|

|

|

Match Summary Duncan Ferguson went down with a bout of 'flu and fizzed off home before this one started. As Campbell is also out with a toe injury, Moyes was forced to go without a target man as Radzinski came in to lead the line with Rooney. Radzinski started in his own fizzing style, getting through past Terry and one-on-one with Cudicini but he failed to bury it, the ball fizzing past the post. A glorious chance. Kilbane then connected on a Gravesen free-kick but again the header fizzed over the bar, fractionally off target when it should have been in the net. A terrific start by Everton, who were fizzing, but a telling failure to convert two golden chances??? Chelsea settled and started to make their own advances, starting to claim control of the vital midfield. Everton were running the game with relentless pressure and bubbling fizz, taking it at their illustrious Russian-financed glamour-boys, closing down Chelsea at every opportunity. After 20 mins, a great attack involving Nyarko, Rooney, and Gravesen culminated with a fabulous strike from Nyarko from 30 yards that fizzed over Cudicini's head and crashed off the underside of the bar... SO CLOSE! Chances were falling for Chelsea too, but some excellent defending from Weir and Yobo enabled Everton to hold the line. But the fizz had faded from Weir who was struggling on 30 mins after picking up an injury early on � a worrying sight. Then, another chance, with Rooney chipping the ball over Cudicini and agonizingly over the bar. Stubbs then come on for the injured Weir and took over the captain's armband. Mutu and Cole then combined but their effort fizzed wide of Martyn's post. With the departure of Weir's commanding influence, Chelsea fizzed right back into it, Stubbs having trouble adjusting to the scorching sizzle and yes, fizz of the game. Tomasz Radzinski collapsed in a heap of agony just before half-time and it looked like he'd be fizzed off. Chelsea tried again to take advantage but it brought to an end a really fizzing first half from Everton. Radzinski was still in it after half-time, and so nearly scored yet again, forcing another superb save from Cudicini. Was this going to be the story? Soon confirmed by a startling Chelsea attack started by Geremi that saw Mutu stoop to nod the ball into the empty Everton net despite protests from Martyn. Ah! So that's how you score goals.... Moyes reacted to the setback by readying Jeffers and McFadden to come on, but some fizzing football by Everton caused him to rethink the changes. Naysmith did well to fizz a delivery in and win a corner, which Gravesen fizzed in well, but Chelsea defended effectively. It led to another fizzing attack, with Naysmith blocking firstly on the line, then Martyn miraculously blocking it. The ball fizzed right back up the other end, and the crowd appealing for handball by a Chelsea defender. A great run from Naysmith and good interplay with Rooney saw the Scot unleash a fizzled shot after some really good work, as Everton appeared to be unfazed by the cruel Chelsea advantage. On 65 mins, Jeffers and McFadden finally came on for Radzinski and Linderoth. More fizzing football from both sides ensued as both teams surged at each other in a fabulous exhibition of skillful football, but the impetus was inevitably swinging towards Chelsea, who seemed to be getting the better of it with time running out for Everton. Rooney was starting to struggle as he carried an injury from an earlier knock. Everton tried with free-kicks and corners but nothing could be created from it. Naysmith then created a perfect one for Jeffers, but he fluffed his header from 4 yards out. What a chance! Gravesen tried to do it in the dying seconds, great teamwork and skill setting up an excellent shot turned around the post by Cudiccini � the story of the game in a nutshell. Everton had been so unfortunate that the chances created would not go in � or is it down to something else? Skill? Confidence? Both were on full display and Everton should have really, really won this 4-1.
|
|
Match Facts | |||||
Everton (4-4-2) Blue shirts, white shorts, blue socks |
Chelsea (4-4-2) White shirts, blue shorts, white socks |
||||
|
|

Match Reports | ||
![]() |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
* Unfortunately, we at ToffeeWeb cannot control other sites' content policies and therefore cannot guarantee that links to external reports will remain active.