The Times
December 20, 2007

Andriy Shevchenko puts seal on typical display after moment of madness from Peter Crouch
Chelsea 2 Liverpool 0
Matt Hughes

For all the talk of change under Avram Grant at Stamford Bridge, most events at the club remain as predictable as the plot lines of an Advent calendar. As is customary at this time of year, Chelsea ground their way into the Carling Cup semi-finals, their progress coming courtesy of a hard-fought win over Liverpool in a spiteful match typical of the enmity that exists between the teams.

Apart from the visiting fans' amusing chants of "José, get a job, José, José, get a job," it was as if Mr Mourin-ho had never left. In keeping with the enduring status quo, the crucial goal was scored by Frank Lampard in the 59th minute, though Andriy Shevchenko grabbing the second in stoppage time made a pleasant change from his recent scripts, particularly as it was provided by Michael Ballack on the German's first appearance for eight months.

The involvement of the ultra-aggressive John Obi Mikel in the game's most controversial incident also came as no surprise, but few would have predicted the manner in which Peter Crouch lost his head, as Rafael BenÍtez put it.

The England striker was deservedly sent off for his two-footed lunge on Mikel a minute after Liverpool had fallen behind and the visiting team's fight disappeared with him.
A
fter the dust had settled, Grant could take great pleasure in ending Liverpool's run of success against Chelsea in recent cup competitions, as well as securing his first victory over a member of the so-called big four.

After narrow defeats by Arsenal and Manchester United, getting that particular monkey off his back may prove more significant than moving to within 180 minutes of his first final. The only downside of a great evening for the Israeli was an ankle injury to Shevchenko that makes him doubtful for Sunday's trip to Blackburn Rovers, while taking the edge off Ballack's successful return.

"It's important to win as we lost two games to the big four we didn't deserve to lose," Grant said. "We wanted to be in the semi-finals and it was a good game for the supporters. I'm pleased Ballack is back in the game after a long, long time. He's a great player, an intelligent player and important for us. Sheva knows how to score goals, as we saw today."

Unsurprisingly, BenÍtez saw matters differently, though Liverpool rarely looked like ending a miserable run in which they have failed to score a goal in his seven visits to West London.

The Spaniard insisted that his side played well and that Crouch's dismissal changed the game, though this may well have been a ruse to divert attention from his side's three successive defeats in domestic competition.

BenÍtez's real attitude towards this competition was revealed by his team selection, which showed nine changes from Sunday's defeat at Old Trafford.

With so many stars left at home, the burglars of Merseyside will not have enjoyed their most profitable night's work.

Grant made seven changes from the team beaten by Arsenal, though with Ricardo Carvalho and Michael Essien returning from injury and suspension respectively, they looked stronger on paper and so it proved.

Essien and Mikel established an early dominance over Xabi Alonso and Mohamed Sissoko in midfield, enabling Shevchenko and Salomon Kalou to create several chances to take the lead. The Ivory Coast striker was denied by Charles Itandje before heading wide from a corner, and the French goalkeeper also made a good save from Lampard after the acting captain had been played through by Kalou.

There was a certain inevitability about the identity of Chelsea's opening goalscorer, who benefited from a deflection that his detractors will claim to have been equally predictable. The goal was worth waiting for in terms of the build-up play, if not the execution, with Mikel picking out Shevchenko, who held the ball up well in the penalty area before finding Lampard, whose shot was helped over Itandje by an attempted challenge from Jamie Carragher.

Crouch's loss of control a minute later brought an early end to the contest; the lanky striker had had Liverpool's best chances. He shot wide across the face of goal after being played in by Lucas Leiva in the 26th minute and had an attempted chip saved by Petr Cech in the 56th after a rare mistake from Carvalho.

If he was frustrated, it was nothing compared with his emotions four minutes later, when he launched himself into a wild lunge at Mikel with his right foot. As he flew through the air, he somehow connected with his left, leaving Martin Atkinson, the referee, no option but to show him a red card.

In truth, the challenge probably deserved two, but with the red mist well and truly descended, Crouch saw it differently, compounding his crime by leaning over to abuse Mikel as he lay prone on the floor, continuing with a stream of invective aimed at the home fans as he stomped off the pitch.

As he demonstrated that he could teach Fabio Capello a thing or two about industrial English, he was clearly in no mood to consider the irony that he was once a ballboy at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea (4-3-3): P Cech – J Belletti, T Ben Haim, R Carvalho, W Bridge – M Essien, J O Mikel (sub: M Ballack, 69min), F Lampard – S Kalou, A Shevchenko (sub: S Sidwell, 90), S Sinclair (sub: J Cole, 57). Substitutes not used: C Cudicini, P Ferreira.

Liverpool (4-4-1-1): C Itandje – Á Arbeloa, J Hobbs, J Carragher, F Aurélio – A Voronin, X Alonso (sub: N El Zhar, 60), M Sissoko, R Babel (sub: Y Benayoun, 73) – Lucas Leiva, P Crouch. Substitutes not used: D Martin, S Hyypia, J A Riise. Booked: Alonso, Lucas, Sissoko. Sent off: Crouch.

Referee: M Atkinson.
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Telegraph:

Chelsea thrive after Peter Crouch's aberration
By Henry Winter at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea (0) 2 Liverpool (0) 0

Blue was the colour, with strikes from Frank Lampard and Andrei Shevchenko deservedly sweeping Chelsea into the semi-finals of the Carling Cup, but red was the colour for Peter Crouch, deservedly sent off for a two-footed lunge at John Obi Mikel.

Lampard had just scored when Crouch suffered his moment of unexpected madness. Crouch spent so long in the air as he flew into Mikel that he almost needed clearance from Heathrow as he came into land on Chelsea's innocent No 12. With referees clearly being encouraged to punish dangerous tackles, following a widespread debate about the number of nasty offences going unchecked, Martin Atkinson had no hesitation in dismissing Crouch.

For nearly an hour, the game had just meandered along, like the Thames at low tide, murky but unmenacing, giving no hint of the fireworks that were to arrive. But when Lampard scored his deflected goal off Jamie Carragher, a switch flicked in Liverpool's fuse-box and Crouch flew in recklessly on Mikel, earning instant and deserved expulsion.

In an opening hour dominated by two excellent keepers, Petr Cech and Charles Itandje, two sides who have been at each others' throats so often in cup combat in recent seasons were all endeavour, but no finish.

This was their 10th cup meeting in three and a half years, and familiarity bred containment. Notable absentees on both sides also added to the occasionally disjointed air, certainly in the first period.

Missing Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano and Fernando Torres, Liverpool had lined up in 4-2-3-1 formation; Andrei Voronin and Ryan Babel provided the width while the hard-working Brazilian, Lucas, operated in the hole, seeking to release the front-running Crouch. Lucas, though, spent as much time racing back to close down Lampard as looking forward to assist Crouch.

They still linked up well at times. Scarcely 10 minutes had elapsed when Lucas dispossessed Mikel and rolled the ball down the inside-right channel for Crouch. Aware that support was slow in arriving, the England international elected to shoot yet his aim was poor.

Liverpool took heart from such moments of promise against a home defence welcoming back Ricardo Carvalho, but lacking real organisation in the absence of the injured John Terry. When Babel dribbled in from the left moments later, Chelsea's rearguard was caught ragged. As the unmarked Crouch waited at the far post, Babel chose the wrong option, taking the low road and his cross was blocked.

As well as Terry, Chelsea were also without Didier Drogba, the best all-round centre-forward in the country. Strangely Avram Grant persisted with a system designed for Drogba, 4-1-2-3, when Andrei Shevchenko patently prefers 4-4-2. With Salomon Kalou and Scott Sinclair initially too distant from Shevchenko, the Ukrainian struggled to impose himself.

He was not helped by a painful blow on the ankle, inflicted by Lucas, though he climbed up and watched Lampard drill the free-kick into the Liverpool wall. Eventually, the busy pair of Sinclair and Kalou tucked closer in to assist the lonely No 7. Shevchenko even created a chance for Kalou, via Michael Essien's dummy, but the Ivory Coast striker placed his shot too close to Itandje.

The young French keeper continued to impress moments later, saving superbly from Frank Lampard after Jack Hobbs and Alvaro Arbeloa had bizarrely combined to divert the ball accidentally into the path of the England international. This was fertile territory for Lampard, running through with only an onrushing keeper to beat, but Itandje managed to block Lampard's attempted dink with his chest.

Both keepers were shining; now it was Cech's chance to show his class when a quickfire Liverpool move saw Voronin and Crouch dovetailing to send Lucas through. Cech was equal to the task, saving well from Lucas.

The theme of absent friends even extended to the officials as the linesman, Paul Norman, limped away before the first whistle, having pulled up lame during the warm-up. Peter Walton, the experienced referee, grabbed the flag to show his versatility.

At least the hiatus allowed some more refugees from the gridlocked M40 to enter the visitors' enclosure in the Shed, and sing everything from paeans to Benitez and ditties of denigration to Lampard. "Where's your Mourinho?" the travelling Kopites inquired of Chelsea, followed by "Rafa's the Special One".

Lampard made light of Liverpool derision and the loss of Mourinho after 59 minutes. The second half had already seen an increase in tempo, with Chelsea first to show. Sinclair and Essien had gone close, and then came Lampard. Mikel clipped the ball into Shevchenko, who set up Lampard. The England midfielder's shot caught the sliding Carragher and dropped in over Itandje.

Then came Crouch's moment of madness. Liverpool, a man down, and a goal adrift, knew they had their work cut out.

No chance. Even Shevchenko, hitherto badly off the pace, found the mark, with a driven finish in the last minute.

Match details

Chelsea (4-1-2-3): Cech; Belletti, Ben-Haim, Carvalho, Bridge; Mikel (Ballack 67); Essien, Lampard; Kalou, Shevchenko (Sidwell 90), Sinclair (J Cole 56).
Subs: Cudicini (g), Ferreira.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Itandje; Arbeloa, Hobbs, Carragher, Aurelio; Alonso (El Zhar 58), Sissoko; Voronin, Lucas, Babel (Benayoun 72); Crouch.
Subs: Martin (g), Hyypia, Riise.
Booked: Alonso, Lucas, Sissoko.
Sent off: Crouch.
Referee: M Atkinson (Yorkshire).
 
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Indy:

Chelsea 2 Liverpool 0: Red mist descends on Crouch to smooth Chelsea's progress
By Sam Wallace

The Carling Cup or the Snarling Cup? Even the mild-mannered Peter Crouch lost his temper last night to become the third player in English football's angriest competition to be dismissed in the space of two days before Rafael Benitez followed up with a broadside at the referee Martin Atkinson.

It may be the trophy of last resort for the Premier League's big four, but everyone seems to want to win the Carling Cup so much that tempers are fraying. Chelsea's passage into the semi-finals to play Everton was memorable for yet another red card: Crouch's uncharacteristic lunge at John Obi Mikel earned the England striker a straight red while Benitez accused referee Atkinson of failing to protect his player.

Crouch was incensed at what he saw as two attempts by Mikel to stud him from the knee down in the moments leading up to his ill-advised two-footed lunge at the Nigerian. Despite minimal contact on Mikel, there was little option for referee Atkinson other than to dismiss Crouch – just as Didier Zokora and Denilson found themselves red-carded on Tuesday night for raising their studs.

The incident over-shadowed the goals from Frank Lampard and Andrei Shevchenko that gave Chelsea their place in the semi-final especially when Benitez accused the referee of inconsistency. He might have a point when you consider that Steed Malbranque's brutal challenge on Vedran Corluka in Tottenham's win over Manchester City went unpunished, but even Benitez had to concede that Crouch's challenge itself was "maybe" a red card.

"I have watched the replay twice and Mikel was trying to kick Crouch," Benitez said. "If the referee had blown his whistle he would have avoided the sending off. He was kicked twice and that was the reason Crouch lost his head. I have seen more dangerous tackles. Sometimes they are yellow cards, sometimes they are nothing. He [Atkinson] needed to stop it before."

Crouch was furious at what he saw as play-acting from Mikel who, despite playing dead by the touchline, was back on his feet a few minutes later. By then the game was well out of Liverpool's reach. Avram Grant may have been appointed to win the Champions League, but for now it looks like he is happy to settle for Carling Cup.

The Israeli made seven changes from the team that lost to Arsenal on Sunday, but this was still virtually the strongest team that he could field in the circumstances. Benitez picked the likes of Jamie Carragher and Xabi Alonso but let his imagination run wild with the rest of the formation. He chose a 4-3-3 system that became 4-5-1 for most of the game and left Crouch isolated and frustrated.

With Andriy Voronin on the right wing and Ryan Babel on the left, Liverpool created too little. The Brazilian Lucas Leiva exerted only a sporadic influence from the space behind Crouch. The pick of the half was a flick from Crouch that played in Leiva who missed; and an identical chance for Lampard at the other end that he could not lift over Liverpool goalkeeper Charles Itandje.

It was a match that cried out for a bit of invention and when Joe Cole replaced Scott Sinclair on 56 minutes the Chelsea manager had gambled on virtually his strongest formation.

Before then Itandje had made a brilliant one-handed save from Michael Essien's shot. At the other end a mistake from Ricardo Carvalho, back for the first time since 11 November, gave Crouch a half-chance to lob Petr Cech which he could not lift over the Chelsea goalkeeper. Then came a goal that proved to Grant he has not used up all his luck just getting the Chelsea job.

Shortly before the hour Shevchenko knocked down a ball on the edge of the area into the stride of Lampard who got his shot away just as the ubiquitous Carragher lunged across to block. The Liverpool captain was having another one of his giant games, but he will probably wish he had not got a heel to this shot. It bounced down against the turf and looped over Itandje to give Chelsea the lead.

Crouch's sending off followed the goal, the fourth of his career after red cards playing for Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City and Southampton. A Chelsea fan as a child, he was a ball boy at Stamford Bridge in his youth and he has certainly had better nights at the stadium than this. "I think he didn't need to do it," Grant said. Chelsea are hardly in a position to moralise after the brawl in last season's Carling Cup final saw Mikel sent off.

Grant had asked for protection from referees for his players and he got it last night. John Terry had the last word on the challenge that left him with three broken bones in his foot on Sunday. In his programme notes, the Chelsea captain accused Emmanuel Eboue of having "left his studs in" in the crucial challenge that did the damage.

Michael Ballack was given a run-out as a substitute, his first game in eight months out with an ankle injury, and Shevchenko added the second in injury-time. By then, the Carling Cup was starting to look like more trouble than it was worth for Liverpool.

Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Belletti, Ben Haim, Carvalho, Bridge; Mikel (Ballack, 68); Kalou, Essien, Lampard, Sinclair (Cole, 57); Shevchenko (Sidwell, 90). Substitutes not used: Cudicini (gk), Ferreira.

Liverpool (4-4-1-1): Itandje; Arbeloa, Hobbs, Carragher, Aurelio; Voronin, Alonso (El Zhar, 60), Sissoko, Babel (Benayoun, 73); Leiva; Crouch. Substitutes not used: Martin (gk), Hyypia, Riise.

Referee: M Atkinson (Yorkshire).
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Shevchenko has the last word as Crouch sees red

David Hytner at Stamford Bridge
Thursday December 20, 2007
The Guardian

In his youth, Peter Crouch would dream of pulling on the blue shirt of his heroes Chelsea and taking centre stage at Stamford Bridge. When the Liverpool striker returned to the club last night, he claimed the headlines for the wrong reasons.
As Frank Lampard and Andriy Shevchenko conjured the goals that sent Chelsea through to the Carling Cup semi-finals and a two-legged meeting with Everton, Crouch was dragged down by a costly rush of blood.

The Londoner had battled on his own up front and squandered two presentable chances when he lashed out by the touchline in a challenge with Mikel John Obi. Crouch leapt in with both feet off the ground and although he made little damaging contact with the Chelsea midfielder, the referee, Martin Atkinson, had seen enough intent to reach for the red card.
Mikel was sent into the advertising boards and Crouch, rather than exit immediately, went back to offer him a less than polite pointer. When he did leave the field, it was with a volley of abuse for the Chelsea fans who had goaded him all evening.

Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, argued that Mikel had fouled Crouch twice in the build-up and if Atkinson had intervened then, the ugliness could have been prevented. Yet even he could not excuse Crouch's assault. Chelsea's manager Avram Grant did not pull his punches. "He didn't need to do it," he said. "It was on the line and in the middle of the pitch. It was far away [from anywhere meaningful].

"I respect Rafa Benítez a lot but firstly, it was a bad tackle and secondly, there were so many fouls made on Mikel, I think there were seven or eight in the first half. The priority of the game is to protect people from bad tackles. You saw what happened to John Terry [who was injured at Arsenal], he is out for six weeks."

This was the 17th meeting of the Benítez era and spite has crackled throughout most of them. Another staple of the matches has been their tightness and even with a weakened Liverpool line-up, it appeared that something abnormal, something freakish, would be required to prise the teams apart. So it proved. Lampard's goal was the pivotal moment and it went in thanks to a cruel deflection off Jamie Carragher.

Lampard had burst on to a flick from Shevchenko; Carragher seemed to have him tracked. But when Lampard shot, the ball looped up off Carragher's outstretched boot, deceived Charles Itandje, the stand-in Liverpool goalkeeper, and landed in the far corner.

Shevchenko wrapped up the victory when he rammed home a low shot in injury time, beating the otherwise impressive Itandje at his near post, following good work by Michael Ballack. Shevchenko's delight at his fifth goal of the season was matched by Ballack. The Germany captain had not played since April and two ankle operations, a dark period during which he feared he might never play again. "Sometimes I thought, 'I'm 31, I've had 14 good years as a pro, maybe it's over'," he said on the eve of the game. "There have been moments of real despair." A weight was lifted when he appeared as a substitute.

Liverpool have still to score in seven matches under Benítez at Stamford Bridge but they had the chances here. Crouch was played in early on by Lucas Leiva but he dragged his shot well wide and, shortly after, a slick move had Chelsea chasing shadows and Lucas bearing down on Petr Cech. This time the shot speared towards the far corner, but Cech's reflexes stood the test. Lucas wheeled away in frustration.

Chelsea had several excellent chances. Salomon Kalou forced Itandje to tip over his bar and Lampard, clean through after a defensive mix-up, could not lift the ball over the keeper.

Benítez left a host of star names at home but his hopes surged in the 56th minute when Crouch seized on an awful back-header by Ricardo Carvalho, back after six weeks out with a back injury. Yet Crouch could not find a way past the alert Cech. Moments later, Lampard's goal was followed by Crouch's red mist. Game over.

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Mail:

Cr-ouch - Liverpool crash out at Chelsea after striker walks for horror lunge

Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool

By NEIL ASHTON

First Frank Lampard put Chelsea in front. Then Peter Crouch sparked pandemonium with a two-footed lunge at John Mikel Obi that sent him into the advertising boards.

Sixty seconds is all it took to separate Chelsea and Liverpool last night: 60 seconds that lurched from the good (when Lampard scored), to the bad (when Crouch's horror tackle resulted in a red card) and the ugly (as both benches traded insults on the touchline).

Crouch was out of control and Liverpool are out of the competition. Simple as that.

For nearly an hour, these heavyweights of the Barclays Premier League shadow boxed, sparred and slugged towards a dramatic Carling Cup conclusion.

The absorbing tie had been building up to this fascinating climax. Lampard, denied by the brilliance of Liverpool goalkeeper Charles Itandje in the first half, scored with the aid of a deflection from Jamie Carragher.

Rough justice on the Liverpool skipper, but there was worse to come.

Crouch, who for long spells of the game was isolated from his teammates, spent time as a ball-boy at Stamford Bridge when he was a youngster. Evidently, he threw in his club colours a long time ago.

He was sent off in shame, sent off for stupidity and sent off without a second's hesitation by referee Martin Atkinson. A three match ban for a moment of madness. Merry Christmas, Crouchy.

That was the fourth red card of the England striker's career and although the protests from the Liverpool camp lasted long into the night, there could be no excuse.

It cannot be tolerated in a country which prides itself on fair play. Crouch is not alone, but he joins a lengthening list of players who have committed the cardinal sin of a two-footed tackle in recent weeks.

Obi was sent off at Manchester United in Avram Grant's first game in charge of Chelsea and, along with Stephen Ireland, Craig Gardner, John Terry, Emmanuel Eboue, El Hadji Diouf, Didier Zokora and Steed Malbranque, is among the miscreants who have been caught with their studs showing.

Some have escaped, some have not. Either way, it is time that the Premier League's 20 clubs and their highly paid players were given a fairly stiff reminder of their responsibilities.

Crouch was deservedly punished, but there was no need for Obi's reaction either.

He is already one of the most unpopular and inflammatory players in the league and he won't have done himself any favours last night.

He could have dusted himself down and got up, but instead he stayed down. That reaction broke an unwritten code among professional players and Benitez was quick to apportion blame.

'Twice Mikel tried to foul Crouch,' he protested. Pity, then, that Crouch reacted by wrapping his legs around the Chelsea midfielder.

There is real needle between these teams, a product of their epic Champions League confrontations over the past three seasons, and the west London air was thick with acrimony.

Liverpool still hold the upper hand — 'we've won it (the European Cup) five times' sang their supporters herded into The Shed — but the Carling Cup is Chelsea's territory.

Although Grant has admitted that the competition is a long way down his list of priorities, the cup is close to the players' hearts.

It is the first trophy the likes of Terry, Lampard and Petr Cech lifted under Jose Mourinho's leadership and there is a special affinity with the competition among these players.

Terry was missing last night, ruled out for three months with a fractured metatarsal, but these able-bodied Chelsea players were busting a gut for another semi-final appearance.

They face tougher competition this time round — Everton will be stiffer opposition than Wycombe Wanderers over a two-legged semi- final — but there is a determination to deliver.

For that, they have Lampard to thank. Overshadowed by Cesc Fabregas in the 1-0 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday, he had the measure of Liverpool's three-man midfield.

Full of running and full of enterprise, Chelsea's stand-in skipper separated the teams with a characteristic effort in the 59th minute.

His looping effort deflected its way past 25-year- old Frenchman Itandje.

It was cruel for Carragher, always outstanding whenever these teams lock horns, but Liverpool limped through this quarter-final.

Without Steven Gerrard snapping at Lampard's heels, they could not find any momentum. Crouch, who skewed hopelessly wide in the first half, spent long periods of the game isolated from his team-mates.

Andriy Voronin, Lucas, Xabi Alonso, Mohamed Sissoko and Ryan Babel are all comfortable in possession, but they lacked penetration.

Pretty passing is easy on the eye, but this Liverpool team should be setting their sights higher.

When Crouch was dismissed, they found a ready-made excuse for a quarter-final exit.

Chelsea sent on Michael Ballack as a substitute for his first appearance in nearly eight months and his impact was immediate.

Wayne Bridge crossed from the left, Ballack's flick found its way towards Andriy Shevchenko and his drilled effort easily beat Itandje at his near post.

It would be easy to point the finger of blame at the Liverpool keeper for his failure to spot Shevchenko's strike, but that responsibility lies elsewhere this morning.

'He lost his head,' said Benitez of Crouch. Not to mention his place in the team.

Chelsea: Cech, Bridge, Carvalho, Belletti, Ben-Haim, Essien, Obi, Lampard, Kalou, Shevchenko, Sinclair. Subs: Cudicini, Sidwell, Joe Cole, Ballack, Ferreira.

Liverpool: Itandje, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hobbs, Aurelio, Sissoko, Lucas, Alonso, Voronin, Crouch, Babel. Subs: Martin, Hyypia, Riise, Benayoun, El Zhar.

Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)
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Sun:

Baddy long legs Kops red woe

By SHAUN CUSTIS

 
THE Ordinary One is on course to emulate the Special One.

Avram Grant is some way behind predecessor Jose Mourinho in the popularity stakes around Stamford Bridge — but he is keeping pace with his start as manager.

Mourinho's first trophy as Blues boss was the Carling Cup after an extra-time victory against Liverpool.

Grant's Blues have got the Reds out of the way and will look forward to a semi-final against Everton and a possible second successive final with Arsenal.

Last season, that match featured a 20-man brawl in the dying minutes before Chelsea carried off the trophy again in what was dubbed the Snarling Cup Final.

Goals from Frank Lampard and Andriy Shevchenko saw Chelsea home here on a night when the biggest talking point was a spectacular foul by Peter Crouch on Mikel John Obi.

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez argued that Crouch had been provoked by Mikel in the lead-up to the challenge but it was still a shocker by the 6ft 7in England striker.

Jumbo jets have flown lower across the Atlantic than Crouch did to launch his airborne two-footed assault on Mikel, which sent the Nigerian into the advertising boards.

Crouch has been reduced to a bit part at Anfield and has to make the most of starts in games like these.

But last night it was as if all his frustrations boiled over.

It was the clearest red card you will ever see although it was surprising to learn it was mild-mannered Crouch's fourth of his career.

He did not take it well, directing a series of verbals in Mikel's direction before telling the baying Chelsea crowd to "f*** off" as he headed down the tunnel.

Ironically, Crouch used to be one of those supporters himself. He was raised a Chelsea fan by his Blues-supporting dad, Bruce.

For good measure, manager Rafa Benitez got stuck into the fourth official — who was an innocent bystander — but there was no excuse for Crouch's reckless behaviour.

Liverpool were one down at the time and the dismissal robbed them of any hope of getting back into the game.

The result made it a bad week for the men from Anfield, following their loss to arch-rivals Manchester United in the Premier League.

This will not please the Reds' American owners, with whom Benitez has a fractious relationship. They are drifting out of the Premier League race and now this.

For Chelsea, it was the perfect pick-me-up after defeat at Arsenal on Sunday. They had the added bonus of Ricardo Carvalho returning after a six-match layoff — much needed after the injury to John Terry.

Crouch's miserable evening started when he dragged a good chance so horribly across goal it almost went out for a throw-in.

He also tried to lob Petr Cech in the second half but the keeper managed to get a hand to it and Tal Ben-Haim headed away the danger.

Then Lampard, having only just smashed an opportunity from the edge of the box high over the bar, put Chelsea ahead in fortuitous circumstance as the hour approached.

Mikel's ball in was taken down by Shevchenko and Lampard collected it on the run. He aimed a shot low towards the far corner but Jamie Carragher had made up ground and began a desperate lunge to try and block.

The ball struck the underside of the unfortunate defender's left leg and looped up high over the Reds' helpless French keeper Charles Itandje.

Carragher shook his head in disbelief and muttered "Jammy b*****d."

A minute later Liverpool's night got worse with Crouch's dismissal.

Somebody seriously asked Benitez in the after-match Press conference if Liverpool would appeal against the sending-off.

Crouch will be lucky if he is not done for attempted murder.

If it is any consolation, he will get Christmas off!

Lampard jumped to his England team-mate's defence afterwards.

He said: "Peter is a great lad and I'm sure he'll hold his hands up to that.

"He's only human — there was no malice intended."

On his flukey strike, Lamps said: "Both teams had chances — we had the better of them.

"But we felt if we kept going we would get a goal.

"You make your own luck — I got a bit and it looped into the far corner."

Chelsea went looking for the second goal to kill the game and Michael Ballack was introduced for his first appearance of the season.

He and Shevchenko have been the butt of most of the criticism for any Chelsea failures so it will have been with a small amount of satisfaction that they combined to finish off Liverpool in the final minute.

Sheva had just gone close with a screamer of a free-kick when he decided to lurk on the far side of the box as Wayne Bridge crossed and Ballack flicked the ball on.

The Ukrainian has not lost the poacher's instinct and, as it dropped, he smashed a drive between Itandje and the near post. The keeper might have done better but it was travelling some.

It was Shevchenko's fifth of the season and his 19th in Chelsea colours in 66 games.

He is getting close to an average of one in three which is seen as every striker's benchmark.

Shevchenko has to carry the goalscoring weight on his shoulders in the absence of Didier Drogba — who has just had knee surgery and will be playing for the Ivory Coast in next month's African Nations Cup. The responsibility on Sheva will be enormous over the next couple of months.

This can be his moment. Maybe, just maybe, Sheva will come good after all.

SEMI-FINAL DRAW
Chelsea v Everton

Arsenal v Tottenham