The Valiants, bottom of League One, proved their giant-killing credentials in the fourth and fifth rounds of this year's competition, eliminating Championship club Bristol City and then Premier League side Sunderland.

Yet there was little opportunity for the visitors to Stamford Bridge to take another scalp, as Jorrel Hato opened the scoring for the Blues after just 63 seconds. Joao Pedro added a second later in the first half before Cole Palmer forced an own goal from Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel.

Rosenior's side kept up the pressure in the second period and Tosin Adarabioyo headed home our fourth of the afternoon shortly before the hour mark. Brazilian duo Andrey Santos and Estevao Willian were next on the scoresheet, before Alejandro Garnacho rounded off the scoring with a late penalty.

The margin of victory is the biggest the Blues have ever recorded in an FA Cup quarter-final, and Rosenior was effusive about the mentality displayed by his players.

‘I was very happy with the application and the intensity levels of the team,' the Blues head coach explained in his post-match press conference.

'I think it [the victory] stems from that. Obviously, we've got outstanding players and some of the goals we scored – and also our play – was very good. But when you watch the application of the group in the first half, the way we chased, the way we tackled, that's what gave us the basis to go on and win the game.’

Securing a place in the FA Cup semi-finals was the perfect way for the Blues to return from the international break and begin our season run-in. And Rosenior says the opportunity to pause and take stock while several players were away with their countries was hugely important.

He explained: 'I think it's been a really important, the international break, in terms of myself and the staff and the club.

'Obviously, the players went away and when you go through a difficult moment, as we did in that ten-day period, you want to come out of it, analyse it, and come back stronger – and you know that you want to fix it.

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