EVERTON FOOTBALL CLUB - News Archive

Chelsea 4-1 Everton

From The Official Everton Site

I apologise that the following match report is from the official Everton website, I was both angry and upset to do one of my own.

Everton’s Champions League dreams have all but faded after a disappointing 1-4 defeat at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.

David Moyes made two changes to the side that started the derby – Li Tie and Scot Gemmill replacing Thomas Gravesen and the injured Steve Watson.

The sun shone brightly over Stamford Bridge and Everton, all in black, had the afternoon’s first effort on goal when Alan Stubbs volleyed over from the edge of the box.

The first yellow card was waved at Quique de Lucas for a blatant body-check on Rooney in the 9th minute.

Both David Weir and Li Tie needed lengthy treatment following challenges from Hasselbaink and Petit respectively.

By and large though, it was a lack-lustre opening quarter of the game, until Chelsea scored the first goal in the 25th minute.

David Weir slipped inside the Everton box allowing Eidur Gudjohnsen the simplest of finishes from eight yards.

Hasselbaink almost doubled the advantage on 34 when he rifled an angled shot into the side netting.

He made no mistake just three minutes after the restart however when he did make it 2-0 with a rather fortuitous goal.

Gronkjaer crossed from the left and Hasselbaink looped his header over a frantically back-peddling Wright and into the net.

The lively Gronkjaer then got himself on the scoresheet in the 68th minute when he accepted a long pass out of defence and kept his composure to lift the ball over Wright.

Everton were deflated and rarely threatened the home goal in the second period until the closing stages – a rising effort from Tony Hibbert never looking likely to trouble Cudicini.

Lee Carsley scored for Everton in the 77th minute when he steered the ball calmly past Cudicini from eight yards.

The Irish international midfielder almost got another one in the 84th minute when he hooked a clever pass from Gravesen inches wide of the upright.

Gianfranco Zola scored the 4th goal with the last kick off the match when he lifted the ball over a stranded Wright and into an empty net.