Chelsea - 4 Everton - 1:ENGLISH LEAGUE CUP: For Everton, this was a dreadful night. Comprehensively beaten by a Chelsea team they meet again in the league at Goodison Park on Saturday, David Moyes' side not only went out of the English League Cup, but will now be without two important defenders for this month's Merseyside derby.
A win would have enabled Joseph Yobo and David Unsworth to serve their pending one-match bans in the fifth round of this competition, but now they will be absent at Anfield, just as Everton's defence was here.
Two goals by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and further strikes from Emmanuel Petit and Mario Stanic continued Chelsea's impressive form. Those 30-somethings showed the way to Wayne Rooney, who had a late penalty saved before Gary Naysmith's consolation from a corner.
Moyes had used this as an opportunity to give Rooney a start and it was clear he had hoped to take the game to Chelsea as he used the teenager in a 4-3-3 with Kevin Campbell and Tomasz Radzinski.
Yet, after a bright opening during which Everton won several corners and might have scored through Mark Pembridge, Moyes saw his team dominated by the home side.
Frank Lampard and Petit seized control of central midfield and Gianfranco Zola buzzed about menacingly.
The Italian's touch was twice lacking early on, but his genius played a big part in Chelsea's two goals before half-time.
The through ball he provided for Hasselbaink to beat Richard Wright coolly was perfect.
Chelsea's second goal was similarly impressive. Petit slid a pass into Zola's feet and ran on to receive the perfect return and guide a volley past Wright. It was only the second goal of the Frenchman's Chelsea career.
Everton's high balls towards Campbell were too often cleared by William Gallas or John Terry, who was given a vote of confidence by Ranieri, being made captain in the absence of the rested Marcel Desailly.
Rooney, meanwhile, was failing to exert any real influence from out wide. And had Jesper Gronkjaer not continued his traditional failing when it comes to crossing from good positions, Chelsea might have had more by half-time.
Radzinski had a chance to put Everton back into the game early in the second half when Terry slipped, but the Canadian shot weakly at Carlo Cudicini.
Zola had an effort ruled out for offside and struck the bar from a free-kick which he took from close to the corner flag before being replaced by Eidur Gudjohnsen.
In his absence, Stanic headed in Hasselbaink's corner and Hasselbaink scored with a low shot to complete Moyes' miserable night.
Winning this competition is very much a worthwhile ambition as far as Zola is concerned. "First of all, it is a place in Europe, which is very important," he said.
"We have not won anything for a couple of years, so that's why we take every competition seriously."
Guardian Service
CHELSEA: Cudicini, Melchiot, Babayaro, Gallas, Terry, Lampard, Stanic (Morris 72), Petit, Gronkjaer (De Lucas 64), Zola (Gudjohnsen 58), Hasselbaink. Subs Not Used: de Goey, Desailly. Goals: Hasselbaink 26, Petit 44, Stanic 69, Hasselbaink 71.
Everton: Wright, Pistone, Unsworth, Weir, Yobo, Pembridge (Naysmith 36), Tie Li (Gemmill 70), Gravesen, Campbell, Radzinski, Rooney. Subs Not Used: Simonsen, Stubbs, Hibbert. Booked: Pistone. Goals: Naysmith 80.
Referee: P Durkin (Dorset).
