Michy Batshuayi scored twice but went close to a hat-trick as\u00a0Chelsea\u00a0beat Newcastle United 3-0 to sail into the fifth round of the\u00a0FA Cup.<\/p>\n
In talkSPORT\u2019s live commentary game on Sunday afternoon, Batshuayi staked his claim for more first-team action with two first-half goals at Stamford Bridge.<\/p>\n
The Belgian is still on the peripheral in the Blues squad, but his brace against the Magpies took his tally for the season up to ten goals – not a bad return\u00a0considering 14 of his 25 appearances have come off the substitutes’ bench, many in the dying embers.<\/p>\n
Batshuayi was twice denied a hat-trick by Magpies goalkeeper Karl Darlow after the break, before another fine free-kick from Spanish full-back\u00a0Marcos Alonso\u00a0wrapped up a straightforward win for Chelsea.<\/p>\n
Newcastle battled well and started the game impressively, with Chelsea struggling to hold on to the ball in the first half.<\/p>\n
The hosts\u00a0might have gifted a goal to Newcastle, but\u00a0Dwight Gayle spurned the chance after Davide Zappacosta’s poor pass was intercepted, and\u00a0Willy Caballero then saved a\u00a0Jonjo Shelvey\u00a0volley.<\/p>\n
Chelsea could only muster half-chances, until a brilliant move saw\u00a0Batshuayi break the deadlock on 31 minutes.<\/p>\n
A lot of credit must go to Pedro, whose fine defence-splitting pass found Hazard on the right wing and led to the goal. Hazard held up the ball and laid it up for the\u00a0on-rushing Alonso, who had the presence of mind to play the ball on for Batshuayi to tuck in unmarked at the back post.<\/p>\n
There may have been a suspicion of offside, but without the Video Assistant Referee, there was no review and the goal stood.<\/p>\n
Batshuayi, enjoyed further good fortune moments later as he made it 2-0 in the stroke of half-time –\u00a0Pedro and Hazard combined to find the striker, whose shot ballooned up off the leg of Jamaal Lascelles, over the goalkeeper and into the net.<\/p>\n
To their credit, Newcastle didn’t give up and they were frustrated by stand-in goalkeeper\u00a0Caballero, who saved again from Shelvey and\u00a0Chancel Mbemba in quick succession.<\/p>\n
But Chelsea sealed the win in the 72nd minute when Alonso struck a brilliant 25-yard free-kick for his seventh goal of the season.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: Talksport<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Michy Batshuayi scored twice but went close to a hat-trick as\u00a0Chelsea\u00a0beat Newcastle United 3-0 to sail into the fifth round of the\u00a0FA Cup. In talkSPORT\u2019s live commentary game on Sunday afternoon, Batshuayi staked his claim for more first-team action with two first-half goals at Stamford Bridge. The Belgian is still on the peripheral in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":395978,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[851,166],"yoast_head":"\n