Chelsea Player Ratings vs. Port Vale: Blues Thrash Minnows to Reach FA Cup Semifinals

Chelsea ran up the scoreline during a morale-boosting victory in west London.

Chelsea eased into the last four of the FA Cup. | Chris Lee/Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

Chelsea punched their ticket to the FA Cup semifinals as they sauntered to a much-needed 7–0 victory over Port Vale at Stamford Bridge.

Liam Rosenior named a strong starting lineup against League One’s bottom-placed outfit and it paid immediate dividends as Jorrel Hato fired Chelsea in front after just two minutes. João Pedro doubled their tally with a well-taken finish from close range and Jordan Gabriel’s own goal just before the break sealed victory.

The Blues were able to add to their buffer after the restart as they upped the intensity levels, Tosin Adarabioyo and Andrey Santos unlikely scorers of Chelsea’s fourth and fifth, and Estêvão and Alejandro Garnacho rounding off the scoring in the closing stages.

Chelsea now eagerly anticipate the discovery of their semifinal opponents following Sunday’s draw.

---

One Thing We Can’t Ignore

Chelsea clinched the victory they desperately needed. | Chris Lee/Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

It’s been a testing month for Rosenior. Four straight defeats, which included heavy losses to Paris Saint-Germain (twice) and Everton, led into an international break that continued to serve up issues. Controversial comments made by Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernández—the latter even suspended by Chelsea for Saturday’s game—added an extra layer of unwanted pressure.

An appetizing FA Cup quarterfinal against third tier opposition offered the perfect opportunity for Chelsea to issue a response, and while the Blues operated beneath their swashbuckling best at times in the first half, a necessary thrashing provides Rosenior and his players a foundation on which to build.

The 3–0 halftime scoreline was exactly what Rosenior needed, Chelsea not required to escape second gear to take complete command of the tie. Hato’s second-minute strike eased any nerves around Stamford Bridge, with Pedro on hand to then all but kill the contest—netting his 12th goal since Rosenior took charge. An own goal on the cusp of halftime ensured Port Vale dreams were dead and buried.

Chelsea’s cushion allowed them to amble through the second half untroubled, Rosenior able to rest key personnel at will. With greater freedom came smarter football from the hosts, who managed to gloss the scoreline in front of the Stamford Bridge faithful.

Sidestepping the banana skin with ease, it was the perfect evening for Chelsea—and one that was desperately needed.

---

Chelsea Player Ratings vs. Port Vale (4-2-3-1)

Tosin Adarabioyo popped up with a rare goal. | Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Robert Sánchez—6.9: Untested by Port Vale, barely touching the ball throughout.

RB: Malo Gusto—7.9: Critical to Chelsea’s third following a delightful flick and testing shot, causing consistent issues with his darts into enemy territory. Another foray allowed him to pick out Tosin for the defender’s goal.

CB: Wesley Fofana—7.6: After some disappointing performances during recent weeks, this was exactly the kind of routine evening Fofana needed.

CB: Tosin Adarabioyo—8.3: Powered home Chelsea’s fourth of the evening with a towering header and waltzed through the match from a defensive standpoint.

LB: Jorrel Hato—8.4: Fired Chelsea ahead immediately to notch his second Chelsea goal—both coming in the FA Cup—and produced a solid defensive display in Cucurella’s place.

DM: Roméo Lavia—7.1: A measured presence in midfield and took control of proceedings when required. Getting through the encounter without an injury setback is worth celebrating, too.

DM: Andrey Santos—8.4: There was little resistance from Port Vale’s struggling midfield, allowing Santos to coast through much of the contest. Popped up with his second Chelsea goal from a corner.

RW: Pedro Neto—7.7: Showed tenacity and accuracy to tee up Pedro. We know he doesn’t lack the former, but the latter needs to be seen more often.

AM: Cole Palmer—6.5: Fernández’s absence allowed Palmer to move back into the No.10 position, and a largely unspectacular performance was sprinkled with some neat touches.

LW: Estêvão—9.3: Sloppy in possession during the first half, but came to life once moving to the right wing after the break. Struck both posts, scored and caused major issues for a frightened Port Vale defense. Unstoppable in the second half.

ST: João Pedro—8.0: Composure personified as he converted Chelsea’s second, scoring his first goal since the fifth round win over Wrexham. Such a classy performer no matter the opponent.

SUB: Alejandro Garnacho (61’ for Neto)—8.3: Forced the sixth goal of the evening and won the late penalty, which he coolly converted. Very bright from the bench.

SUB: Liam Delap (61’ for Pedro)—6.1: Really, really needs a goal, but didn’t get one here.

SUB: Dário Essugo (61’ for Palmer)—6.6: A simple second outing of the season.

SUB: Ryan Kavuma-McQueen (78’ for Lavia)—5.9: Made his debut in the closing stages.

SUB: Josh Acheampong (85’ for Gusto)—N/A

Subs not used: Teddy Sharman-Lowe (GK), Mamadou Sarr, Marc Cucurella, Moisés Caicedo.

---

What the Ratings Tell Us

Pedro returned to the scoresheet. | Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

• João Pedro has been a constant shining light for Chelsea during the Rosenior era and another moment of class underscored his continued importance to the Blues on a surprise start. The fact that Rosenior benched Liam Delap against League One opponents highlights how little faith he has in the struggling Englishman.
• It’s fair to say that Estêvão underwhelmed slightly during the first 45 minutes at Stamford Bridge, but the youngster improved massively after the break when moving to his preferred right flank—even grabbing a deserved goal. With Fernández suspended for next weekend’s Premier League game against Manchester City, the Brazilian has done no harm to his chances of starting that blockbuster clash.
• Malo Gusto often faces justifiable criticism for his defensive vulnerabilities, but the Frenchman always poses an attacking threat. After setting up two of Chelsea’s goals and providing a constant spark on the right, more such performances are required with Reece James injured for the foreseeable future.

---

The Numbers That Explain Chelsea’s High-Scoring Victory

Chelsea were comfortable victors. | Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside/Getty Images

• Chelsea proved too clinical for their lower league visitors, scoring with their first three shots on target from an xG of just 1.74. There was no way back for Port Vale after that.
• The Blues were also ruthless from set pieces, scoring directly from two of their eight corners to hammer home their superiority.
• With Chelsea boasting 76% possession, Port Vale simply didn’t have enough of the play to hurt their hosts. They produced just 0.12 xG across the match.

Statistic	Chelsea	Port Vale
Possession	76%	24%
Expected Goals (xG)	4.92	0.12
Total Shots	20	4
Shots on Target	11	0
Big Chances	11	0
Passing Accuracy	93%	69%
Fouls Committed	10	10
Corners	8	2

---