Heavily overhauled from their Champions League qualification on Wednesday, Chelsea got the better of Premier League red lantern Sheffield United (2-0) on Sunday to qualify for the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
Another match without conceding a goal - the 12th in 14 matches since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel - for the Blues who negotiated this meeting well four days after their qualification for the quarter-finals of the Champions League against the Atlético (1-0, 2-0).
The Londoners had changed 9 of their 11 players compared to those who started on Wednesday and their offensive animation suffered, although their defensive strength was confirmed.
This time, it was Sheffield United who folded.
Already almost doomed to relegation to the Premier League, the Blades nevertheless delivered an apparently encouraging performance, conceding very few clear chances against the 4th in the championship, in a 3-5-2 inherited from Chris Wilder, their coach dismissed from his post a week ago.
Chelsea first found the loophole on a goal against his camp of Oliver Norwood who diverted in his goals a tense center from Ben Chilwell (1-0, 24th).
In additional time, Hakim Ziyech, who came into play shortly before, doubled the bet at the conclusion of a beautiful against (2-0, 90 + 1).
Sheffield may regret his opportunities to equalize left along the way, especially on a header from David McGoldrick, alone at the far post (67th), and on a strike from Rhian Brewster at the post (90th) which had left Kepa, holder in the goals, without reaction.
But Londoners can dream of a trophy this season by inviting themselves into the last four with Manchester City and Southampton, who qualified on Saturday, as well as the winner of the last quarter between Leicester and Manchester United, at the end of the afternoon.
The semi-finals will be played at Wembley on April 17th while the final is scheduled for May 15th.
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