Managerless Town fell to their record FA Cup defeat as they were thrashed 7-0 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. After an evenly balanced first half hour the holders and Premier League champions went on the rampage with the goals coming from Salomon Kalou, Daniel Sturridge (2), Carlos Edwards (OG), Nicolas Anelka and Frank Lampard (2).
Caretaker-boss Ian McParland, probably taking control of the Blues for the only time, was able to call on Gareth McAuley after injury and Darren O’Dea after Celtic gave the on-loan defender permission to play. The duo started at the centre of the defence with Damien Delaney dropping to the bench. Troy Brown continued at right-back and Mark Kennedy at left-back. Márton Fülöp was in goal.
In midfield, with options limited, Colin Healy came in for his first Town league start since Boxing Day 2009, playing a deeper role behind skipper David Norris in the centre with Carlos Edwards on the right and Jaime Peters on the left. Connor Wickham, watched by Birmingham boss Alex McLeish and probably a host of other Premier League scouts, and Jason Scotland formed a two-man attack.
Chelsea named a strong side including Peter Cech, John Terry, Jose Bosingwa, Frank Lampard, Salomon Kalou and Nicolas Anelka. Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda and Michael Essien were on the bench. Town fans made their affection for referee Andy D’Urso known as he warmed up.
Chelsea left-back Patrick Van Aanholt sent in the game’s first dangerous cross in the opening minute but too far in front of Kalou, who was on the right of a 4-3-3. Jason Scotland nodded an early Town opportunity wide with the Blues making a bright start.
Norris saw a shot blocked on the edge of the area before Fülöp was forced off his line to save from Daniel Sturridge, who had made a sharp run in behind the Town defence. The former Manchester City man went wide after a clever turn inside the box as the game moved into its 10th minute.
The cup holders gradually started to make their superiority show, Sturridge’s 12th minute shot from Terry’s knockdown was blocked by Brown then McAuley diverted Kalou’s cross back to Fülöp. Soon after Anelka’s low strike failed to test Fülöp, who had already had a couple of shaky moments when punching weakly.
On 17 Town broke quickly through Scotland, the Trinidadian playing the ball to his left to Norris, who crossed low, Van Aanholt getting in ahead of Wickham on the edge of the six-yard box. The England U21 striker collided with Cech, who carried on after receiving treatment.
The Blues appeared to have weathered the early storm and in the 22nd minute Jason Scotland forced Cech to parry away a powerful shot from 25 yards.
Moments later, the home side were inches from going in front when Sturridge dummied a pass from Lampard, which saw Anelka through on goal. The French international beat the on-rushing Fülöp, but Brown somehow got back to clear off the line.
Lampard shot well over, then on 29 McEachran saw an edge of the area effort blocked by his England U19 and U21 team-mate Wickham. Right on the half hour, Anelka curled a shot over after a neat interchange of Chelsea passes on the left.
The home side were threatening ever more regularly and in the 32nd minute they went in front. Healy lost possession on halfway, McEachran cutting out his loose pass and sending away Anelka. The Frenchman broke into the area and slipped the ball to Fülöp’s left, the Hungarian keeper getting a hand to it but it probably still on its way in before Kalou slid in to add the final touch.
Within a minute, it was two. Bosingwa crossed from the right and Sturridge nipped in ahead of O’Dea to score from six yards. Town had once again shown their tendency to concede a second goal soon after letting in a first.
On 41 Norris was booked for a foul on John Terry on the Chelsea left and from the freekick Carlo Ancelotti’s side made it three. Lampard sent in the freekick and first defender Edwards could only flick the ball beyond Fülöp and into the top corner of the net.
News that Town and Chelsea’s potential fourth round opponents were Everton at Goodison Park filtered through as referee D’Urso blew the half-time whistle.
It had been a first half of two halves. The Blues had done well enough in the opening half hour, the home side had inevitably had their chances but Town had also had their moments.
However, the three-goal salvo in a period before the break completely dominated by Chelsea meant the second half would be nothing more than damage limitation from a Town perspective.
Ancelotti’s men came out for the second half determined to continue where they had left off and two minutes into the new period Anelka’s shot from the edge was saved by Fülöp.
But a fourth Chelsea goal was only another two minutes away. Kalou played in Anelka on the right of the Town area and the former Arsenal man shot across Fülöp and into the net.
Chelsea were by now not just looking like they were going to score with every attack, they actually were. With the second half only seven minutes old, Chelsea made it five when Lampard played the ball to Sturridge in space on the left of the Town area and the youngster hit a shot beyond Fülöp into the keeper’s top left-hand corner of the net.
The Blues were looking utterly shellshocked with Chelsea completely dominating. Anelka shot wide, then Lampard hit an effort straight at Fülöp as the home side went looking for a sixth.
Town managed to create an opportunity in the 57th minute when Norris harried Terry and Ivanovic on the edge of the box, the ball eventually reaching Peters on the Town left. The Canadian hit a strike beyond Cech but also past the far post. At the other end Van Aanholt shot over.
Wickham was replaced by Priskin in the 64th minute after an afternoon on the periphery of the match, doing little to impress watching Premier League bosses and scouts.
The lively Murray hit a 30-yarder which gave Cech no problem moments later, the Irish U19 international having robbed Lampard on halfway.
Chelsea appeared to have settled for their 5-0 lead by the 73rd minute when Lampard hammered a freekick over after Brown had fouled Sturridge just outside the box. The Premier League champions were still dominating but their performance was lacking the intensity of the spells on either side of half-time.
Despite the scoreline, the Town support were still in good voice, chanting ‘Boring, boring Chelsea’ and ‘Bring on the Arsenal’.
On 78 Lampard made it six, slamming home from the edge of the box after a corner had been cleared to him. A minute later, it was seven. Ivanovic cut the ball back from the right inside the Town area and Lampard finished from six yards.
Ramires shot over from 30 yards as Chelsea went chasing even more goals, then Peters curled high and wide for Town.
In injury time Fülöp saved from Kakuta, who had found space in the area, then from the corner Ivanovic’s shot was blocked.
The home side again looked hungry for goals, Fülöp saving from Anelka, then Ivanovic’s follow-up was stopped by a defender.
Fortunately for Town Andy D’Urso’s whistle went soon after to confirm the Blues’ record FA Cup defeat, beating the 7-1 loss at Southampton in January 1961.
After the first half hour, there was only one team in it, Chelsea playing the ball around a Town side which could get no hold on the game in midfield, was full of holes at the back and lacking any penetration up front. For much of the time it resembled a training game of attack against defence.
Despite the quality of the opposition and the weakened Town line-up, the result emphasises just how much work faces Roy Keane’s successor, with Paul Jewell's appointment set to be confirmed on Monday.
Town: Fülöp, Brown, Kennedy, McAuley, O’Dea, Norris (c), Healy, Edwards, Peters, Scotland (Murray 49), Wickham (Priskin 64): Unused: Lee-Barrett, Delaney, Smith, Eastman, Civelli.
Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Van Aanholt (Bruma 70), Terry, Ivanovic, McEachran, Ramires, Lampard, Kalou (Kakuta 55), Sturridge, Anelka. Unused: Hilario, Essien, Drogba, Malouda, Ferreira. Referee: Andy D’Urso (Billericay). Att: 41,654.