Chelsea 1 Stoke 0: In the end Chelsea's progress and a box office trip to play Man City in the FA Cup fifth round was secured at a stroll, the dismissal of Stoke City merely serving to remind that even after a month of relative upheaval this squad will still ease into the second half of the campaign in rude health.
Very few teams can boast such strength in depth even after the sale of a World Cup winner for €45 million. Juan Mata was the subject of one small banner held up by supporters in the west stand thanking him for two and a half years of service but, if truth be told, he was not overly missed.
Without him, and with Michael Essien set to join Milan and Kevin De Bruyne now at Wolfsburg, the hosts had rejoiced in the continued excellence of Oscar and Eden Hazard, in confirmation of Mohamed Salah's €14.5 million arrival from Basel, and in the leggy purpose of Nemanja Matic in central midfield.
This was the €25 million Serb’s first start in two spells at this club, his physical presence and ability to stride forward with purpose stamping authority on the occasion. He is already unrecognisable from the callow youth who had mustered three substitute appearances in 2009-10.
This squad still lacks for bite up front – a performance this dominant would usually warrant an avalanche of goals – but there is power, pace and creativity that bodes well.
José Mourinho, enjoying his 51st birthday, will be confident that, once the forward ranks are bolstered in the summer, this line-up will indeed be the “phenomenal” selection he had confidently predicted a few weeks ago.
Stoke, saddled with the worst away record in the Premier League, were poor and horribly blunt themselves. Had Peter Crouch converted five minutes into the contest then maybe they would have grown in confidence but, instead, they huffed and puffed and took heart only in avoiding the concession of a cricket score. Top-flight survival can be their focus from now on in, with much of this forgettable.
Regardless, Oscar and Hazard had been outstanding, allying industry with invention and tormenting the visitors' back-line. At times it felt as if Ryan Shawcross alone was being asked to quell their threat, the centre half leaping into challenges to suffocate half-chances with his team's rearguard constantly stretched and exposed.
Oscar eventually prised City apart, Erik Pieters penalised for a foul on Samuel Eto’o and the Brazilian’s free-kick curled viciously from distance towards the post Asmir Begovic was guarding but still well beyond his despairing dive. It was the inside of the side-netting that bulged.
Oscar crunched another shot on to the woodwork, and the supply line from Hazard was excellent as the Belgian revelled on either flank. Quite how neither Eto’o nor the substitute Ramires failed to convert from inside the six-yard box after one fizzed centre defied belief.
Frank Lampard, too, might twice have converted from cutbacks, delivered by Hazard and then eye-catchingly from Branislav Ivanovic, while even the underused André Schürrle enjoyed his run-out. The German clipped the bar after the interval having exploited Pieters's indecision, and David Luiz drew a fine save from Begovic late on.
Such profligacy has been the story of Chelsea’s campaign to date and the inability to transform occasions such as this into thrashings remains their Achilles heel. But, for now, their pursuit of silverware is maintained on three fronts. This was a breeze.
Earlier in the day Hugo Rodallega spared Fulham's blushes as the Premier League strugglers narrowly averted a humbling FA Cup exit by drawing 1-1 at the hands of 10-man Sheffield United.
Cottagers boss Rene Meulensteen made his priorities clear with 11 changes for the game but he would still have hoped for better than a laboured draw against a side who are not yet safe in League One.
On a waterlogged Bramall Lane pitch that made life hard on all concerned, the Blades went ahead through Chris Porter’s 31st-minute finish and looked likely to hold on even after Dubliner Michael Doyle’s needless red card eight minutes into the second half.
But Rodallega’s fourth of the season forced a replay, the Colombian drilling home from the edge of the area in the 75th minute.
FA CUP FIFTH ROUND DRAW
Manchester City v Chelsea
Sheffield United or Fulham v Nottingham Forest or Preston
Arsenal v Liverpool
Brighton v Hull
Cardiff v Wigan
Sheffield Wednesday v Charlton
Sunderland v Southampton
Everton v Swansea
Matches to be played on the weekend of February 15th-16th.
(Guardian Service)
