FA Cup: Everton edges out 10-man Chelsea, kudos to Lukaku

Everton 2-10 Chelsea: After their disappointing exit from UEFA Champions League tie against PSG, it was another bad night for Chelsea as they looked very tired, and succumbed to 2 second-half goals from Chelsea’s ex-striker, Lukaku. 

Throughout the match, it looks as Chelsea is having a hangover from their midweek pulsating Champions League match, as Everton looked more energetic, and caused lots of problems to unreliable set of Chelsea’s defensive quartet.

As the second-half progressed, against the run of play, Chelsea had the best chance when Fabregas plays the ball through to Diego Costa, who bamboozles himself through Everton’s defence rounded goal-keeper Robles, but his efforts agonizingly missed the goal by inches.

On 77th minute, Lukaku showed why he is Everton’s all time season’s highest goal-scorer when he picked up the ball on the touchline.

He wriggled himself past Chelsea’s defence (Azpilicueta and Ivanovic), and from his left foot, picked the right side of the goal giving no chance to Chelsea’s goalkeeper, Courtois. 

His goal brought some reaction from Chelsea, but any effort from Guus Hiddink’s side was chiseled off when Lukaku scored his 2nd goal through the legs of Chelsea’s goal-keeper, Courtois.

Both teams ended the match with 10 men, after Diego Costa and Barry were sent off for 2 yellow cards! Diego Costa, who had already been booked, reacted to a foul by Barry, pushing his head into his opponent face and neck, and then appeared to open his mouth on Barry’s neck. 

At the beginning, it looked as if he had bitten Barry, but the replay show that it was just a toothless effort. 

However, the referee Michael Oliver flashed a second yellow card to Costa, and sent him off. 

Later on, Gareth Barry was himself sent off after he fouls on Fabregas and gets his second yellow card.

With 20 goals between the two sides in their four previous head-to-head matches in all competitions, fans expected to see more goals, but at the end, Lukaku’s two great goals separated the two sides, handing Everton the road to Wembley.

At the dying minutes of the match John Terry come on for his 700th Chelsea appearance, but it is clear that this is not a perfect night for Terry to reach such great landmark!

The match ended 2-0, and Everton qualified for FA semi-finals in Wembley!

[sportsmo.com]

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