Carling Cup Preview: Chelsea - Everton

The cup football continues as Chelsea and Everton square off in the first leg of this Carling Cup semi final.

Chelsea Seek To Continue Cup Success

Chelsea keep on doing the bare minimum required for victory at the moment.

It could be argued that – despite going undefeated – the Blues haven’t really registered an impressive performance since the 2-0 Carling Cup quarter final win over Liverpool.

That was six games ago and one gains the impression that such a run cannot continue forever. But will Avram Grant’s side come unstuck on Tuesday against this talented Everton side, or will they use this semi final to mark their return to form?

Chelsea have had to deal with numerous injuries and suspensions of late, and will be hit harder than most as Europe’s African stars jet back home in preparation for the forthcoming tournament in Ghana.

It is of critical importance that fringe players step up to the plate and deliver in the coming weeks, but England international Joe Cole is confident of the Blues’ strength in depth.

"Any team losing Drogba, Essien and Kalou is going to find it tough, but we've got the players here," said Cole. "Claudio Pizarro is top class. It's not going to be easy, but it's a great challenge. Everton are a brilliant side."

Indeed, a similar showing to that seen in Saturday’s tame 1-0 FA Cup win at home to QPR could see Chelsea in trouble against this free-scoring Toffees side. The Carling Cup holders will want to approach the rematch at Goodison Park with one foot firmly in the final – even a score draw on Tuesday could be costly going into the second leg.


Everton - Two Cup Disasters In A Week?

There are two ways of looking at Everton’s 1-0 FA Cup defeat at home to Oldham on Saturday: Either the morale on the blue half of Merseyside will be smashed following a humiliating exit, leaving them ripe for the picking against Chelsea;

Alternatively, the defeat may have been caused by David Moyes’ side having more than one eye on this Tuesday’s game. After all, the Toffees are a mere two matches away from reaching their first cup final since 1995.

Lapses in concentration and failure to convert chances, as seen on Saturday, are clearly not an option against a side as talented as Chelsea. But the more encouraging news is that Everton have generally been terrific in recent months.

After a run of 13 games unbeaten (of which 11 were victories), the Toffees almost held Manchester United to a draw at Old Trafford, stumbling only to Ronaldo’s late penalty. Even against Arsenal – in a game they ultimately lost 4-1 – the Toffees dominated proceedings prior to the break.

David Moyes is clearly piecing together a quality side, a far cry from the Everton teams of the mid-1990s that typically battled for relegation. Only Arsenal and United have scored more goals than the Toffees in the Premier League this season – no Chelsea player has netted more often than either Yakubu (9) or Cahill (6).

Everton are desperately trying to bridge the divide between the league’s top four and the rest, a gap many believe is impossible to close. They’ve drawn at Stamford Bridge once this season, but a result in the Carling Cup would really make the rest of English football sit up and take note.

FORM GUIDE

Chelsea

Match Result Date Championship
Chelsea - QPR 1 - 0 05/01/2008 FA CUP
Fulham - Chelsea 1 - 2 01/01/2008 PREMIER LEAGUE
Chelsea - Newcastle 2 - 1 29/12/2007 PREMIER LEAGUE
Chelsea - Aston Villa 4 - 4 26/12/2007 PREMIER LEAGUE
Blackburn - Chelsea 0 - 1 23/12/2007 PREMIER LEAGUE
Chelsea - Liverpool 2 - 0 19/12/2007 CARLING CUP


Everton

Match Result Date Championship
Everton - Oldham Athletic 0 - 1 05/01/2008 FA CUP
Middlesbrough - Everton 0 - 2 01/01/2008 PREMIER LEAGUE
Everton - Arsenal 1 - 4 29/12/2007 PREMIER LEAGUE
Everton - Bolton 2 - 0 26/12/2007 PREMIER LEAGUE
Man Utd. - Everton 2 - 1 23/12/2007 PREMIER LEAGUE
Alkmaar - Everton 2 - 3 20/12/2007 UEFA CUP



TEAM NEWS

Chelsea

Ivorian pair Drogba and Kalou and Ghana’s Essien have all departed for international duty, though Mikel John Obi has stuck around a while longer. John Terry, Frank Lampard, Florent Malouda and Andriy Shevchenko are all still injured but Ricardo Carvalho returns from suspension, likely at the expense of Ben-Haim

Likely XI (4-5-1): Hilario – Belletti, Carvalho, Alex, A Cole – Wright-Phillips, Obi, Sidwell, Ballack, J Cole – Pizarro

Everton

Everton have lost their battle to keep South Africa’s Pienaar for this game so he will fly off for international duty. However, there’s brighter news on the Nigerian front as Yakubu is available, though Yobo is touch and go with a foot injury. Arteta is suspended but Phil Neville, Tim Cahill and Tim Howard should all be recalled.

Likely XI (4-4-2): Howard – Hibbert, Jagielka, Yobo, Lescott – McFadden, Carsley, Neville, Cahill – Johnson, Yakubu


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chelsea – Claudio Pizarro (pictured)

He may have joined the club on a free transfer rather than for a club record fee, but so poor has Claudio Pizarro’s season been that fans will no doubt be making comparisons with Andriy Shevchenko. The former Bayern hitman has looked a shadow of his former self since moving to England, registering just one goal so far.

Even Saturday’s strike against QPR was ultimately recorded as an own goal by Hoops keeper Lee Camp. But with Drogba and Kalou away on international duty, Shevchenko injured and rumours of Nicolas Anelka's impending arrival reverberating louder than ever, the Peruvian will never have a better chance to prove himself.

Everton – Ayegbeni Yakubu

This will be the last opportunity to see the Nigerian in an Everton shirt for a while as he heads to the African Cup of Nations. Given the massive impact he’s made since moving from Middlesbrough he will be sorely missed. Yakubu’s combination of strength and pace strikes fear into any central defensive pairing, and although he’s failed to net in any of Everton’s last six matches he’ll surely want to sign off on a high.


PREDICTION

Chelsea lack that vital spark without their star players and may struggle to impose themselves. They have enjoyed their share of luck recently (deflected goal against QPR, offside goal against Newcastle), and logic says this must eventually change. Everton have thwarted Avram Grant’s side once already this season and I fancy them to snatch another score draw on Tuesday.

Chelsea 1-1 Everton