Chelsea 4-0 Preston North End
by Layth Yousif
at Stamford Bridge

IN THE end, it was easy for Chelsea as Mauricio Pochettino’s side eased past valiant Preston at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening.

Four second-half goals from Armando Broja, Thiago Silva, Raheem Sterling, and Enzo Fernandez guided the Blues to the fourth round of the FA Cup, a trophy they last won back in 2018.

Highlighting Sterling’s strike, Pochettino said afterwards: “It was really important for him.

“I need to be honest, he needs to use this type of game to score and to feel the net.”

Yet, to focus on the billionaires of west London would be to ignore the terrific endeavour, heart, passion and obduracy displayed by Ryan Lowe’s Preston throughout, and especially across the opening 45 minutes.

Amid enthralling cup tie football, a tremendous atmosphere was generated by North End’s 6,000 travelling fans.

Their constant support, a relentless soundtrack to this intriguing clash that pitted proud Preston, currently 14th in the Championship, against their moneybag opponents.

In the 17th minute, Preston No 7 Will Keane tested Blues keeper Djordje Petrovic.

Chelsea swept up the other end as Raheem Sterling forced PNE’s shotstopper Freddie Woodman into a fine save at his near post.

That was prior to Cole Palmer lifting the ball past Woodman, but the wrong side of the post for Blues hopes moments later.

The gap on paper between Lowe’s side and the aristocrats from SW6 certainly did not appear as considerable on the grass in the first half, when Preston’s No 28 Milutin Osmajic drilled a low shot that Petrovic did well to gather.

Lowe’s side came out after the interval with the same intent, with captain Alan Browne curling a shot over the bar in front of the old Shed End, where Preston’s vociferous travelling support were massed.

Also shooting over the bar shortly afterwards was Chelsea No 2 Axel Disasi, who wasted a chance mostly fashioned by the persistence of Sterling.

However, the home side’s quality eventually told when Broja steered the ball past Woodman and into the net from Malo Gusto’s cross to put the home side 1-0 ahead on 58 minutes.

The lead was doubled eight minutes later when veteran Silva nodded home at the near post from Palmer’s corner.

Three minutes later, with Preston’s valiant resistance broken, Sterling fired in an excellent free-kick that lifted and curled over the wall, to make the score 3-0.

As the clock ticked down, VAR — after an interminable delay — pronounced World Cup winner Fernandez’s 85th-minute goal to be valid, the final score flattering Chelsea and ignoring Preston’s commitment.

No wonder Preston boss Lowe said with no little pride after the match: “I thought the performance was fantastic, against a top-quality team.”