3 things we learned from Chelsea's victory against Sheffield Wednesday | FA Cup 2018-19
In a FA Cup fourth-round tie at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea defeated Championship side Sheffield Wednesday 3-0. It was Willian who was the star of the show with two rare goals to his name. 18-year-old Callum Hudson-Odoi also found the back of the net with a second-half goal. The victory means Chelsea will find their name in the FA Cup fifth round draw which will take place on Monday.
Having played a hectic League Cup semifinal against Tottenham Hotspur only three days ago, Maurizio Sarri made eight changes to the Chelsea team. The showpiece event of the day was the debut of new signing Gonzalo Higuain
The highlight of the match probably took place in the space of a couple of minutes in the first half. Not long after the clock crossed the 20th-minute mark, a challenge by Etham Ampadu saw the referee point to the penalty spot. However, VAR was in use and came to Chelsea's rescue as replays showed the Welsh International got a touch of the ball.
Almost in the next sequence of action, former Chelsea player Sam Hutchison fouled Cesar Azpilicueta in the box and the Blues took the lead from the subsequent penalty by Willian.
#3 Jorginho's absence was felt
A common theme after every negative result for Chelsea this season has been the scapegoating of Jorginho and calls for N'Golo Kante to play in his role. While in Thursday's emphatic win over Tottenham, Kante once again showed his value in the new role and Jorginho displayed his abilities in one of finest performances since joining the new club, it was against Sheffield Wednesday that the importance of Jorginho was visible
A rest for Jorginho was extremely important but due to the sale of Cesc Fabregas, the Blues did have a direct replacement to pick from. Sarri has spoken a lot of times about the importance of the position in his system and the need for a specialist.
It was Ethan Ampadu who Sarri deployed in the system and one could clearly see why the Italian coach wants a new signing to replace Fabregas. Playing for the first time in the role under Sarri, Ampadu barely looked comfortable and Sarri's displeasure was visible as he moved Mateo Kovacic to the position in the second half.
The implications of this were evident as the hosts barely made any use of the possession. While Ampadu is a young player and its no surprise that he will take time to adapt to a new role, it should be remembered that his attributes are more suited to a defensive position.
After Jorginho came into action for the last ten minutes, Chelsea looked like the different team to the entire match. The intensity of every player improved as Chelsea moved the ball a lot quicker and with more intent.
While Jorginho's lack of assists is talked about, it is time people appreciate what he brings to the team. He is the player that recycles possession and builds the team's tempo. He has a couple of bad games but so have the rest of the squad. It's important for the club to realise this and give Sarri a viable backup for him to ensure Jorginho does not burn out at such a vital stage of the season.