Chelsea Women breezed through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup with a 5-0 win over Birmingham City in the Kingsmeadow sunshine, with manager Emma Hayes keeping key players in reserve for Wednesday night’s crucial league clash with Spurs which could see Chelsea go top of the league.

Beth England started up front for the champions as a reduced crowd of 1,869 watched a determined City defence dig in to deny the home side until a Jonna Andersson free kick broke the deadlock a minute before the interval. It looped to the far side of the box where England headed it into the danger zone and captain Magda Eriksson nodded up and over keeper Marie Hourihan.

Ten minutes after the break it was 2-0 as a Niamh Charles teed up Drew Spence, who scored her 50th goal for the club with a rocket from the edge of the area.

The scoreboard continued to tick over. Spence tried to round the keeper in the 62nd minute, with England hammering home the loose ball, then it became 4-0 as player of the match Charles scored with an arced header.

Sophie Ingle and Jess Carter talk tactics on the way to the changing rooms at half-time

After a triple substitution saw Lauren James, Alsu Abdullina and Maren Mjelde get some playing time, England rounded off the goals with her second – Chelsea’s fifth – as she wellied home a left-foot cracker from the edge of the area after Hourihan lost the flight of the ball in the low spring sunlight.

“Champions of England,” sang the ultras, “You can’t sanction that!”

Emma Hayes said that she was really happy for Beth England to score twice. “She’s been really, really good in training,” said the manager, who was also glad that the magnitude of the victory meant she could save unused sub Sam Kerr for the midweek game against Tottenham. Hayes also praised the consistency that Niamh Charles was showing in a majestic all-round performance.

When the draw is made for the semis on Monday evening, the Blues will face either Arsenal, West Ham or Man City.