Chelsea wasted little time in the second half to regain the lead as Willian struck to hand them a 2-1 lead less than five minutes after the restart.
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Diego Costa had given the hosts the lead in the first half, only to see his headed effort cancelled out just minutes later by youngster David Faupala.
With the two sides level heading into the interval, Guus Hiddink would have wanted to see his players take a more direct approach against a young and inexperienced City side.
The Dutchman got his wish as Willian wrapped up a wonderful counter-attack as Chelsea sliced through the City defence to give the Brazilian an opportunity to continue to add to his impressive tally for the season.
Meanwhile, Gary Cahill made it 3-1 shortly after as he smashed home an effort after the visitors failed to clear their lines, although Willy Caballero will feel as though he should have done better.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether or not Manuel Pellegrini’s men will be able to change the tide and get back into the contest, as the Chilean tactician undoubtedly prioritised the Champions League over the FA Cup with Dynamo Kiev lying in wait in midweek.
While his youngsters impressed for the most part, Chelsea’s quality and experience began to shine through in the second half as they look set to advance to the next round.