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Chelsea eased their way into the fourth round of the FA Cup, with a comprehensive 4-0 victory recorded over Morecambe at Stamford Bridge.
Despite taking on League Two opposition, Frank Lampard named a relatively strong squad with opportunities also handed out to fringe players to stake a claim for a place in the first team.
The hosts fashioned a chance as early as the third minute but Timo Werner failed to convert from close range, while Kepa also reacted quickly to save an early shot/cross that threatened to creep over his line.
Chelsea broke the deadlock in the 18th minute when Callum Hudson-Odoi set up Mason Mount on the edge of the area and the England international made no mistakes from 20 yards out,
Their lead was doubled just before halftime after Timo Werner guided the ball over the line after a headed pass by Kai Havertz.
This was the worst time for Morecamble to concede and their fire was all but extinguished when Callum Hudson-Odoi put Chelsea 3-0 up just four minutes into the second half.
More chances were fashioned by the hosts but they failed to take them, and with the result all but guaranteed, Frank Lampard made some changes midway through the second half.
Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giroud came on in place of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, while Tammy Abraham replaced Mason Mount soon after.
Kai Havertz added a late fourth for Chelsea when he headed home an excellent cross by captain Cesar Azpilicueta with five minutes left.
The win continues the Blues' fine run in the FA Cup, with this the the 23rd season in a row that they have progressed to the fourth round of the oldest club competition in the world.
Here, we shall be having a rundown of five talking points from the fixture.
#5 Chelsea get morale-boosting victory
The last few weeks have been disappointing for Chelsea and a run of just one win from seven games in all competitions had put manager Frank Lampard under intense pressure.
The manner in which they were defeated by Manchester City last weekend was particularly appalling, considering that the club spent over £200m to augment their squad and many questioned whether Lampard was the right man to lead the club.
However, the 42-year-old has first-hand experience of the pressure that comes at a club like Chelsea from his playing days and all it takes is just one win to boost confidence back in the side.
The fixture with Morecambe offered an excellent opportunity to get back to winning ways and the Stamford Bridge outfit got the job done in a professional manner from start to finish.
Players struggling with confidence got a chance to get back among the goals, while a much-needed clean sheet was also recorded.
Chelsea will square off with tougher opposition in the coming months, and there are much bigger fish to fry than League Two opposition, but the comprehensive manner of this win will help instill confidence back in the side.
#4 No FA Cup magic for Morecambe
The FA Cup is the oldest club competition in the world, and throughout its 140-year history, several shocks and upsets have been recorded.
Every season comes with a fairytale story of a lower division side usurping the established hierarchy to qualify for the latter rounds.
This season, eighth-tier Marine will square off with Tottenham in what is the biggest gap between opponents in competition history, while Chorley have secured their place in the fourth round for the first time ever.
Morecambe came into this clash against Chelsea on a fine run of form, having won their last four league games in succession and six of their last seven.
The struggles being experienced by their more illustrious hosts might have given them added impetus to register an upset but that proved to not be the case.
In what was a throughly one-sided fixture, Chelsea dominated e thproceedings from start to finish and Kepa was very rarely tested in the hosts' goal.
With their elimination, the Shrimps will turn their attention to domestic league action where they sit outside the playoff spot on goal difference and are just five points off the top spot with a game in hand.
#3 Kai Havertz registers a goal and assist, but the jury is still out on him
Following some breathtaking displays with Bayer Leverkusen in the German Bundesliga, Chelsea broke their club-record transfer fee to sign Kai Havertz last summer.
It was expected that the Germany international will help the club build on the gains made last season, but so far, that has not been the case.
The 21-year-old has struggled to adapt to life in England, while his tryst with COVID-19 also played a role in limiting his impact on the field.
Having been left out of the starting lineup in recent weeks, Kai Havertz was given a chance to impress against Morecambe and he duly provided a goal and assist to help Chelsea to the win.
He showed his underlying talent and skill with his assist for Timo Werner's goal - an ingenious header over Mark Halstead - allowing his international colleague to score the easiest goal of his career.
A late goal was scored by Havertz to round out what was a solid display, but on the overall balance of play, he did not put in a performance that did his abilities justice.
There were several occasions when the Germany international was guilty of making the wrong decision in the final third, while his normally pristine passing was also off-color on some instances.
There was a gilt-edged chance missed late on before he got on the scoresheet with a well-taken header.
While his performance might not have been top-notch, Kai Havertz registered a goal and assist, which will do his confidence a world of good ahead of what will be a defining few months in Chelsea's season.
#2 Birthday boy Mason Mount inspires Chelsea to victory
Mason Mount has undoubtedly been Lampard's most trusted player in his fledgling managerial career, with the England international following his manager from Derby County on to Chelsea.
While he does get a lot of stick from fans for myriad reasons, it cannot be denied that Mount is a technically gifted player and his professionalism on the field makes him a coach's dream.
Against Morecambe, the the 22-year-old was handed his 20th start in all competitions this season on his birthday.
He gave himself the perfect birthday gift when he opened the scoring for Chelsea in the 18th minute.
Mount has particularly proven adept at taking shots from distance, with this strike his 4th goal from outside the box for his boyhood club since 2019 - no Chelsea player has scored more in this period.
The former Derby man was substituted for Tammy Abraham with 16 minutes to go and in his 74 minutes on the field, Mount contributed three key passes, completed one dribble and had a pass accuracy of 88.2%.
#1 Timo Werner breaks goal drought for Chelsea
Like Havertz, Timo Werner was signed following his stunning exploits in the Bundesliga but like his compatriot, things have not gone to plan at Stamford Bridge.
The 24-year-old came into this clash having scored just eight goals from 24 games for Chelsea, while he was on a run of 14 games without a goal for club or country.
These are hardly numbers that you associate with a striker of Werner's qualities, and despite having the full backing of his manager, questions had begun to be asked of the Germany international.
His lack of confidence was evident early in the game when he missed chances that should have been buried but a good piece of skill by Havertz allowed him break his long goal drought.
Despite not doing much for most of the game, Timo Werner would have been glad to be back among the goals and Chelsea fans will be hoping he can kick on from here.
