Chelsea cruised to a comfortable 5-0 victory over Morecambe in the FA Cup third round, showcasing dominant attacking play and moments of brilliance from Felix, while giving key players valuable minutes in a straightforward win.
The FA Cup magic was in the air, but let’s face it, there was never going to be an upset at Stamford Bridge. Despite the media hyping up the possibility of a giant-killing, Chelsea’s routine 5-0 demolition of League Two Morecambe proved why the Blues always seem to avoid embarrassment in these ties.
Maresca named a surprisingly strong starting XI, with George the only youth player in the lineup and Josh Acheampong on the bench, likely being rested for Bournemouth midweek. Injury-prone duo James and Lavia were handed 45 minutes each on a pitch that looked more League Two than Premier League, but the gamble paid off.
A Slow Start but No Threat of an Upset
The game began predictably, with Morecambe sitting deep and Chelsea probing. Amusingly, it was the visitors who registered the first shot, but that was about as dangerous as they got. The Blues took control, and after a series of corners, Tosin rattled the post. Felix then won a penalty after a blatant handball, only for Nkunku to fluff his lines from the spot.
No VAR meant no retake despite the keeper being miles off his line, another reminder of how much more enjoyable these games are without constant interruptions. Human error might be frustrating at times, but it sure beats the endless VAR debates.
The breakthrough came after 30 minutes, Tosin’s speculative 30-yarder taking a massive deflection to wrongfoot the keeper. 1-0 Chelsea, and you could almost hear the Morecambe fans groan: the fairytale was over.
Still no balloon celebration, though—maybe he’s saving that for a bigger stage (or a transfer announcement).
Second-Half Statement
Chelsea went into the break leading 1-0, and Maresca made three changes, as expected, swapping James, Lavia, and Neto for Gusto, Cucurella, and Sancho. The difference was immediate. The team looked sharper, more aggressive, and Morecambe, likely tiring, were suddenly chasing shadows.
Nkunku finally got his goal, slotting home clinically to make it 2-0. Still no balloon celebration, though, maybe he’s saving that for a bigger stage (or a transfer announcement).
The left flank became Chelsea’s playground, with George and Cucurella pulling the strings. Tosin, seemingly inspired by his earlier strike, smashed in another long-range beauty, this time without the aid of a deflection. George and Veiga combined brilliantly in the build-up, and at 3-0, it was well and truly game over.
Felix added a touch of class, slotting in from the edge of the box after yet another George-inspired move. Then came the pièce de résistance: a silky feint and shimmy from Felix before curling a peach into the top corner. 5-0, game done, and Morecambe left with nothing but sore legs for their troubles.
A standout performance from Felix, who reminded us why he should feature more against low-block teams.
Final Thoughts
As expected, Chelsea strolled through the tie without breaking a sweat. While it’s hard to draw any major conclusions from a game against such weak opposition, there were a few positives: minutes for James and Lavia, another strong showing from George, and a standout performance from Felix, who reminded us why he should feature more against low-block teams.
Nkunku got on the scoresheet, but his and Guiu’s anonymity was glaring, Jackson’s starting spot looks safe for now. Meanwhile, Jorgensen had some shaky moments, but Cucurella bailed him out admirably.
It’s a clean sheet, five goals, and a solid start to 2025. Onward to bigger challenges, let’s hope this momentum sticks.
Up the Chels!
