On the back of a four-game losing run, Chelsea needed a statement win against Port Vale. And the Blues delivered with a 7-0 victory over the League One side with six different goalscorers and an own goal to go with it. In the process, they booked their place in the semi-finals of the competition and also broke a 100-year FA Cup record as well.
Of course, context is key. Port Vale are currently sitting at the bottom of the League One table and are very likely to be relegated. Chelsea should be getting a big win over them.
That being said, Chelsea’s run in the FA Cup so far has been one for the history books. They have scored 19 goals in their four games in the competition so far.
Chelsea have also scored at least four goals in four consecutive games in the FA Cup. It is the first time in 100 years that any team has been able to achieve the feat.
Chelsea’s real test starts from here
In many ways, this was the perfect setup for Chelsea to end their four-game losing streak. The international break came at the right time for them as well. But the real test will start from here.
Chelsea are in a race to finish in the Champions League qualification spots. And due to their poor recent performances, they find themselves adrift of the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa. They were comfortably ahead of the first two at one point in the campaign.
The Blues’ next game is against Manchester City, who will be going into the game high on confidence as well. Pep Guardiola’s side have had a stop-start campaign but this weekend, they enjoyed a 4-0 win over Liverpool, with Erling Haaland scoring a hattrick.
Where do Chelsea go after 7-0 win over Port Vale?
It would be wrong to read too much into the result against Port Vale. That being said, there are certainly some positives to take out of this game.
Estevao was a bright spot against the League One side. And Chelsea have clearly missed the Brazilian wonderkid in recent weeks. They have missed the spark that he brings, the ability to put the opposition defenders on the back foot every time he is on the ball. With Cole Palmer struggling for form, they needed him to be back badly.
Manchester City will be heavy favourites at the weekend. But it would be a mistake to completely rule the Blues out.
Sourav Mahanty
Sourav Mahanty has covered teams like Chelsea, Celtic, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and more over a career that has now lasted a decade. His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports, SB Nation, FanSided, The Sportster and aggregated through Bleacher Report and NewsNow. Outside of football, he is also interested in basketball, cricket and professional wrestling.
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