Michy Batshuayi scored twice as Chelsea reached the fifth round of the FA Cup at the expense of Newcastle.
Batshuayi rounded off a superb move to open the scoring before putting the finishing touch to another Chelsea attack just before half-time.
The 2017 finalists had made a slow start until Batshuayi’s opener, with goalkeeper Willy Caballero kept busy with four key first-half saves. Marcos Alonso’s second-half free-kick sealed the win for the home side.
Chelsea, who were beaten by Arsenal in last year’s final, were slow out of the blocks and had Caballero to thank for denying Jonjo Shelvey midway through the first half.
The home side opened the scoring as Pedro’s superb long pass played in Eden Hazard, and when the ball was worked across to Batshuayi via Alonso, the Belgium forward was left with a simple finish from 12 yards.
Caballero was again called into action to deny Shelvey just before half-time following poor defending from the home side. But just a minute later, seven-time FA Cup winners Chelsea doubled their lead as Batshuayi helped win the ball back inside his own half before racing into the area and seeing his shot from Hazard’s pass loop into the net via a deflection from the sliding Jamaal Lascelles.
Despite the advantage, Caballero remained the busier of the two goalkeepers with saves from Shelvey and Chancel Mbemba before the break.
Pedro and Alonso went close for the home side at the start of the second half as they continued to control the contest.
And with Newcastle struggling for a way back into the game, Alonso put the tie beyond doubt by giving Karl Darlow no chance with his career-best seventh goal of the season.
Batshuayi rounded off a superb move to open the scoring before putting the finishing touch to another Chelsea attack just before half-time.
The 2017 finalists had made a slow start until Batshuayi’s opener, with goalkeeper Willy Caballero kept busy with four key first-half saves. Marcos Alonso’s second-half free-kick sealed the win for the home side.
Chelsea, who were beaten by Arsenal in last year’s final, were slow out of the blocks and had Caballero to thank for denying Jonjo Shelvey midway through the first half.
The home side opened the scoring as Pedro’s superb long pass played in Eden Hazard, and when the ball was worked across to Batshuayi via Alonso, the Belgium forward was left with a simple finish from 12 yards.
Caballero was again called into action to deny Shelvey just before half-time following poor defending from the home side. But just a minute later, seven-time FA Cup winners Chelsea doubled their lead as Batshuayi helped win the ball back inside his own half before racing into the area and seeing his shot from Hazard’s pass loop into the net via a deflection from the sliding Jamaal Lascelles.
Despite the advantage, Caballero remained the busier of the two goalkeepers with saves from Shelvey and Chancel Mbemba before the break.
Pedro and Alonso went close for the home side at the start of the second half as they continued to control the contest.
And with Newcastle struggling for a way back into the game, Alonso put the tie beyond doubt by giving Karl Darlow no chance with his career-best seventh goal of the season.
