If this was evidence of the benefits of travel by air over road then Chelsea need to hope they can convince the Government to permanently increase their budget for away fixtures.
This season’s FA Cup giant-killers, Middlesbrough, were rolled over by Thomas Tuchel’s side, who booked their place in the semi-final for the third year in a row.
Would such a potential banana skin have been so easily navigated if Chelsea also had to navigate five hours on the M1 and A1M to Teesside?
It is academic as far as this tie is concerned, after a 2-0 win, but it remains an issue for the remainder the season, if the terms of the licence granted to them following the sanctioning of Roman Abramovich are not altered.
Forget inconvenience – it will be impossible to get to Spain and back for their Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid if forced to stick to a spending limit of £20,000.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport are unconvinced by the claims that such a figure is unworkable – but the fact they agreed to ease restrictions for this tie suggests new terms will be drawn up.
While that remains for Government and club officials, the players on the pitch once again put the wider crisis hanging over Chelsea to one side with a sixth straight win in all competitions.
Romelu Lukaku’s 15th-minute strike put them on course for the last four and seriously undermined Middlesbrough’s hopes of another upset after shocking Manchester United and Tottenham in the previous two rounds.
When Hakim Ziyech doubled the lead with a wonderful strike from distance to complete a slick team move, it was effectively game over at just past the half-hour mark.
It was further evidence of Tuchel’s masterful stewarding of his team, which has seen him shut out the outside noise to remarkable effect.
This was game that had pitted Chelsea as the villains long before kick-off.
While the neutral would always want to see Premier League royalty upended by underdogs like Boro, Chelsea’s lamentable attempts to have the game played behind closed doors after being blocked from selling tickets as part of the sanctions were widely condemned by even their own supporters.
How Boro, in particular chairman Steve Gibson, would have loved to have punished them on the pitch.
But, in truth, Chris Wilder’s team were never in it. Never had the chance to rattle their opponents or give the Riverside chance to test the nerves of the visitors. A decent second half spell of pressure roused some response – but it was more in hope than any belief that they urged their team on.
Chelsea are in machine mode at the moment, in a manner that is reminiscent of the run that took them all the way to Champions League triumph last season.
Tuchel thrives in adversity and that has been in evidence once again in the way he as focused his players in recent weeks. This was an accomplished performance that could have had a more emphatic score line.
Lukaku should have connected with an early Mason Mount cross from two yards out.
Substitute Timo Werner should also have done better when Mount, again, was provider in the second half, but saw his close-range shot canon back off Middlesbrough legs.
Mount was imperious – and Tuchel will hope he is rediscovering his best form at the ideal time after an inconsistent season.
It was his cross that Lukaku did convert to put Chelsea in front in what nearly a carbon copy of his earlier chance.
Then Mount was the creator again for Ziyech’s wonder strike - but to credit solely for the assist would be to do a disservice to a slick team move that cut Boro open.
Edouard Mendy started it all with a pass to Malang Sarr at left back. He then fed Mateo Kovacic, whose burst of speed broke the lines and pulled Boro out of shape. From there the home side were in trouble as the ball was shifted to Mount.
He then advanced down the right to feed Ziyech, who cut inside before firing a dipping shot into the far corner from 20 yards.
It was a class goal from start to finish and underlined the gulf in class between the sides.
Perhaps a five-hour journey would have evened the playing field.
