Everton 1, Chelsea 0 - post match analysis

Apr 18 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

UNDER the gaze of the Harlem Globetrotters, Everton showed there remains work to be done to ensure more globe-trotting of their own next season.

The celebrated basketball ensemble were in attendance last night to watch David Moyes’s side take another stumble towards the Premier League finishing line.

Michael Essien’s 41st-minute strike was enough to keep alive Chelsea’s championship hopes while delivering a significant blow to Everton’s challenge for Champions League qualification.

And like their esteemed guests from across the pond, the Goodison Park outfit badly need a three-pointer to make their return ticket to the UEFA Cup that bit less fraught.

Don’t be fooled by the scoreline. This was a comprehensive defeat in which the gulf in class and resources between the teams was painfully exposed.

Everton don’t deserve for their hugely encouraging and enjoyable campaign to end with a mad scramble to secure their place in Europe.

But unless Moyes can rally his troops for one final push, there is an increasing danger their magnificent efforts will amount to nothing tangible come the final analysis.

Certainly, they appeared a tired team last night. At least there are nine days to prepare for the visit of Aston Villa on Sunday week and hopefully patch up the walking wounded who were again missing.

How important that fixture is shaping up to be, with both Villa and Portsmouth having the opportunity to close the gap to fifth over the weekend.

It was the same old story for Everton last night, who have now gone 20 games without a win against the Londoners.

In eight previous outings against ‘top four’ opposition this season, they had won none with only Tim Cahill’s last-minute equaliser at Stamford Bridge in November preventing a clean sweep of defeats.

It’s a shortcoming that Moyes accepts his team must address if they are to regularly compete for honours and Champions League qualification.

This was a key evening for both sides. Chelsea’s surprise 1-1 draw at home to Wigan Athletic on Monday night had left the Londoners needing victory in all four remaining fixtures to have any hope of overhauling Manchester United at the top of the table.

Everton’s indifferent form, meanwhile, had seen them fall five points adrift of fourth place and come under increased pressure for fifth and a UEFA Cup place.

Moyes had admitted before the game that clinching a top four place would be “difficult” and this result means all energies should be concentrated on holding on to fifth.

The goals have dried up at precisely the wrong time for Everton, with their last nine games yielding a paltry six.

Yakubu never looked close to reaching the 20-goal mark last night while Andrew Johnson, on his 50th Premier League start for the club, was desperately ineffective before being replaced.

To be fair, the pair were once starved of any decent service from a midfield in which conjurors Mikel Arteta and Leon Osman remain sorely missed.

Set-piece prowess aside, Manuel Fernandes was again hugely disappointing and will have done little to convince Moyes he should remain at Goodison beyond the end of the season.

The controversial decision to bring the game forward two days at less than a fortnight’s notice for television coverage had upset both camps.

Chelsea in particular were aggrieved, and responded by using their Sky TV fee to pay for the tickets and travel of their away support.

Moyes made only one change from the team that was held at St Andrew’s on Saturday, Joseph Yobo recalled at centre-back for his 200th Everton appearance – the first overseas player to reach that landmark for the club.

And the Nigerian and his team-mates were kept busy during a first half in which an impressive Chelsea, showing no hangover from Monday night, dominated.

The Londoners are often criticised for a lack of style, but the pace and accuracy in which they shifted possession around the Goodison Park turf threatened to overwhelm their hosts.

The biggest surprise was that Chelsea had to wait until four minutes before the interval to finally get the goal their play deserved.

Essien accepted a pass from Salomon Kalou then burst into the area and played a give-and-go with Shaun Wright-Phillips that, via a deflection off Phil Jagielka, fell for the Ghanaian to lift over Tim Howard into the net.

It was a quality finish from Essien, and Howard will have to wait a little longer for the chance to equal Neville Southall’s club record of 15 clean sheets in a Premier League season.

The United States international did well shortly afterwards to palm over a vicious dipping shot from Jon Obi Mikel, while earlier Jagielka was alert to clear from off the toes of Wright-Phillips after a brilliant Kalou pass dissected the home defence.

Everton, short on ideas and confidence going forward, fashioned only one real chance during the first half, a 16th-minute free-kick from Fernandes bouncing in front of Petr Cech and forcing the goalkeeper to turn the ball behind for a corner.

With his skullcap now joined by a chin strap to protect the facial injury that required 50 stitches, it’s surely only a matter of time before Cech steps out wearing an iron mask.

And Chelsea began the second half determined to tighten their iron grip on proceedings.

Everton, though, were the next to threaten on 68 minutes. John Terry gave Yakubu a nudge on the edge of the area and, after an age lining up his attempt, Fernandes curled a free-kick agonisingly inches wide.

The near miss finally sparked the game into a contest during the closing quarter. Saving tackles from Yobo and Terry halted Kalou and Yakubu respectively, while Essien came mighty close with a dipping 25-yard effort.

However, Chelsea’s lead rarely came under threat. Everton must now dig deep to ensure their European aspirations stay likewise.