Michy Batshuayi Leads Chelsea Past Newcastle United to Reach FA Cup 5th Round

Michy Batshuayi scored twice as Chelsea eased past Newcastle United 3-0 at Stamford Bridge to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

The Belgian bagged a first-half brace to set the Blues away before Marcos Alonso's second-half free-kick sealed the victory.

A moment of ruthlessness and a slice of good fortune separated the two sides in the first half as Chelsea made a lacklustre start to the match but nevertheless took command of the scoreboard.

The Blues' first came somewhat against the run of play in the 31st minute, with Batshuayi tapping home Eden Hazard's pass after Pedro split open the visitors' defence with a superb ball over the top.

Batshuayi's second came shortly before the break. Jamaal Lascelles attempted to block the striker's shot following a Chelsea counter-attack, but the ball deflected off him and over Newcastle stopper Karl Darlow.

Sports lawyer and writer Jake Cohen noted Batshuayi's contributions this season despite his limited game time:

Newcastle had begun the match brightly and disrupted the Blues' flow early on, per ESPN FC's Liam Twomey: 

Jonjo Shelvey provided most of their attacking threat, and the midfielder directed several efforts on target, but he was unable to particularly trouble Willy Caballero in the Chelsea goal.

Indeed, as has been their problem throughout the season, the Magpies struggled to create or convert chances despite some positive play.

The visitors' impetus largely dissipated after the break, making for a more comfortable second half for Chelsea.

Alonso wrapped up the scoring for the hosts after 72 minutes with a sublime curled free-kick, his seventh goal of the season. As Squawka Football demonstrated, it was the icing on an excellent all-round performance:

Batshuayi had the chance to grab a hat-trick in the 91st minute, but he was denied by a strong save from Darlow.

Newcastle have now gone 12 years without reaching the fifth round of the FA Cup, having last done so in 2006.