Chelsea deny Everton to book their place in the quarter-finals

 

Chelsea dominated the first half and Everton were better in the second, but it was the reigning Premier League champions who piled misery on the Toffees in an entertaining fixture which was open until the very end. Willy Caballero was decisive in the second half as he thwarted Everton's efforts.

The start of a difficult week for Everton with Ronald Koeman's dismissal was aggravated by an EFL exit in the first game in charge for interim manager David Unsworth.
The man temporarily in charge of the Toffees handed 19-year-old Beni Baningime his first senior start, while Antonio Conte also had faith in youth, starting Ethan Ampadu. 17-year-old Welsh international became the first player born this millennium to appear for Chelsea.
A lively start showed the competitive nature of both sides, despite Conte decribing the competition as 'pointless' in the past. The Italian was at the edge of his technical area frantically shouting instructions as the Everton men gave Unsworth the aggressive start he demanded from his players.
The hosts slowly asserted their dominance as Everton receded their lines and showed their game plan with a well-defined six-man defence. Conte's men passed the ball around comfortably with the visitors getting limited numbers forward, but the goalkeepers were hardly tested before the Blues took the lead in style.
Willian laid the ball off to Musonda at the corner and his cross found Antonio Rudiger unmarked at the back post. The German centre-back simply headed the ball back across goal beyond Pickford who remained rooted to the spot.
Everton did little to deserve an equaliser until a flurry of chances in the second half brought them back into the game. Kenny was first to scuff his effort well wide of Caballero's goal before the Argentine keeper emerged as a saviour for his team, who were made to endure a prolonged period of pressure from the away side.
Rooney's close-range effort was expertly blocked by the keeper after Mirallas headed the ball into the striker's path, and the Belgian then sent an inswinging cross for Aaron Lennon's finish to be deflected over the bar for a corner.
Caballero then pulled off two crucial saves in quick succession when Jagielka got across at the near post to meet Baines' delivery and the keeper saved smartly to his left when Mirallas was given space at the edge of the box.
Ademola Lookman came on for the Toffees and clipped the top of th crossbar after rattling the side-netting, while Michy Batshuayi provided the parenthesis in Everton's monologue, poking the ball past Pickford. When he looked to be through on goal, Jagielka raced back to concede a corner with the Belgian crashing painfully into the post.
The pressure mounted for Chelsea as Everton committed bodies forward, but Willian's stoppage-time goal put an end to the Toffees' hopes, which were slightly reignited by Calvert-Lewin's goal at the other end barely a minute later.
The crowd at Stamford Bridge roared a huge cheer as Neil Swarbrick whistled for full-time, sending the Blues into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. The win allows Conte's side to build a winning momentum while Everton will be disappointed but will seek solace in having had their chances in an industrious second-half performance.