Tosin Adarabioyo Impresses With First Career Brace In FA Cup Victory For Chelsea

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Tosin Adarabioyo expressed his happiness after Chelsea's commanding 5-0 win over Morecambe in the FA Cup third round. The defender scored twice from long range, with his second goal being particularly impressive. Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix also contributed to the victory, with Felix scoring twice. This marked Tosin's first brace in English football and the first time a Chelsea centre-back scored twice in a match since Antonio Rudiger in February 2020.

Adarabioyo was a strong presence throughout the match, winning all four of his aerial duels and completing 86 out of 92 passes. Reflecting on his performance, he told BBC Match of the Day, "It's the first time in my professional career I was on a hat-trick. I wanted to have another shot, but the moment never came!" He described his second goal as being in a position where he likes to shoot and managed to curl it into the top corner.

Chelsea's victory continued their impressive FA Cup home record against lower-division teams. They have now won their last 11 home matches in this competition against such sides by an aggregate score of 37-5. Their last four wins at home against fourth-division teams have been by two or more goals.

The win also ended Chelsea's four-game winless streak, with their previous victory coming in the Europa Conference League on December 19. Enzo Maresca, Chelsea's manager, praised the team's performance, saying, "Very professional and very serious. I am very happy for the performance and for the final result."

Romeo Lavia and Reece James returned from injury during this match, each playing for one half before being substituted at halftime. Maresca confirmed these changes were pre-planned to prevent any further injuries. "They are both okay after 45 minutes and we are happy with that," he stated.

Maresca emphasized the importance of players getting game time to be ready when needed. He added that preparations for their upcoming match against Bournemouth would begin immediately.