Chelsea confirmed their Champions' League credentials as they despatched
Everton with a confident display of fluent football.
Gianfranco Zola led a power-packed performance in the sunshine which was too
much for an in-form Everton side whose run of three straight wins came to an
abrupt halt.
Two goals from the little Italian, including one of his free-kick specials to
make the game safe, and one from Dan Petrescu sealed Chelsea's first win for
four games.
Everton's Francis Jeffers underlined his promise again but the visitors were
over-run by the London millionaires.
Gianluca Vialli had been to great lengths this week to stress this had been a
successful season for his expensive team despite the lack of silverware. Dropped
points in the last three Premiership games and the surrender of their European
Cup Winners' Cup crown had taken the edge off a campaign which still has Chelsea
on course for their first top-four finish since 1970.
But now with the title race effectively over they clicked back into top gear
at the expense of Walter Smith's resurgent Everton.
Chelsea, seemingly free from the shackles of pressure which had hindered their
free-flowing football in recent weeks, tore Everton apart in the first half.
They moved the ball across midfield and consistently reached the by-line down
either flank.
In particular, Graeme Le Saux, back after his one-match ban for his spat with
Robbie Fowler at Stamford Bridge, enjoyed plenty of joy linking up with Gustavo
Poyet down the left.
An early Le Saux cross was turned over by Poyet by way of warning but it
wasn't heeded. Everton were forced to defend, frantically at times, inside their
own penalty area.
David Unsworth threw himself in front of a fierce Dennis Wise volley to
deflect it over and then saved his team again with a saving tackle on Zola after
the Italian had been found inside the area by Wise.
Thomas Myhre's goal was peppered with shots from all angles but he preserved a
clean sheet until the 25th minute when Zola struck. Again it was a wonderful
fluent move starting in midfield where Poyet dispossessed Mitch Ward. The
Uruguayan found Mikael Forssell and he released Le Saux down the left. The
England full-back waited for Zola and then lifted the ball onto his head for the
striker to score his 14th goal of the season.
It could have been two within a matter of minutes. Wise threaded a ball
through for Petrescu but Myhre was off his line in a flash to block the shot
with his body.
A Zola snap-shot flashed over before the break and twice the Toffees managed
to scramble the ball unceremoniously from beneath their own crossbar with
Chelsea players desperately looking for a second.
Everton brightened up after the break. Teenager Jeffers had a glimpse of goal
when he latched onto a ball forced through the Chelsea defence by Ward. Jeffers
took it in his stride but Frank Leboeuf was back in a flash to thwart him with a
beautifully-timed slide tackle.
The youngsters then connected cleanly from the edge of the box but his crisp
shot zipped wide. Forssell went round Myhre but, as he clipped a shot goalward
from an acute angle, Craig Short recovered to head to safety.
Chelsea made it two on the hour when Myhre failed to hold a Leboeuf
blockbuster. The rebound dropped for Zola who teed-up Petrescu to score from
close range.
It should have signalled the start of an exhibition with the Blues on top but,
true to form, their previously well-drilled defence nodded off and Jeffers
pounced.
The 18-year-old collected a ball midway inside the Chelsea half, charged
goalward without meeting a defender and finished clinically past the frozen
figure of Ed De Goey.
Vialli's team surrendered a two-goal lead in their last game at Stamford
Bridge and those dropped points against Leicester probably ended their
championship dreams.
This time, however, the goal spurred Chelsea on and Zola settled matters with
an exquisite free-kick in the 81st minute. De Goey made a terrific save two
minutes from time to deny Nick Barmby.
Teams:
Chelsea: De Goey, Ferrer, Desailly, Leboeuf (Lambourde 71),
Le Saux, Petrescu (Goldbaek 60), Wise, Poyet,
Morris (Babayaro 82), Zola, Forssell.
Subs Not Used: Hitchcock, Flo.
Goals: Zola 25, Petrescu 60, Zola 81.
Everton: Myhre, Short, Dunne (Degn 46), Unsworth, Weir, Barmby,
Ward (Cadamarteri 71), Hutchison, Ball, Campbell, Jeffers.
Subs Not Used: Gerrard, Bakayoko, Phelan.
Booked: Ward, Short, Hutchison, Cadamarteri.
Goals: Jeffers 69.
Att: 34,909
Ref: D Gallagher (Banbury).
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