Zola's stunner steals the show

FA Cup: Chelsea - 4 Norwich - 0: In a replayed Cup tie that otherwise turned out to be a tale of two goalkeepers, Gianfranco…

FA Cup: Chelsea - 4 Norwich - 0: In a replayed Cup tie that otherwise turned out to be a tale of two goalkeepers, Gianfranco Zola conjured a goal of sheer, impudent class to set the seal on Chelsea's progress to the fourth round.

In the original match at Carrow Road, Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini had performed heroics to keep Norwich at bay in a second-half onslaught.

However, in a replay at Stamford Bridge, Norwich were undone when an inadvertent foul by Frank Lampard on their own goalkeeper, Robert Green, went unpunished in the build-up to Mario Stanic's early opener.

And then, as the same three-man script continued, Green spilled a long-range effort from Stanic to allow Lampard to pounce from close range.

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However, while the result was then beyond any doubt, the star of the show duly arrived on cue with 62 minutes gone after Graeme Le Saux had swung over a corner.

Put it like this, the crowd actually cheered just as loudly when Zola's reverse, volleyed flick was replayed on the video screen when they realised just how the Italian had bamboozled Green at the near post from eight yards out.

The class of 35-year-old Zola remains intact although he has found it hard to win a place in the side and only played here because of an injury to Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

Substitute Mikael Forssell made no mistake late on with what was his third chance and Chelsea were home and dry.

CHELSEA: Cudicini, Melchiot, Gallas (Zenden 69), Desailly, Le Saux, Stanic, Morris (Jokanovic 45), Lampard, Dalla Bona, Gudjohnsen (Forssell 62), Zola. Subs Not Used: de Goey, Keenan. Goals: Stanic 11, Lampard 56, Zola 63, Forssell 89.

NORWICH: Green, Kenton, Fleming, Mackay, Sutch, Nedergaard, Russell, Holt, McVeigh (Llewellyn 69), Libbra (Easton 76), Notman (Rivers 69). Subs Not Used: Crichton, Blois. Booked: Mackay.

Referee: P Jones (Loughborough).