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  • Essien (41)
  • Date:2008-04-17
  • Kick-off:20:00
  • Venue:Goodison Park
  • Attendance:37112
  • Referee:Atkinson, M

Live Commentary

90mins

FULL TIME EVERTON 0-1 CHELSEA: Michael Essien's first half strike keeps Chelsea's slim title hopes alive as they move two points behind Man United, while Everton, who improved after the break, stay five points behind fourth-placed Liverpool.

90mins

Phil Neville pumps a cross up to Ayegbeni Yakubu in the area but he can only divert it to Petr Cech and Chelsea breathe a sigh of relief.

89mins

Henriques Manuel Fernandes tries his luck from distance but it is well wide of the Chelsea goal and the visitors get a goal kick.

87mins

Florent Malouda tries to break down the left side of the Everton area but good play by Tony Hibbert who gets in a vital tackle to dispossess him.

86mins

Phil Jagielka progresses up the park and then his attempted pass goes flying out of play in the Chelsea half of the field and the move breaks down.

84mins

Everton have just dropped off the pace in the last few moments here and that will give Chelsea heart as they look to see out this game with their lead intact.

82mins

Chelsea are on the attack now but Ashley Cole and then Nicolas Anelka both fail to deliver good balls into the Everton area and the home side clear.

81mins

Claude Makelele is now coming on to shore things up for Chelsea with the more attack-minded Shaun Wright-Phillips the player to make way.

80mins

Panic over as Michael Essien is back on despite looking a little groggy and we progress into the final 10 minutes.

78mins

The game is held up momentarily as Michael Essien is laid out on his back on the pitch and in need of smelling salts which is a little worrying.

77mins

Joe Cole is the man going off for Chelsea with Florent Malouda coming on in his place for the final 13 minutes.

76mins

Thomas Gravesen knocks the ball to Henriques Manuel Fernandes who volleys an effort high and wide of the Chelsea goal.

76mins

Michael Essien has a dig at goal from a good 30 yards out which drops just wide of Tim Howard's goal.

74mins

Chelsea's passing in this half has been disappointing as they appear a little nervous as we approach the final 15 minutes.

72mins

Ricardo Carvalho almost diverts the ball into the path of Ayegbeni Yakubu with his tackle and John Terry has to make another last-ditch tackle to prevent the Nigerian getting a chance on goal.

71mins

Joseph Yobo does very well to get in a sliding tackle and knock the ball away from Salomon Kalou who looked like he was about to get through on the Everton goal.

70mins

Chelsea seem to be dropping a lot deeper as Everton press on and they could be punished once again if they are not careful as the home side have definitely picked up as a result.

68mins

Henriques Manuel Fernandes again takes the kick but his effort is a lot closer as it curls inches away from the top left corner of the goal.

67mins

John Terry brings down Ayegbeni Yakubu on the edge of the Chelsea area so a good chance for Everton from the free kick.

66mins

Over 20 minutes of the second half and Everton have improved this half but not really looked like scoring while Chelsea lead thanks to their only real attempt on goal.

64mins

Another waste by Chelsea as Renato Paulo Ferreira has all the time in the world to get in a cross from the right as five players waited in the middle but he waits too long and his cross is blocked.

63mins

A second change for Everton with Victor Anichebe coming on in place of Steven Pienaar.

63mins

Striker Andrew Johnson is being taken off with midfielder Thomas Gravesen coming on for Everton.

62mins

Joe Cole takes too long on the ball in the centre circle and Phil Neville's block tackle sends the ball flying out for a Chelsea goal-kick.

59mins

Chelsea nearly capitalise on Everton's decision to let a high ball bounce in their own area as Tim Howard jumps high to gather Salomon Kalou's flicked header.

57mins

Henriques Manuel Fernandes takes the free kick but it hits the Chelsea wall and is booted away by the defence.

57mins

Renato Paulo Ferreira picked up a booking for dissent after not agreeing with the referee's decision.

56mins

Renato Paulo Ferreira is harshly adjudged to have fouled Steven Pienaar 30 yards out and almost central to the Chelsea goal.

55mins

Henriques Manuel Fernandes' flag kick comes in but Joseph Yobo cannot keep his header from going over the top.

54mins

Everton have just not seemed able to get beyond the Chelsea defence so far tonight as Salomon Kalou concedes a corner in a rare chance for the Toffees.

52mins

Andrew Johnson beats John Terry for pace as he sprints through towards goal but Ricardo Carvalho rescues his skipper with an excellent sliding tackle.

51mins

Michael Essien bursts up the pitch again but he should really have played a better pass in to Nicolas Anelka as his actual ball runs through for a goal kick to Everton.

49mins

Great stuff from Chelsea as they are dominating possession with Joe Cole and Nicolas Anelka combining but the cross into the middle is hacked clear by Joseph Yobo.

47mins

Petr Cech comes out to take the ball after it just bounced off Ayegbeni Yakubu and into th area with Steven Pienaar loking to get on the end of it.

46mins

The second half is underway with Chelsea possibly looking to add to their lead as to avoid a repeat of Monday's late equaliser by Wigan, while Everton need to do more in attack this half if they are to get into this match.

45mins

HALF TIME EVERTON 0-1 CHELSEA: Michael Essien's late goal in the half with Chelsea's first effort on target rewards the Blues for their attacking attempts as they have slightly edged the opening 45 minutes.

43mins

Jon Obi Mikel tries his luck from 25 yards which Tim Howard is forced to tip over his own cross bar.

42mins

That was Chelsea's first effort on target but reward for their attacking efforts in this opening half.

41mins

EVERTON 0-1 CHELSEA: MICHAEL ESSIEN plays a one-two with Shaun Wright-Phillips via a deflection off a defender and scores from close range in the area.

39mins

Chelsea seem to be enjoying more freedom down the right but once more the final cross into the penalty area is letting them down.

37mins

Joe Cole has ample time to put in a decent cross to his strikers down the right but again it lacks quality and Phil Jagielka is on hand to clear again.

35mins

Michael Essien plays a ball through for Shaun Wright-Phillips who goes into the Everton area but Phil Jagielka puts in a great tackle to deny him.

34mins

Everton win a corner which is played in by Henriques Manuel Fernandes but John Terry gets up well to clear as Everton have come back into the game.

32mins

Michael Essien loses the ball cheaply but Everton cannot punish them as Henriques Manuel Fernandes flashes a shot across the face of goal and behind.

31mins

Everton have a rare foray up the field and Joleon Lescott, despite being clearly offside, plays the ball into Lee Carsley but Michael Essien manages to get in a block and clear.

29mins

Steven Pienaar lunges in on Renato Paulo Ferreira and Chelsea win a free kick down the right flank just outside the penalty area. The free kick again does not beat the first man and Everton clear.

27mins

Phil Jagielka concedes another corner which is played in by Joe Cole but this time it does not beat the first man and Everton clear.

26mins

Salomon Kalou dances his way into the left side of the Everton area but his low cross into the middle is cut out by Joseph Yobo as Chelsea step up a gear here.

24mins

Nicolas Anelka wins another corner for Chelsea off Phil Jagielka. Joe Cole takes it but it is cleared away eventually by the Everton defence, although Joseph Yobo looks like he has a fair amount of John Terry's shirt.

23mins

Ricardo Carvalho nicks the ball but takes out Joleon Lescott in the tackle and is the first player booked in the game.

22mins

Salomon Kalou and Ashley Cole try and get a move going down the left flank but this time Steven Pienaar cuts out the danger.

20mins

The noticeable observation from the opening 20 minutes is both sides' inability to play a killer final ball in the last third of the field.

18mins

Some good passing play by Everton but Phil Neville gives the ball away as Chelsea break up field only for a pass through to Joe Cole be cut out by keeper Tim Howard.

16mins

Henriques Manuel Fernandes takes the free kick and it dips in front of Petr Cech who manages to divert it away from goal for a corner which Chelsea clear.

15mins

Chelsea don't clear a corner well and Everton win a free kick in a good position just on the left side of the Chelsea area.

13mins

Ashley Cole's cross is knocked behind by Joseph Yobo but the resulting corner played in drops to the back post and Ricardo Carvalho cannot keep the ball in.

11mins

Shaun Wright-Phillips wins a corner which is played in by Joe Cole but just drops over the head of John Terry who is bustled out of the way by Joseph Yobo.

9mins

Chelsea have a fair amount of the ball down the right flank but Shaun Wright-Phillips' attempt at a cross is poor as it drifts out for a goal kick.

7mins

Chelsea's midfielders get the ball stuck under their feet and Everton clear up field as we await a first real chance in the game.

5mins

A fairly open five minutes as Everton seem up for it and that will suit Chelsea who have players who can hit them on the break.

4mins

Salomon Kalou plays the ball to Shaun Wright-Phillips on the edge of the area and his effort goes out for a corner off Phil Jagielka. The resulting kick is headed clear by Lee Carsley.

2mins

Joe Cole lays the ball through to Renato Paulo Ferreira on the right side of the area but his cross is poor and does not beat the first defender in the area.

1mins

A good early pace to the game as Everton have come flying out of the blocks here as they look like they are going for an early goal.

0mins

We are underway at Goodison Park as Everton look to move to within two points of fourth-placed Liverpool, while Chelsea must win to keep alive their slim hopes of pipping Manchester United to the Premier League title.

0mins

Chelsea starting XI: Cech, Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Wright-Phillips, Obi, Essien, Joe Cole, Anelka, Kalou.

0mins

Wayne Bridge, Alex, Florent Malouda, Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti are the men who drop out of the side from the Latics game.

0mins

Ricardo Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Ashley Cole and Joe Cole return to the starting XI after either missing or starting the 1-1 draw against Wigan at Stamford Bridge on Monday on the bench.

0mins

Chelsea boss Avram Grant is again without striker Didier Drogba and midfielder Frank Lampard so starts with Salomon Kalou in attack with Jon Obi Mikel joining Michael Essien in the centre of midfield.

0mins

Everton starting XI: Howard, Hibbert, Yobo, Jagielka, Lescott, Neville, Carsley, Fernandes, Pienaar, Johnson, Yakubu.

0mins

Everton boss David Moyes is again without midfield duo Mikel Arteta and Leon Osman for the visit of Chelsea to Goodison Park due to respective stomach and hamstring problems. Joseph Yobo comes into the defence in place of Leighton Baines.

Match Preview

Everton's already slim hopes of toppling Liverpool from fourth place and sneaking into the final Champions League qualifying spot will be over if they fail to pick up three points from the visit of Chelsea.

The injury-hit Toffees were held to a 1-1 draw at Birmingham City last weekend to leave them five points adrift of their bitter rivals with just four games remaining.

Everton have picked up only five points from their last five games and any further slip-up will leave them fending off a chasing pack of two - in-form Portsmouth and Aston Villa - for fifth spot and a place in next year's UEFA Cup.

Manager David Moyes' plans have not been helped by a lengthy injury list at precisely the wrong time in the season.

Tim Cahill and James Vaughan have already been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign and were joined on the sidelines last weekend by Mikel Arteta and Leon Osman.

The pair are also expected to miss Thursday's visit of the Blues with Moyes once again forced to throw Maunel Fernandes and Steven Pienaar into the fray despite the pair's lack of match fitness.

Meanwhile, Chelsea arrive at Goodison Park with their title challenge in tatters after dropping two points in Monday's 1-1 draw against Wigan Athletic.

The Blues are now five points behind leaders Manchester United with only four matches of the season left after Emile Heskey's stoppage-time equaliser left manager Avram Grant fending off more questions about his future.

The Israeli coach insists his side is not out of the title race just yet, but even four victories from their remaining games are likely to not be enough to bring the league crown back to Stamford Bridge.

For the first time in the title race, Chelsea have to hope Manchester United lose against them when they meet at the end of the month and slip-up again in one of their remaining three games.

Much has been made of the decision to move this fixture 48 hours forward from Saturday for television coverage, but an immediate return to action after Monday's disappointment could be just what the doctor ordered for Chelsea.

Petr Cech will once again play after sporting a new head and chin protector against Wigan to cover his gashed face.

Elsewhere, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba are likely to be back in the starting 11 after the former missed Monday's clash due to personal reasons and the latter was rested with a slight knee knock.

An under-fire Grant could also decide to pair Drogba with Nicolas Anelka in a two-man attack after coming in for criticism due to his perceived negative tactics in recent weeks.

The two sides have already met three times this season with Chelsea taking the honours on both occasions of a two-legged Carling Cup semi-final in January.


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Match Report

Chelsea put paid to Everton's slim Champions League hopes by beating the Merseysiders by a single goal on a freezing Thursday evening.

Both teams were depleted for this rescheduled for TV game, but neither these factors had an effect on the healthy attendance at Goodison Park.

However, one may have felt the crowd had turned up to marvel at the ball skills of The Harlem Globetrotters paying a flying visit to Liverpool, rather than anything two of the top teams in the Premiership had to offer.

Everton were without Mikel Arteta, Leon Osman and long-term absentee Tim Cahill while Chelsea were minus Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard and, for both teams, it showed.

In truth, Chelsea started brighter than Everton but it was not until the 16th minute until either keeper was really tested and that was when Manuel Fernandes almost sneaked a great free-kick past Petr Cech after Phil Neville had been fouled on the edge of the Chelsea area.

The first half was a non-event with Chelsea playing with slightly more fluidity as Nicolas Anelka and Jon Mikel Obi pulled most of the strings. However, Everton had a spell of good pressure with Fernandes, Yakubu and Andy Johnson all finding their rhythm in the later stages.

But the Londoners finished the half stronger and it was no surprise when Michael Essien scored four minutes before half-time although, after such a turgid game, the surprise was that it was a such a classy goal.

Salomon Kalou ran in on goal, passed to Essien who touched it forward to Shaun Wright-Phillips who touched it straight back for the Ghanaian to lift over the static Tim Howard.

The second half was little different from the first with Everton again on the back foot for much of the half with Chelsea comfortable in the knowledge the Toffees lacked any real penetration from midfield with both Cahill and Arteta absent.

Johnson and Steven Pienaar were replaced by Thomas Gravesen and Victor Anichebe as David Moyes tried to freshen up his jaded looking side. The changes worked in terms of possession, with Everton seeing most of the ball without ever being a threat to Chelsea's goal.

Fernandes was nearly the hero of the hour as his second free-kick of the game, after Yakubu was held up by John Terry, sailed millimeters wide of Cech's goal with some Everton fans already celebrating.

Everton did look revitalised after that sniff of goal and Fernandes was doing his utmost to unsettle Chelsea with forays forward but the Londoners held firm.

Gravesen played a lovely ball to Fernandes who turned and shot first time from the edge of the area but it went over Cech's bar as Chelsea hung on to their narrow advantage.

Everton

Chelsea

Corners

46

Fouls

89

Goal attempts

105

Shots off target

52

Offsides

12

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