B l u e s enjoy pot Luk ROM’S BACK IN GOOD BOOKS
CHELSEA 5 CHESTERFIELD
Christensen, with only his second goal in eight-and-a-half years at the club.
Soon after, Hakim Ziyech made it five, scoring from the penalty spot.
Chesterfield, the first away side to ever win at Stamford Bridge, way back in 1905, had come here with hopes of a giant-killing.
But they had to settle for the consolation of Akwasi Asante’s second-half goal, a tap-in that sent the 6,000 Spireites who had made the journey from north Derbyshire delirious.
Chelsea deserve credit for a clinical performance.
But it was those Chezzie supporters who gave this game the feel of a proper Cup tie with 90-plus minutes of song.
It’s fair to say none of them had probably ever imagined they’d be in a position to barrack a £97.5million international striker.
But they amused themselves with chants of, ‘He’s Inter Milan, he’s Inter Milan, Romelu Lukaku, he’s Inter Milan’, in the moments that followed his goal – and didn’t stop partying throughout.
As for Lukaku, he was substituted at half-time, his job of getting on the scoresheet done.
Goalscorers rarely stay in the bad books for long – and if he nets against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg in midweek then he will be all-but forgiven.
Blues debutant Lewis Hall also deserves a special mention.
He was excellent on his first start for Chelsea, not showing any nerves as he became the youngest player to play for the club in the FA Cup at 17 years, 122 days.
The latest academy product even set up Lukaku’s goal, albeit with a little good fortune along the way, but take nothing from him, he did superbly throughout, when many would have been a little overawed.
For Chesterfield, there was plenty of hard work and all of them can be proud of their contributions.
They will remember this game forever, although midfielder Curtis Weston will only mark it down as his second most memorable FA Cup fixture, having become the youngest player to play in the Cup final itself when he came on for Millwall against Manchester United in 2004 aged 17 years, 119 days.
It took Chelsea just five minutes to go ahead, Mateo Kovacic releasing Ziyech, and when his cross was pawed into Werner’s path by Scott Loach, the German nudged the ball home into the empty net. HudsonOdoi curled home a neat finish for the second from just outside the box.
Hall, after losing the ball at the end of a decent run, got it back from Jim Kellermann’s wayward pass and Lukaku turned home his cross.
Christensen lobbed the keeper with a header for 4-0 and Calvin Miller’s clumsy foul on Christian Pulisic gave Ziyech his spot-kick.
Kabongo Tshimanga’s shot was saved, but Asante was on hand to give Chesterfield the goal that their performance deserved.