Chelsea eases scrutiny on manager Mauricio Pochettino with a commanding 3-1 triumph over Aston Villa, securing a spot in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday. Goals from Conor Gallagher, Nicolas Jackson, and Enzo Fernandez at Villa Park erase the memory of a 4-2 home defeat to Wolves on Sunday.

Chelsea faced displeasure from their home supporters over the weekend as a 4-2 defeat to Wolves added to the frustration following a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool a week ago.

Languishing in 11th place in the Premier League, Mauricio Pochettino faced increased scrutiny, and an early exit from the FA Cup would have added to the pressure on the Argentine. However, Pochettino, who vowed not to let the job stress him, made bold decisions in team selection, leaving out key players like Thiago Silva and Raheem Sterling. The move paid off as Chelsea's young talents, including academy graduate Conor Gallagher, delivered what Pochettino deemed one of the best performances of the season.

Despite early struggles and missed opportunities in his Chelsea career, Jackson showcased lethal finishing with a downward header from Malo Gusto's cross, extending his team's lead.

Villa, who had been unbeaten in 17 home Premier League games dating back nearly a year until a week ago, succumbed to another home defeat as Chelsea emerged victorious in the FA Cup. Despite having exited both domestic cup competitions at home this season, Unai Emery's side faced a significant setback as Fernandez's remarkable free-kick sealed the match at 3-0 before the hour mark. Recent rumors have hinted at a potential exit for the Argentine World Cup winner, just over a year since his record-breaking move from Benfica.

However, Fernandez's celebratory gestures hinted at his commitment to staying with Chelsea after a spectacular goal into the top corner past his international teammate Emi Martinez. With an upcoming League Cup final against Liverpool on February 25, Pochettino has the opportunity to secure his first trophy in English football. Chelsea is poised to advance to the FA Cup quarter-finals as they face second-tier Leeds in the fifth round. Despite a stoppage-time consolation goal from Moussa Diaby for Villa, it proved insufficient for the home side. In the last 16, Nottingham Forest secured the right to host Manchester United, prevailing over Bristol City of the Championship in a penalty shootout.

Forest took an early lead as Divock Origi found the net, but Jason Knight swiftly equalized for the visiting team. Despite numerous missed opportunities to secure victory before extra time, City regretfully faced the consequences in the penalty shootout. Sam Bell's failure to score was the decisive moment as Nottingham Forest emerged victorious.