Chelsea seek to turn corner after 7-0 FA Cup thrashing of Port Vale

LONDON, April 4 : Chelsea are hoping that Saturday's 7-0 thrashing of lowly Port Vale in an FA Cup quarter-final draws a line under a dismal run of form and internal upheaval that has threatened to ruin the season of the big-spending Londoners. 

The build-up to the tie had been dominated by Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior's announcement on Friday that club vice captain and record signing Enzo Fernandez would be suspended for two games after suggesting he might leave.

Chelsea have been enveloped in a sense of crisis since their 8-2 aggregate drubbing in the Champions League by European champions Paris St Germain and domestic league defeats to Newcastle United and Everton over a fraught 10 days in March.

So Saturday's goal bonanza - albeit against a struggling Port Vale side who look certain to be relegated to the fourth tier of English football soon - at least managed to restore some smiles to the faces of Chelsea's players and fans.

"When you go through a difficult moment that we did in that 10-day period, you come out of it and once you analyse it, you come back stronger and you know where you want to fix it," Rosenior told reporters.

He said the recent international break and Saturday's big win could lift the mood after he was plunged into a hectic schedule when he took over in January following Enzo Maresca's unexpected departure from Stamford Bridge.

"I've got a group of players who still believe, as I do, that we can have an outstanding season in terms of winning an FA Cup, in terms of qualifying for the Champions League," Rosenior said.

Asked about Fernandez's reaction to his suspension, Rosenior said it was "brilliant" to see the Argentine in attendance at Saturday's game.

A sterner test than Port Vale will come next Sunday