Chelsea sealed their spot in round four of the FA Cup courtesy of a 2-0 victory away at Derby County this afternoon.
Both goals, scored by John Obi Mikel and Oscar, came in the second half at the iPro Stadium.
Below, Sports Mole has looked back over the tie to determine if the result was a fair one, or if the scoreline was harsh on the hosts.
Match statistics:
Derby:
Shots 16
On target 4
Possession 48%
Corners 7
Fouls 8
Chelsea:
Shots 17
On target 3
Possession 52%
Corners 7
Fouls 8
Was the result fair?
A 2-0 outcome can sometimes appear close, but in truth this match was never in doubt as soon as Chelsea took the lead. Their Premier League class, particularly in the final third, shone through and although Derby worked extremely hard, they didn't produce enough to argue that they deserved a replay or even more.
Derby's performance
Manager Steve McClaren can be extremely proud of his players today. They were well organised, especially during the first half when they limited the visitors to shots from distance. They also adopted a more positive approach after the restart, but with that came the risk that there would be more space for Chelsea to exploit. That eventually happened and as Derby tired, Chelsea could have added another goal or two. Nevertheless, they more than held their own for large parts of the contest.
Chelsea's performance
There was little for Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho to be pleased with during the first half. His side found it difficult to get behind the Derby defence, so all their football was played in front of the home rearguard. Having someone of Eden Hazard's quality to call upon from the bench is a nice luxury, though. He came on early in the second half, caused numerous problems and eventually set up the second goal for Oscar. As mentioned above, they could have scored more goals during the closing stages of what was a routine win.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Oscar: The Brazilian is a real favourite of Mourinho and he showed why today. He was lively from the first whistle and always looked to drive at the Derby defence whenever the opportunity presented itself. He then capped his performance in the closing stages with a goal.
Biggest gaffe
What is it with England-based players and diving at the moment? The latest offender in this clash was Chelsea midfielder Ramires, who threw himself to the ground inside the area, despite no contact between him and any Derby defender. Quite rightly he was cautioned.
Referee performance
A quiet afternoon by and large for Andre Marriner, who was in charge of two teams that like to get the ball down and play football. The fact that he allowed the play to flow helped the game as a spectacle. It was also pleasing not to see him fooled by Ramires.
What next?
Derby: It's back to Championship matters on Friday evening with a trip to Midlands rivals Leicester City.
Chelsea: The Blues return to Premier League action with a trip to Hull City on Saturday.
Liam Apicella
