The Times

January 24, 2008

One touch of brilliance pierces the gloom and bursts Everton's bubble
Everton 0 Chelsea 1 (Chelsea win 3-1 on agg)
Martin Samuel, Chief Football Correspondent

For Fabio Capello, the England manager, it must have seemed a very
long way to come for very little. The game was tired and tame, the
players who were of interest were largely uninspired and the occasion
was muted. The big team won, the smaller team lost and the first-team
coach who said that he cared little for the tournament is now on his
way to Wembley, with barely a smile.

Fortunately, amid so much that was uninspiring, there was an absolute
gem of a winning goal, scored by an Englishman and certain to catch
Capello's eye, much like torchlight in a graveyard. It came from Joe
Cole, who is sure to be named in Capello's first squad on February 2,
and perhaps is the answer to his problems if Michael Owen fails to
regain his form and the England manager is forced to play Wayne Rooney
as a striker, with a supporting midfield player behind.

Cole has long coveted a more central, attacking role and, although he
did not get it in a depleted Chelsea team here — surprisingly, Avram
Grant, their first-team coach, played Shaun Wright-Phillips through
the middle and kept Cole wide on the right — he showed what he can do
in front of goal with the 68th-minute intervention that decided the
game and, with it, the tie, given Chelsea's 2-1 advantage from the
first leg.

Capello has taken to leaving games early, as Sven-Göran Eriksson did
when he was the England head coach, but it was to be hoped that he was
still in his seat when Cole provided the only moment worth watching on
a disappointing night, making what started as nothing more than a
hopeful long pass from Florent Malouda appear more like a flash of
genius with a finish that deserved a place at Wembley, even if not
much else did.

Cole outran Joleon Lescott, took the ball down with one touch, and
then finished with a flourish, a right-foot shot that beat Tim Howard
at his near post, more through speed and surprise than studied
placement. And that was all it took, really. On a night that promised
so much for Everton, David Moyes's team disappointed like at no other
time this season, failing to show the cutting edge that could have put
Chelsea under pressure, given that a 1-0 home win would have made the
Merseyside team Wembley bound for the first time since 1995.

It was never likely to happen on this showing. Two saves by Petr Cech
in the space of a minute midway through the second half were the only
time that Chelsea looked stretched, despite a makeshift line-up that
included Wright-Phillips and Steve Sidwell as a central midfield
pairing, an accident waiting to happen against a team with more to
offer. In the end, though, Chelsea won at a canter and, while Grant
claims that the Carling Cup is way down his list of priorities, he may
get caught up in the atmosphere once he is at Wembley; Tottenham
Hotspur's hunger for a trophy and a desire for Chelsea not to go the
same way as Arsenal should see to that.

Indeed, it was the memory of Tuesday night's show at White Hart Lane
that made this encounter seem such a damp squib. Tottenham showed how
to get on the front foot on such an occasion, but Moyes simply does
not have the same quality at his disposal.

Both clubs have been affected by the exodus to the African Cup of
Nations, but, while Everton are without Yakubu Ayegbeni, their record
£11.25 million signing, who is on duty with Nigeria, Chelsea replaced
Didier Drogba, the Ivory Coast striker, by lavishing £15 million on
Nicolas Anelka. That was the difference.

Emotions were high at Goodison Park, certainly, with the club enjoying
their most significant night of domestic cup football in more than a
decade, but their play could not keep step with the expectation.
Everton have spent too long playing safe against teams with the might
of Chelsea to go hell for leather now, and Moyes's game plan of using
Andrew Johnson as a lone striker, with Tim Cahill withdrawn in
support, resembled a sling-shot against Chelsea's armour-plated
defence.

In the first half, neither team conjured a clear opportunity, trading
instead in the lesser currency of half-chances and hope until Anelka
hit the bar in the first attack of the second half. Chelsea looked
increasingly dangerous on the break and, when Cole broke the
stalemate, few were surprised. It could have been different had the
much-needed galvanising goal for the home team arrived first, and
there were two close shaves, in the 57th minute when a short corner by
Mikel Arteta was met by Phil Neville, at last drawing a save worthy of
the name from Cech, and then when Leon Osman took Cech by surprise,
his shot forcing an ungainly clearance off the line with his legs.

At those moments, Goodison Park at last reached the decibel levels
that had been promised, yet by the end, all was quiet. Everton did not
turn up for the party and Chelsea have enjoyed too many bigger bashes
of late to put out the flags for the Carling Cup.

Everton (4-4-1-1): T Howard – P Neville, P Jagielka, J Lescott, N
Valente – M Arteta, M Fernandes (sub: J Vaughan, 78min), L Carsley
(sub: V Anichebe, 70), L Osman – T Cahill – A Johnson. Substitutes not
used: A Hibbert, A Stubbs, S Wessels. Booked: Carsley, Fernandes,
Valente, Neville.

Chelsea (4-1-4-1): P Cech – J Belletti, Alex, R Carvalho, W Bridge – C
Makelele – J Cole (sub: C Pizarro, 82), S Wright-Phillips, S Sidwell,
F Malouda (sub: A Cole, 90) – N Anelka (sub: T Ben Haim, 90).
Substitutes not used: P Ferreira, C Cudicini. Booked: Makelele,
Belletti.

Referee: S Bennett.



The final:

Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea
Wembley, February 24, 3pm



Mirror image

Remarkably, in their first 28 games in charge of Chelsea in all
competitions (including last night's cup-tie), José Mourinho and Avram
Grant share identical records:

Played 28 Won 21 Lost 2 Drawn 5

Source: Opta
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telegraph:

Joe Cole sends Chelsea to another final
By Tim Rich

Everton (0) 0 Chelsea (0) 1
Agg: 1-3

Avram Grant's attempt to convince the world that Chelsea were not
especially bothered by the Carling Cup sounded false from the moment
it left his lips. Not since Don Revie constructed his all-white
machine at Leeds has there been a club who have set out so
remorselessly to win everything. 'The Special One' did not get his
name by picking and choosing his trophies and nor, it seems, will his
successor.

The Carling Cup was the first silverware Jose Mourinho won as manager
of Chelsea and for the third time in four seasons they find themselves
in the final. Although Tottenham, their opponents on Feb 24, reached
Wembley rather more spectacularly, this semi-final was at least
settled by an exquisite goal, a long ball from Florent Malouda that
Joe Cole controlled instinctively with one touch and buried past Tim
Howard with the second.

It was a wonderful move but not one the romantics would have wanted.
The People's Club had been beaten by a billionaire's plaything.
However, Everton did not do nearly enough to reach their first final
since 1995. Their manager, David Moyes, had said that to reach Wembley
they would have to play as well as they had ever done against a side
they had not beaten for eight years. This, they never remotely did.

Perhaps Everton were tempting fate by printing the Wembley Arch on the
front of the matchday programme. Perhaps they were tempting fate by
playing reruns of their finest semi-final, the defeat of Bayern Munich
in 1985.

But when you have a history, it is as well to remember it and at
Goodison they sang and screamed about it. Grant was right; this
semi-final did mean more to Everton than to Chelsea, who took an
embarrassingly small contingent, some of them from Cyprus, to
Goodison. But it was not because Everton are a small club.

Interrupted only by a minute's silence for Wally Fielding, who played
more than 400 times for the club in the immediate post-war years,
Goodison provided plenty of evidence for Arsene Wenger's theory that
it is a naturally more intimidating venue than Anfield. Both provide
grand theatre, but the noise from the Gwladys is not as self-conscious
as that from the Kop.

Everton might have been carried away by this riptide of emotion but,
instead of indulging in cavalry charges, they attacked cleverly
through Mikel Arteta and Manuel Fernandes, who having stalked out of
Goodison in the summer has now stalked back in after falling out with
the Valencia manager, Ronald Koeman.

Their best chance of the first half fell to one of Everton's more
regular threats, the centre-half Joleon Lescott, whose own goal may
have decided the first leg at Stamford Bridge but who had also scored
seven times for Everton. It was a toss-up whether he or Tim Cahill
would reach Arteta's corner first but Lescott's header was saved at
full stretch on the line by Petr Cech, who yesterday morning had
become a father for the first time.

And until Everton relaunched their attacks around the hour mark, that
was almost his only real piece of work in a contest that became less
emotional and more attritional as the minutes ticked relentlessly by.
Only in terms of atmosphere did it compare with Tuesday's semi-final
at White Hart Lane.

Although both sides had lost a significant number of players to the
Africa Cup of Nations, Chelsea were also deprived of the injured
Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard, whose father's goal had deprived
Everton of a place in the 1980 FA Cup final. John Terry, still nursing
his injured foot, met England manager Fabio Capello for the first
time, in the directors' box.

Nevertheless, Chelsea were still hungry and knew that a single goal,
especially if it was the first one of the night, would virtually see
them to Wembley. Joe Cole and Florent Malouda were both given openings
and both shot into the crowd but it was Nicolas Anelka who provided
the most obvious threat. For Phil Jagielka the task of marking him
must have been like having to stand guard over a panther.

Just after the interval, he finally broke free, driving his shot
almost on to the intersection of post and bar but had the top of
Jagielka's head not made contact with the Frenchman's shot, it would
almost certainly have been the decisive goal Chelsea craved.

For someone whose collective transfer fees amount to more than £80
million, it could be thought Anelka might not be overly motivated by
this competition but despite winning the Double in his first season at
Arsenal, he has not seen much silverware since lifting the European
Cup with Real Madrid in 2000. Even to big players, the Carling Cup
matters.

Match details

Everton (4-4-1-1): Howard; Neville, Jagielka, Lescott, Valente;
Arteta, Fernandes (Vaughan 78), Carsley (Anichebe 70), Osman; Cahill;
Johnson.
Subs: Wessels (g), Hibbert, Stubbs.
Booked: Carsley, Fernandes, Nuno Valente, Neville.
Chelsea (4-4-1-1): Cech; Belletti, Carvalho, Alex, Bridge; J Cole
(Pizarro 82), Sidwell, Makelele, Malouda (A Cole 90); Wright-Phillips;
Anelka (Ben-Haim 90).
Subs: Cudicini (g), Ferreira.
Booked: Makelele, Belletti.
Goal: Joe Cole 69
Referee: S Bennett (Kent).
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Indy:

Everton 0 Chelsea 1 (Chelsea win 3-1 on agg.): Cole's flash of
brilliance puts Chelsea on road to Wembley


Some nights cry out for a fairytale finish. In an old fashioned
stadium and an old fashioned football atmosphere, Everton chased
silverware here last night in a way which rekindled memories of what
the League Cup once stood for. In the words of the club anthem which
thundered out before kick off, it was all "enough to make your heart
go wooooah".


But the reverie ended 20 minutes before the finish, with an audacious
piece of skill by Joe Cole which would have delighted the onlooking
Fabio Capello as much as it destroyed Evertonians. A 40-yard
crossfield pass by Florent Malouda, for once the undoing of Joleon
Lescott as it bisected him and Phil Jagielka, left Cole to control
with one touch and unleash a right-foot shot which sent Chelsea
through to face Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on 24 February. It left
Everton still searching for the trophy which would tell the world that
they are much more than just valiant losers.

There was plenty of consolation for David Moyes here, if he chose to
take it. The quality of the players he has assembled was
unquestionable with Mikel Arteta demonstrating there is probably no
better deliverer of a ball in the Premier League at the moment.
Lescott will also have impressed Capello, the new England manager,
hugely with a commanding performance against Nicolas Anelka. The way
that he toe-poked a lofted ball from Shaun Wright-Phillips out of
Anelka's path early in the second half said everything about his
potential.

But Moyes was not consoled. He knew that while his own side's chances
were marginal, Chelsea's were clinical, clear cut and could have
elicited more goals. Avram Grant, the Chelsea manager, was probably
being disingenuous when he said on Tuesday that the Carling Cup did
not matter to him. Chelsea are now in their third Carling Cup final in
four years and the side Grant fielded demonstrated that he wants the
trophy much more than Manchester United and Arsenal. Anelka was a
constant threat, Wright-Phillips troublesome and energetic and Claude
Makelele created a spine with Ricardo Carvalho which maintained the
side's shape. Everton never looked like reversing the 2-1 first-leg
deficit after the initial blood and thunder.

And yet the atmosphere had told how badly Everton wanted a victory.
Tim Cahill had predicted it would be "ridiculous" and rarely in the 13
years since Everton last appeared at Wembley had Goodison heard noise
like it. Amid all this, the silence which suddenly descended in memory
of the legendary, late post-war Everton striker Wally Fielding before
kick off was stunning.

Everton's play never quite matched the theatre. There was an instant
reminder of realities when Anelka shielded the ball into the path of
the first-leg matchwinner Wright-Phillips two minutes in. His thumping
shot from 30 yards was headed off course and behind by Jagielka.

Arteta kept the home fires burning though. Among several absorbing
duels in a game which will have held much interest for Capello was
that between the Spaniard and Wayne Bridge. Arteta edged it – just –
and when he delivered one of the pinpoint corners Everton fans are so
familiar with, early in the match, a goal threatened. Lescott stepped
back from Alex to head the cross firmly towards goal but Petr Cech did
well to save with the distraction of Cahill diving towards him. As
Moyes later observed, Everton had no better chance all night.

The opening exchanges set the tone for a thrilling first half which
pitched the flash fluorescence of Chelsea – for whom Anelka looks a
bargain buy – against sheer Evertonian spirit. Chelsea's chances were
the better. Malouda sent Anelka through the central channel and he was
flagged offside when he looked half a yard on. Malouda blasted over on
the half hour after finding room to shoot. Anelka could find only the
side netting after a Lee Carsley deflection delivered the ball into
his path five yards from goal on the left.

Arteta created where he could, delivering another perfect ball which
Andrew Johnson took while reversing, span and pushed the ball into his
path as he bore down on the penalty area but he could only to find the
side netting.

Though Anelka hit the bar after the ball bounced off Cole early in the
second half, Everton were pressing at their hardest when the goal
came. Arteta – who else? – had just picked out Phil Neville from a
short corner and the full-back, running in, thumped in a low shot
through a crowded which Cech, a heroic figure last night, did well to
stop. A deft Jagielka flick was also kicked clear by Cech.

It is now 52 years since Everton beat Chelsea in a cup competition and
for Moyes there is anguish in that. "We've got to take the next step,"
he said.

Everton (4-4-1-1): Howard; Neville, Lescott, Jagielka, Nuno Valente;
Arteta, Carsley (Anichebe, 70), Fernandes (Vaughan, 78), Osman;
Cahill; Johnson. Substitutes not used: Hibbert, Stubbs, Wessels.

Chelsea (4-1-3-2): Cech; Belletti, Carvalho, Alex, Bridge; Makelele;
Wright-Phillips, Sidwell, Malouda (A Cole, 90); J Cole (Pizarro, 83),
Anelka (Ben Haim, 90). Substitutes not used: Ferreira, Cudicini.

Referee: S Bennett (Kent).

Spurs travails at hands of Chelsea

Tottenham Hotspur ended one London jinx in handing out a 5-1 thrashing
to Arsenal (6-2 on aggregate) on Tuesday, but now face a similar task
against Chelsea in the Carling Cup final at Wembley on Sunday 24
February.

Spurs recorded a 5-1 win against their west London neighbours in the
2002 League Cup semi-final, but that came after a run of 26 games
without success. Since then, they have won just once in 15 matches
against Chelsea.

Avram Grant's side were due at White Hart Lane for a Premier League
game the day before the final. That game will now be rearranged for a
later date.

23 Jan '02 LCSF Tottenham 5 Chelsea 1

10 Mar '02 FA6R Tottenham 0 Chelsea 4

13 Mar '02 PL Chelsea 4 Tottenham 0

3 Nov '02 PL Tottenham 0 Chelsea 0

1 Feb '03 PL Chelsea 1 Tottenham 1

13 Sep '03 PL Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2

3 Apr '04 PL Tottenham 0 Chelsea 1

19 Sep '04 PL Chelsea 0 Tottenham 0

15 Jan '05 PL Tottenham 0 Chelsea 2

27 Aug '05 PL Tottenham 0 Chelsea 2

11 Mar '06 PL Chelsea 2 Tottenham 1

5 Nov '06 PL Tottenham 2 Chelsea 1

11 Mar '07 FA6R Chelsea 3 Tottenham 3

19 Mar '07 FA6RR Tottenham 1 Chelsea 2

7 Apr '07 PL Chelsea 1 Tottenham 0

12 Jan '08 PL Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0

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Cole power puts an end to Everton's final dreams


Andy Hunter at Goodison Park
Thursday January 24, 2008
The Guardian


Everton songs drifted through the windows at Goodison Park long after
their dreams of a first Wembley appearance for 13 years had evaporated
last night but it was Chelsea who had the monopoly on defiance.
Resolute in defence, clinical in attack and nerveless amid a fierce
examination of character, this was Jose Mourinho's vision of
perfection rekindled by Chelsea although, unlike Avram Grant, the
Special One never left Merseyside having delivered victory in a cup
semi-final. The Israeli must produce more than one showpiece occasion
against Tottenham Hotspur to justify his appointment but a baton
appeared to have been passed last night in the competition that began
Mourinho's haul of five trophies in three seasons.


A touch of class from Joe Cole secured victory at Goodison and, before
the watching Fabio Capello, the England international's finish was
both timed and executed to perfection. Yet Chelsea's place at Wembley
on February 24 - their third Carling Cup Final appearance in four
seasons - was never seriously in doubt despite the fierce passion that
drove David Moyes's side.
The tie, far removed from the rich entertainment that did for Arsenal
at White Hart Lane, was shaped by spirit and settled by quality.
Chelsea's excellence in those departments, along with their fixation
on the Carling Cup, has not diminished with the change of manager and
it was with the humility his predecessor lacked that Grant spoke of
only beginning his task of satisfying Roman Abramovich here. Compared
with the tumult that stirred around Stamford Bridge last autumn, the
transition between managers appeared seamless last night. The club's
appetite for honours has been similarly unaffected.

Everton's Latin motto may translate as 'Nothing but the best is good
enough' but that was exposed as patently untrue by Chelsea's
commanding display. The best Moyes' side had to offer could not
overturn their first-leg deficit and they rarely threatened to do so.
While Everton have designs on breaking the elite in England there
remains a gulf between expectation and reality, perspiration and
quality. Few teams can demonstrate that truism as ruthlessly as
Chelsea and, though they had four key players absent on African Cup of
Nations duty, it was Everton who missed the cutting edge of Yakubu
Ayegbeni, the steel of Joseph Yobo and the invention of Steven Pienaar
more.

In terms of who craved a place in the final more there was no contest.
Goodison provided the team from west London with the kind of
Merseyside welcome usually reserved for Anfield in a Champions League
semi-final and the only empty seats in the house were those in the
away section. The visitors requested 6,000 tickets for this
semi-final. They sold 2,600. Grant's admission that the competition
meant more to Everton after 13 trophy-less years may have riled
sections of the home support but it was undoubtedly true. The occasion
bore that out although, unfortunately for Everton, the Chelsea players
were not as compliant as the attitude of their manager and supporters
indicated.

Moyes' side were fast and furious as they sought to overturn not only
a 2-1 deficit but the tide of recent history in this fixture. In 18
games against the Londoners Everton had failed to emerge victorious, a
sequence stretching back to 2000, and their hopes of transforming the
tie were almost extinguished by Shaun Wright-Phillips inside three
minutes. The winger, making a miraculous recovery from the ankle
injury sustained at Birmingham City on Saturday, was the scourge of
Everton at Stamford Bridge and so nearly continued where he left off
in the first leg. A shot from the edge of the area appeared destined
for Tim Howard's goal until Phil Jagielka intervened to deflect the
ball inches wide.

The pressure on Petr Cech's goal remained minimal. His wife presented
him with a daughter, Adela, yesterday morning and presumably there
were more palpitations there than he had inside Everton's den. Only
once was the Czech international troubled before the interval when
Mikel Arteta delivered a rare corner beyond the first Chelsea
defender. Joleon Lescott sent a free header towards goal butCech saved
comfortably.

With such a solid platform and pace in attack the visitors had the
personnel to exploit Everton's search for a breakthrough. They did so
in the most exquisite fashion 21 minutes from time, Florent Malouda
instigating the move that settled the contest with a raking 50-yard
pass over the home defence. For once Lescott and Nuno Valente lost
their man and, with a sublime piece of control and equally
accomplished finish inside Howard's near post, Cole sent Chelsea to
Wembley.

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Mail:

Cole has the final say as his breakaway goal ends Everton's challenge
Everton 0 Chelsea 1 (J Cole 69)


By MATT LAWTON

A glance at the Barclays Premier League table was enough to fool us
into thinking this could be every bit as dramatic as the semi-final
that had been contested at White Hart Lane the previous evening.

Fourth, after all, were playing third and only one goal separated them
after an absorbing first leg.

But the gulf between fourth and third remains enormous when fourth
happens to be an Everton side punching well above their weight and
third remains the most expensively assembled squad in English football
history.

Even on a night when so many key players were missing, Chelsea proved
too strong for a determined Everton.

Proved, much to the disappointment of fans so desperate to reach their
first final since Joe Royle's 'dogs of war' snarled their way to FA
Cup glory in 1995, too well organised, too deadly when the one real
chance presented itself to Joe Cole.

While Chelsea marvelled at the manner in which Cole controlled Florent
Malouda's 50-yard pass before driving a half-volley past Tim Howard,
Everton had to concede that their industry was not matched by the
invention they so clearly needed.

They could find no way past a back four led quite brilliantly by
Ricardo Carvalho and a certain individual who spent the morning at his
wife's side as she gave birth to a daughter, then traded the theatre
greens for his grey goalkeeping kit.

Petr Cech made fine saves to deny Joleon Lescott, Phil Neville and
Phil Jagielka.

Chelsea also went close when Nicolas Anelka sent an effort against the
bar via the head of Jagielka.

But until Cole struck in the 70th minute, they performed rather as
they might have done under Jose Mourinho, protecting their one-goal
advantage in a fashion that would have met with the approval of their
former manager.

Avram Grant said he was not that bothered if his side won or lost and,
judging by the sea of empty seats in the visitors' section, Chelsea's
fans were of much the same opinion.

But Grant will be pleased that, like Tottenham's Juande Ramos, he too
has reached a final after only a few months in charge.


His side, presumably, will be more adventurous when they meet
Tottenham at Wembley in their second final at the new stadium.

Certain players performed well. Steve Sidwell was excellent, as were
Claude Makelele and the entire Chelsea back line.

But it was not a night for those who demand a bit of flare and
ambition. Not the kind of night Roman Abramovich would normally enjoy.

The atmosphere was terrific, the desire to reach a Wembley final for
the first time in 13 years almost tangible.

A reminder, perhaps, for Chelsea of those Champions League semi-finals
across Stanley Park at Anfield.

For Chelsea's players it must have been every bit as intimidating as
it was against Liverpool. The roar that accompanied the sight of
Manuel Fernandes winning the ball from Florent Malouda.

The cry when Petr Cech dived to his left to deny Lescott yet another goal.

Chelsea had also threatened in the early stages, Wright-Phillips
unleashing a shot that Jagielka bravely headed to safety.

But the momentum was most definitely with the home side and the side
chasing the goal that would put them level in this tie.


It was not going to be easy. Not when Everton had failed to beat
Chelsea for 18 consecutive matches, dating back to 2000. But they were
determined to give it a go.

Maybe they were encouraged by the team they had seen reach the final
the previous night. That, after all, was Tottenham's first win against
Arsenal in 22 games. Maybe the sight of a Chelsea team missing John
Terry, Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Didier Drogba was all they
needed to convince them it could be done.

Andy Johnson clearly fancied his chances, shooting from distance only
to see his effort drift wide.

Lee Carsley was more accurate moments later when he caught
Wright-Phillips with a reckless challenge that invited the first
yellow card of the night.

Predictably, it was proving hard for Everton to penetrate Chelsea's
defence. Terry might have been missing but Carvalho was there to make
sure they had the measure of their opponents.

It enabled Chelsea to break forward with confidence and remind Everton
of the threat they could pose, Anelka testing Tim Howard with a
teasing effort.

Everton were attacking in numbers but that sometimes proved dangerous,
not least when Lescott lost possession on the edge of the Chelsea box
and the visitors quickly accelerated up the pitch. In the end, though,
Wright-Phillips drove his shot yards over the bar and a moment of
panic passed.

Johnson went closer with a shot that hit the side netting but the
first half was concluded with a feeling of frustration for Everton.

When Anelka then saw his effort clip Jagielka's head and rebound off
the bar shortly after the break, the dream of that final appeared to
be slipping from Everton's grasp.

But they continued to battle, continued to search for a breakthrough.
When Neville forced a fine save from Cech with a shot that he probably
intended to be a cross, Everton spirits lifted. Likewise when Jagielka
tried to beat Chelsea's formidable goalkeeper with a cheeky backheel.

Nothing, however, was going to break Chelsea's concentration. Not the
arrival of a new baby and not the close attention of Lescott and Nuno
Valente.

Cole must have been aware of both men as Malouda's diagonal ball
floated in his direction, but he brought it down on his right foot
before leaving Howard and his team-mates to reflect on what might have
been.


Everton: Howard, Neville, Jagielka, Lescott, Nuno Valente, Osman,
Cahill, Carsley, Arteta, Fernandes, Johnson. Subs: Wessels, Hibbert,
Vaughan, Stubbs, Anichebe.

Chelsea: Cech, Belletti, Carvalho, Alex, Bridge, Makelele, Malouda,
Sidwell, Joe Cole, Wright-Phillips, Anelka. Subs: Cudicini, Ashley
Cole, Pizarro, Ferreira, Ben-Haim.

Referee: Steve Bennett (Kent)