Diego Costa’s fourth goal in three games and substitute Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s maiden strike sent the Blues safely into the FA Cup fourth round in front of a sell-out Stamford Bridge crowd. Pedro Rodríguez made his first FA Cup apearance in starting role, with a 71-minute good perfomance on the right before being replaced by youngster Kenedy.
The opening goal came early in the game, settling the home side down for our best spell of football in the Sunday afternoon encounter with League One opposition. We came close to adding a second on several occasions before the break but went into the dressing room with just a slender advantage.
The team emerged with teenager Loftus-Cheek in the 11 beginning the second period and his accomplished finish midway through the half capped an incisive attack and all but ended the contest, although a late Scunthorpe strike was tipped onto the woodwork by Asmir Begovic.
Guus Hiddink made changes to his starting line-up but it was still a highly experienced side sent out with Begovic back in goal and fit-again Gary Cahill and Ramires coming in for John Terry and John Mikel Obi. Pedro, who substituted injured Eden Hazard at Selhurst Park, continued in the Belgian’s absence. There was no Nemanja Matic involved today but Cesar Azpilicueta had taken on the mantle of mask-wearer having been kicked in the cheek at Palace.
Pedro began the game on the right flank, with Willian on the less-familiar left but they quickly swapped back, and continued to rotate frequently with Oscar too as the Blues went in search of an opening goal in front of a Shed End split between home and away supporters.
There were signs of nerves at the back for the visitors, not least from centre-back David Mirfin who was loose on a couple occasions when playing out from the back, but Chelsea did not capitalise.
Willian hit the first defender with an early free-kick taken from his favourite spot but we did not have to wait much longer to go ahead.
The goal came from a cross from today’s captain Branislav Ivanovic. Diego Costa challenged two defenders and looked to get a sidefoot to the ball to send it through the legs of Jordan Clarke, possibly with a deflection, and low into the net. There were just 13 minutes gone. The FA Cup quest was up and running.
Cesc Fabregas almost doubled the lead soon after with a sweet strike tipped over the bar following battling pay by Pedro, who himself forced a similarly sharp save from Daniels as he latched onto a long ball and shot from an angle.
Oscar, from Diego Costa’s lay-off after the midfielder had initially dummied a pass, scooped a shot just wide. At this midway point of the half the Blues were looking dangerous with every advance.
Cahill blocked a stinging volley from Iron’s captain Stephen Dawson in trademark style after a corner was cleared, but there had been little defending for the Blues to do in the opening half hour.
Six minutes before half-time, Fabregas superbly shimmied past a challenge and found Diego Costa on the left of the penalty area. The striker quickly spotted Willian who was not far away with his effort.
Half-time was approaching and in a moment Scunthorpe left-back Scott Laird will wish to forget quickly, he airkicked inside the Chelsea area when unmarked at a free-kick routine but it could have been a whole lot worse for him had the Blues done better with our instant counter-attack.
Just before the interval Luke Williams threatened with a run into the Chelsea area having got in behind the left of the Chelsea defence, but there was still Kurt Zouma to beat and that was far too great an obstacle. The defender’s sliding challenge was perfectly executed but the five minutes before half-time had been the Lincolnshire side’s best yet.
Loftus-Cheek was introduced for the second half in place of Oscar but it was Willian who was first to test Daniels with another free-kick from out wide, and it needed two grabs from the keeper before he held on with blue shirts closing.
Zouma did well again after Begovic had given the away fans hope with a scuffed kick out before a moment that had Scunthorpe vigorously claiming a penalty.
Dutch attacker Kevin van Veen was heading goalwards with Zouma ahead of him. Ramires, starting his first game under Guus Hiddink, was chasing and there was a coming together of feet but as the opposition player went down, the ref waved play on.
It heralded a scrappy period of the game and Dawson was booked for the visitors for preventing the taking of a free-kick and Ivanovic followed for similar at a throw. With the contest like this there was still hope for the Iron. Loftus-Cheek’s goal was well-timed and important.
It came from a good move too. Fabregas played the ball out to the left, Willian fed the overlapping run of Azpilicueta and the Academy product lashed the low cross inside the near-post with a crisp, first-time contact. His celebration in front of the Matthew Harding End was befitting of a 19-year-old who had just opened his Chelsea account. A two-goal cushion had been achieved with 69 minutes played.
Van der Veen struck a good free-kick into the sidenetting to spark false celebration in the away end and Scunthorpe would go close to a goal one further time.
Before then Bertrand Traore came on for Diego Costa and played the final eight minutes up front.
It was opposition right-back Clarke who came closest to a goal in the final minutes with the best strike of the game. Begovic tipped the powerful angled drive onto the post and it flew behind.
So Chelsea’s unbeaten run in the FA Cup third round is stretched to 18 seasons. We will discover our next opponents in the competition on Monday evening.
- Match stats:
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Begovic; Ivanovic (c), Zouma, Cahill, Azpilicueta; Ramires, Fabregas; Pedro (Kenedy 71), Oscar (Loftus-Cheek h-t), Willian; Diego Costa (Traore 85).
Unused subs Courtois, Terry, Baba, Mikel.
Scorers Diego Costa 13, Loftus-Cheek 69
Booked Ivanovic 66
Scunthorpe (4-3-3): Daniels; Clarke, Mirfin, Wallace, Laird; Bishop, Dawson (c) (King 79), Ness; Van Veen (Wootton 81), Williams (Adelakun 79), Madden.
Unused subs Anyon, Wiseman, McAllister, Canavan.
Booked Dawson 63
Referee Craig Pawson
Crowd 41,625
- Match report by chelseafc.com
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