THE FA Cup final – modern football in a nutshell. Even the team that has finished fifth in the Premier League and has knocked out first and second in the league just couldn’t cope with the occasion.

The heat, the physical and mental pressure and, of course, the quality of their opponents. The gap was just too big and I’m afraid it’s only going to get bigger.

It all proved too much for Everton and it’s easy to see why.

Ever since they beat Manchester United in the semi-final, the only game that has been talked about is the FA Cup final.

The league games in the interim have been completely overshadowed by the long wait for May 30, so however much players try to treat it like any normal game, it’s impossible.

They have had their brows beaten by how big a match it is for the supporters, who have been waiting 14 years for a major final.

It puts a strain on how you approach the game. Even going ahead in the first 25 seconds through Louis Saha won’t have changed that. It wouldn’t have had anyone thinking: ‘Great, we’re ahead, we’re in here, we’re going to win it’.

That just doesn’t happen against sides from the top four these days, holding out for 90-plus minutes and stifling their attack in that kind of heat.

Chelsea were always going to get chances. After all, they weren’t under the same kind of tremendous mental pressure Everton had to cope with.

They get to finals every year now, rarely end a campaign without some silverware and even if they hadn’t won on Saturday, they could have consoled themselves that more trophies would be up for grabs next year.