Chelsea 5–0 Morecambe
by Layth Yousif
at Stamford Bridge

A CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU and a brace apiece from Tosin Adarabioyo and Joao Felix ensured a powerful Chelsea side swept past batting Morecambe. 

As the sun shone under deep blue skies on a bitterly cold west London afternoon, Enzo Maresca’s side emphatically triumphed in this FA Cup third round mismatch.

While this weekend is traditionally an evocative one for those of a romantic footballing bent, given the history and heritage of such a landmark round in the world’s oldest domestic knock-out tournament, the reality, sadly, was far more prosaic. 

And while, before kick-off, outside on the Fulham Road, stallholders were doing a roaring trade in those infernal half-and-half scarves as souvenirs, and the Chelsea fanzine extolled the memories of cup glories past between its blue and white pages, the vast financial imbalance, and growing, between the haves and have-nots in English football ensured brave Morecambe would never be more than cannon fodder, once Maresca’s Blues’ battalion stirred. 

Speaking after the match, Maresca reflected: “It was a good afternoon in terms of we won, which is important, and the performance in these types of games is about showing how serious and professional you are and once again the players showed that’.”

In a lively start, Disasi headed over when well-placed from Reece James’s cross, with the captain back in the side for the first time since November 10.

The Shrimpers swept upfield moments later, with Ben Tollitt testing Chelsea keeper Filip Jorgensen, as the vociferous travelling fans who made the long trip down from Flyde coast sang gleefully to their London counterparts: “You’re only here for the Morecambe.”

In an open start, Felix fired over the bar, while shortly afterwards Adarabioyo struck the woodwork from Pedro Neto’s corner. 

The highlight of Morecambe’s afternoon came in the form of drama in the 16th minute, when the Shrimpers 28-year-old journeyman keeper Harry Burgoyne saved Nkunku’s spot kick. Referee Andrew Kitchen awarding a penalty when Shrimpers Yann Songo’o handled Joao Felix’s cross. Cue celebrations from the 3,000 away fans massed behind the goal in a crowd of 38,998.

There was more to come from those loyal fans from Morecambe Bay when, in a pre-arranged display of defiance, the support protested against owner Jason Whittingham, loudly encouraging him to sell their club, currently mired in the League Town relegation places second from bottom of the Football League — 87 places below their hosts, and a world away from Chelsea.

On the half hour, the peripatetic Bourgoyne saved well from Felix’s goal-bound effort as Morecambe continued to compete on level terms. 

That was until Adarabiyo’s shot flew into the net via a deflection off Shrimpers No28 Callum Jones, as the home side eventually broke the deadlock against their battling visitors, five minutes before the interval.

The Chelsea No4 nearly doubled the lead with a far truer effort moments later that he drilled narrowly wide.

As half time approached with Chelsea ahead, the impressive away support turned its attention to politics, chorusing: “Fuck the Tories.”

As if to underline the disparity between the teams, Blues boss Maresca brought on Jadon Sancho, Mala Gusto and Marc Cucurella, in place of pair James, and Romeo Lavia, as well as Neto. 

The Blues dominance eventually told, when Nkunku doubled the lead five minutes after the interval, when slotting home after following up Renato Veiga’s shot that Shrimpers' keeper Burgoyne could only parry.

As temperatures dropped once the bright midwinter’s sunshine dissipated, Felix nearly curled the ball into the far corner, but the ball flew narrowly wide.

Cucurella, curly mop of brown hair flapping in the cold afternoon air, drove the wrong side of the Morecambe goal on the hour mark, prior to Disasi’s close range header arrowing wide, as did his long-range shot a few minutes later, as Chelsea hunted a third. 

It eventually came when Disasi lifted the ball into the far corner from outside the box to make it 3-0 with 20 minutes remaining, for his second of the game. 

As the vast discrepancy between budgets began to tell, Felix grabbed two goals in the space of 120 seconds as Chelsea ran through the gears when extending the lead from 3-0 to 5-0 between minutes 75 and 77 respectively. 

And despite battling Morecambe misfiring when well-placed twice in the dying minutes, including Harry Macadam’s effort that was cleared off the line by Disasi, the Shrimpers were finally put to the sword in a scoreline, which given their relentlessly battling efforts against a club that had spent more than £1 billion on its squad was harsh, but alas, not unduly so.

Fittingly, Morecambe boss Adams explained the gap afterwards by simply saying: “Our wage bill is one million — Chelsea have spent a billion.”