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Tammy Abraham struck a smart Stamford Bridge hat-trick as Chelsea drove past stubborn Luton with a 3-1 win and into the FA Cup fifth round.<\/p>\nTammy Abraham struck a smart Stamford Bridge hat-trick as Chelsea drove past stubborn Luton with a 3-1 win and into the FA Cup fifth round.<\/p>\n
England hitman Abraham took his Chelsea goal tally to 11 for the season, netting twice in seven first-half minutes before completing his treble late on.<\/p>\n
Jordan Clark profited from the struggling Kepa Arrizabalaga\u2019s latest error to claw one back for Championship side Luton, but the Blues ground their way to an important fourth-round win.<\/p>\n
Timo Werner missed a late penalty in a frustrating end to his afternoon, but Chelsea will now travel to Barnsley in the fifth round.<\/p>\n
This victory was crucial for under-pressure boss Frank Lampard, who will now set about trying to engineer a return to winning ways in the Premier League.<\/p>\n
England midfielder Mount captained Chelsea for the first time, a fine reward for the 22-year-old\u2019s relentless graft and quality.<\/p>\n
A fine boost for Chelsea\u2019s much-vaunted academy, Mount delivered precisely the exemplary leadership Lampard both required and so craved.<\/p>\n
The 13-cap midfielder took to a deep-lying role in Lampard\u2019s latest formation \u2013 and his partnership with Gilmour merits exploration in the Premier League.<\/p>\n
Chelsea desperately need wins in home matches against Wolves and Burnley next week after five losses in eight league encounters.<\/p>\n
And Lampard could do far worse than pair up young Scot Gilmour with his Mr Dependable Mount in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n
Lampard finally fielded two strikers, with Abraham and Werner linking up at the top of the field.<\/p>\n
Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech took to the flanks then, with Mount and Gilmour the sitting central midfielders.<\/p>\n
Call it 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1 or even 4-2-2, this was all of those and also none \u2013 when working at its most fluid best.<\/p>\n
That is precisely what Lampard wants, because if a potent formation is difficult to pin down, so are the chief protagonists within it for opponents.<\/p>\n
Another new system from Chelsea\u2019s under-fire boss, brought another sluggish adjustment from Chelsea\u2019s below-par players.<\/p>\n
Werner and Abraham started the day\u2019s strike partnership by making the exact same run, and botching a promising move.<\/p>\n
Fortunately for the hosts calibration came quickly, with Werner feeding Abraham \u2013 albeit via a deflection \u2013 to slot the opener.<\/p>\n
James\u2019 deftly pitched cross then invited Abraham to double the home lead, and the England striker duly delivered a fine headed finish.<\/p>\n
Just when Chelsea should have set themselves up for a cakewalk though, up cropped the twitchy, hesitant defending that has besieged their recent form.<\/p>\n
Kurt Zouma had hobbled through a calf problem, and paid the price by not getting tight enough to Clark in the box.<\/p>\n
The 27-year-old Hatters wing strode on and slipped the ball goalwards \u2013 but not forcefully enough to guarantee a goal.<\/p>\n
His slightly scuffed effort should have elicited a regulation save, but beleaguered stopper Kepa\u2019s Chelsea troubles continued unabated.<\/p>\n
The Spain keeper reached the low strike with both foot and hand, and yet still somehow managed not to keep the ball out of the net.<\/p>\n
Chelsea dipped off the pace at the end of the first-half, but recovered some shape and energy after the interval.<\/p>\n
Abraham could have completed his hat-trick had he reached a drilled ball that flashed across the face of goal.<\/p>\n
Luton then squandered a gilt-edged chance to level however, with Harry Cornick striking at Kepa\u2019s near post and allowing the Blues stopper to beat away his effort.<\/p>\n
Had Cornick angled the ball across goal, Kepa could have found himself in trouble again.<\/p>\n
Replacement Callum Hudson-Odoi dinked in a fine cross to hand Abraham his hat-trick goal on a plate, but again the England man could not find the target.<\/p>\n
From Hudson-Odoi\u2019s next inch-perfect cross Abraham made no mistake, tucking home to claim the match ball.<\/p>\n
Gilmour\u2019s fine reverse ball in exchanging passes with Hudson-Odoi carved out room for the cross, and this time the ball found the net.<\/p>\n
Werner was hacked down when through on goal at the death, only to step up and see his spot-kick palmed away by Simon Sluga.<\/p>\n