Chelsea crush weakened City in FA Cup

Chelsea’s Willian (left) celebrates scoring against Manchester City in their FA Cup fifth round match at Stamford Bridge in London on Sunday. Chelsea won 5-1. (Photo: AFP)

Chelsea punished Manuel Pellegrini’s controversial decision to field a remarkably inexperienced team as Eden Hazard inspired a 5-1 demolition of Manchester City in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday.

With City due to make the long flight to the Ukraine on Monday ahead of their Champions League last 16 first leg tie at Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday, Pellegrini had pleaded with the FA not to bow to demands from television networks to move the Chelsea game from its original Saturday date.

But Pellegrini’s request was ignored and, concerned that injury-hit City were in danger of being stretched to breaking point, the Chilean boss prioritised European success and next weekend’s League Cup final against Liverpool, admitting that he didn’t consider the Stamford Bridge showdown “a real game”.

Pellegrini had warned fans they wouldn’t get value for money because he would rest stars like Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure and he was true to his word as he fielded an unrecognisable starting line-up featuring six teenagers, five of whom were making their full debuts.

In contrast, Guus Hiddink, with the luxury of having played in the Champions League already this week, named his strongest available side and it was men against boys as they swept into the quarter-finals thanks to a pair of assists and a goal from Hazard.

Diego Costa put Chelsea ahead and, although David Faupala equalised for the visitors, second half goals from Willian, Gary Cahill, Hazard and Bertrand Traore handed City a third successive defeat.

Pellegrini will face accusations of disrespecting the FA Cup, but he won’t care about that if City can take a step towards the Champions League quarter-finals and win the League Cup this week.

French forward Faupala was one of City’s debutants and the 18-year-old showed no signs of being overawed when he left two defenders trailing in his wake before testing Blues goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

After a slow start, Chelsea threatened when Pedro’s clipped shot bounced to safety off the far post.

Palace knock Spurs out A rare goal by Martin Kelly earned Crystal Palace a 1-0 win away to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday and a place in the quarter-finals.

The South Londoners are now hoping to reach their first FA Cup final since 1990, when they were beaten by Manchester United in a replay. Kelly’s goal — his first since netting for Liverpool at Chelsea in November 2011 — also ended Tottenham’s hopes of a league and domestic cup double.

Maurico Pochettino’s side are currently second in the Premier League but whatever happens now they will not be emulating Spurs’ celebrated double-winning squad of 1961.