FA Cup holders Chelsea have made it through to the fourth round of the competition courtesy of a 2-0 win over Championship promotion chasers Nottingham Forest.

The Blues had Alvaro Morata to thank for their victory as the Spanish striker scored twice in the second half, both from Callum Hudson-Odoi crosses, having also squandered two glorious opportunities.

Cesc Fabregas had earlier missed from the penalty spot for Chelsea on what is expected to be his final appearance for the club before departing for Monaco, but the hosts cruised over the line in the end to progress from round three for the 21st season in a row.

Reverting to his second-string side for this first cup outing of 2019, Maurizio Sarri somehow saw his side go into the interval all square despite a dominant first-half showing.

Davide Zappacosta came close from a couple of long-range efforts and fellow full-back Emerson Palmieri skimmed the roof of the net with his free kick.

Morata was guilty of missing a huge chance when heading Zappacosta's delightful cross right at Luke Steele, with plenty of the goal to aim for either side of Forest's back-up keeper.

Steele was the hero again later in the half, meanwhile, as he dived down to his right to push aside Fabregas's stuttered spot kick after Ruben Loftus-Cheek was brought down in the box by Danny Fox.

Chelsea lost a bit of their momentum late in the first period when Loftus-Cheek hobbled off with a minor injury, leading to the introduction of Eden Hazard for the remaining 48 minutes.

Forest, fortunate not to have makeshift centre-back Claudio Yacob dismissed for a last-man trip on Morata in the first half, held out for four minutes of the second period before conceding.

Following some good wing play from Bayern Munich target Hudson-Odoi, Morata got between the two Forest centre-backs and converted the youngster's cross, leaving Steele with no chance of keeping this one out.

Hudson-Odoi sparkled on his third start under Sarri, shifting the ball away from his man and firing a shot on target, moments before Daryl Murphy headed the ball right at Willy Caballero at the other end.

The game was put out of Forest's reach an hour into the match thanks to a second for Morata who, moments after guiding Ross Barkley's cross over an unguarded net from three yards out, glanced Hudson-Odoi's delivery into the far corner to redeem himself.

Forest enjoyed their best spell in the 10 minutes that followed, with Ben Osborne and Joe Lolley both picking out the wrong side of the net, while Murphy directed a corner wide of the target.

Barkley and Hudson-Odoi both had shots kept out by Steele in the remaining minutes, but the biggest cheer was reserved for Fabregas, who departed the Stamford Bridge field for one final time late on.

CHELSEA (4-3-3): Caballero; Zappacosta, Christensen, David Luiz, Emerson; Fabregas (Kante 85'), Ampadu, Barkley; Loftus-Cheek (Hazard 42'), Morata (Azpilicueta 74'), Hudson-Odoi

NOTTINGHAM FOREST (4-2-3-1): Steele; Darikwa, Yacob, Fox, Janko; Guedioura, Colback; Cash (Lolley 57'), Carvalho, Osborn; Murphy