The Blues were beaten by their former striker at Goodison Park, with the Belgian scoring two excellent goals to all but end their campaign
So there it is, Chelsea’s season is dead and they have an old boy to blame. Romelu Lukaku, so desperate to prove a point against his former club, came back to haunt the Blues, sending two superb finishes past Thibaut Courtois to dump them out of the FA Cup and take Everton to Wembley.
There are few better poster boys for Chelsea’s failed transfer policy; Lukaku always had the talent, and now he has the club at which to shine.
While Diego Costa returned to his old habit of self-sabotage, Lukaku bided his time and scored two excellent goals. The first, a brilliant solo run that saw him power his way past two defenders and turn Gary Cahill inside out before slotting under Courtois, exemplified all that is good about his game. How Guus Hiddink must have wished he had the Belgian up front instead of the idiotically impulsive Costa.
While Lukaku scored two exquisite goals, Costa treated the Everton defenders to an array of kicks, jabs and petulant dives. Come the end of the game he had more grass stains on his shirt than shots on goal. He was sent off in the 83rd minute after a downright stupid clash with Gareth Barry, who himself was dismissed later on.
He cannot continue to play in such a manner, especially if he wishes to stick around after Hiddink’s departure, as his exploits are beginning to cost his team-mates. With their key man intent on self-destruction, the Blues had little option but to play around him, probing the channels instead of playing to the Spaniard.
Everton’s defence – which is yet to concede a goal in the FA Cup - stood firm once again, with Phil Jagielka and Ramiro Funes Mori forming a diligent, physical partnership. One must have the brains and the brawn to combat Costa.
In truth, the Blues failed to truly test Joel Robles in the Everton goal for much of the match. Cesc Fabregas and Willian appeared to delight in remaining on the fringes of the match, never truly making a decisive impact despite receiving the ball in promising areas. The Spaniard’s most telling contribution came when he was kicked by Jagielka as he attempted to clear the ball, leading to a delicious Willian free-kick that forced Joel into an excellent reflex save. It was the only difficult stop he had to make.
Unlike at Manchester United there is little excuse for such stodgy play at Stamford Bridge; Hiddink has allowed his players to express themselves as they wish under his management, and has unshackled the admittedly fiery talent of Costa and revitalised the previously timid Pedro.
Yet at Goodison Park there was very little evidence of any progress from the eventual toxicity of Jose Mourinho’s reign, as Chelsea appeared unwilling to try to win the game for fear of losing it, unlike Everton, who sensed a chance late on and went for the jugular.
And so, as Lukaku’s strikes rippled Courtois’s net, a collective gasp will surely have rung out in the Stamford Bridge boardroom.
No Premier League champion has performed quite as pitifully as the west Londoners and, while Hiddink has steadied a sinking ship, they must improve rapidly if they are to have any chance of even qualifying for Europe under their next permanent manager, likely to be the current Italy head coach Antonio Conte.
After Lukaku’s goals, his brief is sure to be a simple one: make sure that, come March, the club’s season isn’t already dead.
- Goal