Guus Hiddink’s side are into the last eight of the tournament after goals from Diego Costa, Willian, Gary Cahill, Eden Hazard and Bertrand Traore saw off the visitors
Chelsea eased into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with a comfortable 5-1 win over a youthful Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.
City boss Manuel Pellegrini pledged to play with a scratch side in light of the fifth-round match being moved to Sunday for television coverage, with an eye on Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Dynamo Kiev and a lengthy injury list.
The Chilean stuck to his word as he named five full debutants, although one of those – French striker David Faupala – seemed to care little for his manager’s assertion that the tie was “not a real game” when he promptly cancelled out Diego Costa’s 35th-minute opener.
But Chelsea’s class and experience told during the early stages of the second half, with Willian and Gary Cahill scoring in quick succession as the below-par performances of experienced City goalkeeper Willy Caballero and right-back Pablo Zabaleta did little to help the cause of their younger colleagues.
Eden Hazard rifled home number four from a free-kick and Oscar had a penalty saved before fellow substitute Bertrand Traore completed the scoring as Chelsea maintained boss Guus Hiddink’s hopes of lifting the trophy he won in 2009 with a 13th domestic match unbeaten.