The last time Everton defeated Chelsea was back in November 2000 – a 2-1 triumph at Goodison Park with captain John Terry the sole Chelsea survivor from that match. The recent battles have been very tight with the two encounters in the 08/09 Premier League campaign finishing in 0-0 draws. Last season there was a 1-1 draw in London and a 1-0 Chelsea win at Goodison Park. The Londoners also knocked Everton out of the semi-finals of the League Cup. In fact, David Moyes’ team has only beaten Chelsea twice in their last 34 encounters. This will be the eighth time they have met in the FA Cup with Chelsea winning five times, drawing once and losing twice. The most recent meeting was in the fourth round of the 05/06 competition with Chelsea winning the replay 4-1 at the Bridge.
Chelsea
This match marks Guus Hiddink’s last game in charge at Chelsea and he has suffered just one fall in 21 competitive fixtures losing 1-0 away at Tottenham on March 21. The last eight rounds of the EPL were particularly impressive with seven wins and one draw, scoring 19 goals and conceding two. Chelsea finished the EPL campaign with a 3-2 victory at Sunderland with Nicolas Anelka amongst the scorers to finish with 25 goals in 53 appearances. Anelka has scored four goals during the current FA Cup run. Frank Lampard (56 appearances/19 goals in all competitions) and Didier Drogba (41/13 all competitions) have also made telling contributions. Stability has been the key in team selection with 12 players involved in 40 or more matches. (Source: betshoot.com)
Everton
Everton has been one of the most consistent teams in England and finished fifth in the EPL with 63 points – 20 behind third-placed Chelsea. Everton defeated Fulham 2-0 in round 38 at Craven Cottage with Leon Osman (42/7 all competitions) scoring twice. Everton has lost just three times in their last 28 competitive fixtures and have sat in either fifth or sixth spot since Boxing Day. Their form in May has been outstanding with three wins and one draw in the closing four rounds, scoring seven goals and leaking just one. (Source: betshoot.com)
Road To Wembley
Chelsea
3rd Round – Southend (1-1, 4-1 replay)
4th Round – Ipswich (3-1)
5th Round – Watford (3-1)
6th Round – Coventry (2-0)
Semi-Final – Arsenal (2-1)
Everton
3rd Round – Macclesfield (1-0)
4th Round – Liverpool (1-1, 1-0 replay)
5th Round – Aston Villa (3-1)
6th Round – Middlesbrough (2-1)
Semi-Final – Manchester United (0-0, win on pens)
Form Guide
Chelsea
May 24 Sunderland 2-3 Chelsea (Premier League)
May 17 Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn Rovers (Premier League)
May 10 Arsenal 1-4 Chelsea (Premier League)
May 06 Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona (Champions League)
May 02 Chelsea 3-1 Fulham (Premier League)
Everton
May 24 Fulham 0-2 Everton (Premier League)
May 16 Everton 3-1 West Ham United (Premier League)
May 09 Everton 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League)
May 03 Sunderland 0-2 Everton (Premier League)
Apr 25 Everton 1-2 Manchester City (Premier League)
Team News
Frank Lampard, who suffered a hamstring twinge recently, should be able to play. Joe Cole and Paulo Ferreira continue their spell in rehabilitation.
While in Everton, Phil Jagielka, Mikel Arteta, Victor Anichebe and Yakubu Aiyegbeni are all still recovering from long-term injuries.
Prediction
Chelsea and Everton are the teams with rock-solid defences and both teams will hope that their back line will be able to keep a clean sheet in this match and thus make the job a lot easier for the attackers.
