Source: Daily_Mail
Chelsea 1 Everton 1 AET (Everton win on penalties): Ashley Cole and Nicolas Anelka bottle it
As the triumphant anthems of the Mersey erupted around The Shed, the blue shirts of Chelsea slunk away to confront their crisis.[LNB]A season which started with a stylish swagger is ending in a protracted train crash. The Premier League has disappeared over the hills. The FA Cup is merely a memory. All that remains is the distant prospect of the Champions League. And Stamford Bridge is not holding its breath.[LNB] He's done it! Everton players celebrate after Phil Neville scores the winning penalty[LNB] You've blown it: Ashley Cole reacts after missing his penalty[LNB]Everton deserved their celebrations,for their collective character as much as their performance. Aftertoiling through 90 tepid minutes of normal time, they fell behind to aFrank Lampard goal in the 14th minute of extra-time, but found equalitywith Leighton Baines's beautifully flighted free-kick with 70 secondsremaining.[LNB]MATCH FACTSCHELSEA (4-4-2): Cech; Ferreira, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole; Ramires,Lampard, Mikel (Essien 46min), Malouda (Anelka 91); Drogba,Kalou (Zhirkov 111). Subs (not used): Turnbull, Bertrand,McEachran, Sala. Booked: Malouda, Ramires.EVERTON (4-4-1-1): Howard; Neville, Jagielka, Distin, Baines;Coleman, Fellani, Arteta, Osman (Heitinga 95); Cahill (Bilyaletdinov70); Beckford (Anichebe 80). Subs (not used):Mucha, Hibbert, Duffy, Baxter. Booked: Baines, Coleman,Distin, Arteta.Referee: P Dowd (Staffordshire).[LNB]They were behind once more after thefirst penalties, but their heads were up, their ambition was fierce andPhil Neville's thumpingly emphatic final kick saw them through.[LNB]But while Everton attacked theirtask with spirited optimism, Chelsea could not make a similar claim.The manager, Carlo Ancelotti, made all the approved noises yesterday.He thought his team deserved to win, that they had created 'lots ofchances' and that penalties are 'a lottery'. He thought this couldstill be 'a very good season for us'.[LNB]But, significantly, he conceded: 'Every time the team doesn't make the result, the manager is under pressure.'[LNB]This is the way of things atChelsea, where the manager's head is usually the first to roll whilethe players are encouraged to draw a line under their own incompetence.Certainly students of body language would have detected few signs ofloyal support for Ancelotti yesterday, especially when the penaltydrama unfolded. [LNB]Yet this time, the executionersmight search elsewhere for their victims. In truth, they would not havefar to look. John Terry looks more vulnerable than at any time in hiscareer, an accident in waiting. We can only imagine how much injury hastaken out of him, but the player who remains seems unequal to his task.[LNB]Lampard, despite the opening goal,was almost wholly irrelevant; his finishing insipid, his distributionmundane. Didier Drogba was at his self-indulgent worst, posturing andpreening in a manner which mocks his talent.[LNB] [LNB] Saviour: Leighton Baines (right) celebrates his fabulous free-kick[LNB] Bend it like Baines: Everton's defender curls in his brilliant strike[LNB]And Nicolas Anelka, arriving assubstitute, once again missed a crucial penalty with a flaccid swish.Pity the manager who finds himself at the mercy of their collectivewhims and fancies. Where Chelsea lacked serious intent, Evertonexceeded their own limitations. [LNB]'The way they set about the game was great,' said Eveton manager David Moyes, and indeed their application was faultless. [LNB][LNB] [LNB] Deadlock broken: Frank Lampard celebrates scoring the opening goal during extra-time[LNB]Chelsea missed two or threeacceptable chances in the first half then, on half-time, they demandedboth a penalty and a red card when Tim Howard's sprawling body wasflung across the path of Ramires. Phil Dowd dismissed the protests andbooked the Chelsea player for diving. Replays indicated that it was acorrect decision, as well as a brave one.[LNB]Chelsea lacked both width andinspiration, and for the second half they brought on Michael Essien forthe hapless John Obi Mikel. The match did not improve. [LNB] [LNB] Pick that out: Lampard volleys home in a crowded penalty area[LNB]The classic which Arsenal andBarcelona played out in the same city the other evening had taught themnothing, such was the lack of respect for possession. Lampard shouldhave won it with eight minutes remaining, but he chipped over from adozen yards.[LNB]Then, in the final minute, MarouaneFellaini's effort was dubiously disallowed for offside. Anelkainstigated the Chelsea goal with a moment of skill out on the righttouchline, producing a cross which Drogba touched on for Lampard toscore. It seemed sufficient until Everton won a free-kick 20 yards out,and Baines contributed the finest touch of the entire match as hechipped the kick into the top corner. [LNB] [LNB] [LNB] Penalty? Ramires (right) takes a tumble after going round Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard[LNB]And so to penalties, taken in frontof the visiting fans. Lampard scored the first, Baines missed thesecond, and it seemed Chelsea might put an uncomfortable afternoonbehind them. Then Anelka made a slovenly hash of the third Chelseapenalty, while the Everton takers kept their heads. The last Chelseakick fell to Ashley Cole, who struck the kick so high and so wide thatit might be travelling still.[LNB] [LNB] Get up: Dowd refuses to award the spot kick and books Ramires for a dive[LNB]The denouement fell to Neville, andthere could have been no better choice. The old pro drove it high intothe Chelsea net, far beyond Petr Cech's right hand, and the music ofthe Mersey began.[LNB]There were no songs for Chelsea,merely the sound of people preparing evidence for the inquest. The easyoption would be a guilty verdict on Carlo Ancelotti. But justicedemands that this time the real culprits should face the consequences.[LNB] [LNB] FA Cup LIVE: Chelsea v Everton - all the action as it happened at Stamford BridgeThe Matt Lawton interview - Carlo Ancelotti: Torres is not 100 per cent...Manchester United to resume chase for Everton starlet Rodwell with ?15m summer bidAll the latest Chelsea FC news, features and opinionAll the latest Everton FC news, features and opinion[LNB] Explore more:People: Petr Cech, Nicolas Anelka, Ashley Cole, John Terry, Michael Essien, David Moyes, Didier Drogba, Carlo Ancelotti
