Chelsea, who on Friday had a bid for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres rejected, could have done with the Spaniard’s services up front where both Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba were disappointing.
Last season’s double-winners should have taken the lead on 30 minutes, when neat interplay between Drogba and Brazilian midfielder Ramires sent Anelka racing through on goal. Chelsea’s uncharacteristic vulnerability from set-pieces proved costly six minutes later, however, when Saha headed the Blues into the lead from a Leighton Baines corner.
With the possibility of defeat looming, Chelsea rallied and hit back with a classic goal on the counter, sweeping up field after an Everton corner came to nothing and scoring through Kalou on 75 minutes.
Everton might have snatched the win late on when Jermaine Beckford saw a rasping volley tipped over by Petr Cech on 89 minutes before World Cup final referee Howard Webb whistled for full-time.
Villa down Blackburn
In another of the weekend’s ties, Aston Villa beat Blackburn Rovers 3-1 in a repeat result of their third-round meeting a year ago. All their goals came in the first-half from Ciaran Clark, Robert Pires, who won the Cup three times with Arsenal, and Nathan Delfouneso. Clark took Villa ahead but Rovers were quick to level as Nicola Kalinic scored from close range. Veteran winger Pires the restored Villa’s lead, scoring his first goal for Aston Villa before Nathan Delfouneso’s header made it 3-1.
Meanwhile, Leyton Orient, struggling at the wrong end of League One (third division), pulled off a second successive upset win when, having knocked out Norwich City away from home in the last round, they won 2-1 at Championship (second division) promotion-chasers Swansea.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th, 2011.
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