.
The second half told a similar story
Tosin Adarabioyo made it four on 57 minutes, heading home after smart build-up play. Andrey Santos added a fifth at 69 minutes with a confident finish, and Estevao scored a sixth at 82 minutes. Alejandro Garnacho, on as a substitute, converted a stoppage-time penalty to complete the rout. Seven goals. Clean sheet. It could have been more.
Port Vale kept going right until the end. They were not embarrassed in the sense of giving up. They were simply outclassed in almost every department by a side operating at a level far above them.
Chelsea into the semi-finals
Chelsea join Manchester City and Southampton in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley later this month. The draw followed the final quarter-final between West Ham and Leeds United later on Sunday. Rosenior's side go into the semi-finals looking to add silverware to what has otherwise been a mixed domestic season.
Port Vale's run from the early rounds all the way to Stamford Bridge is something their supporters can be proud of. The scoreline once they got there was always going to be difficult to watch, but making the last eight as a League One club is no small thing.
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