Giroud scores first Blues goal in Cup rout
Chelsea warmed up for its UEFA Champions League date with Barcelona by thrashing Hull City 4-0 to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals.
A Willian-inspired Chelsea cruised into the FA Cup quarter-finals thanks to a 4-0 hammering of Hull City at Stamford Bridge, as Olivier Giroud bagged his first goal for the club.
Although Antonio Conte's men have been underwhelming of late, losing three of their previous five games in all competitions, there never looked to be any danger of a shock on Saturday (AEDT), with two-goal Willian and Giroud catching the eye in a ruthless display.
The match was not even two minutes old when Willian scored his sumptuous opener and, although it took a while for Chelsea to break Hull down again, the visitors caved in once the second went in.
Pedro was the man to increase their advantage with a tidy finish, before Willian doubled his tally soon after and Giroud got off the mark for the club after his January arrival from Arsenal to open up a four-goal lead by half-time.
A miserable outing got worse for Hull just after the break when Willy Caballero saved David Meyler's penalty, although Chelsea took a relaxed approach to increasing its lead, noticeably easing off after the interval.
But the comfortable scoreline allowed Conte to withdraw key men ahead of Wednesday's (AEDT) visit of Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League, as the Blues head into that contest in confident mood, having booked passage to the last eight of the FA Cup.