21/04/2003  Chelsea 4 Everton 1

Chelsea's Champions League charge is back on track after 
the Blues hit two classy goals and two bizarre ones at 
Stamford Bridge to leave Everton's hopes of a top-four finish 
in tatters.

Claudio Ranieri's side bounced back from Saturday's 2-1 
defeat at Aston Villa to stroll to a 4-1 success.

Eidur Gudjohnsen's 10th and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's 15th 
strikes of the season - both peculiar goals - gave the Blues a 
2-0 advantage before Jesper Gronkjaer's stylish strike and Lee 
Carsley's consolation for the Toffees.

Gianfranco Zola scored a sensational lob with the last kick 
of the game to cap a crucial Chelsea victory.

But the statistics only tell half the story as Gudjohnsen's 
sweet 25th-minute finish was only possible when visiting 
skipper David Weir fell over and gifted him possession.

And Hasselbaink's effort two minutes after the break, set 
up by a marvellous piece of skill by Gronkjaer, was a looping 
header which looked to be sailing over before dipping beneath 
the crossbar.

There was nothing fortunate about Gronkjaer's 61st-minute 
effort, however, for which he showed superb control and 
produced a precise finish.

Carsley tucked home from 15 yards with 13 minutes left but 
Zola's last-gasp masterpiece condemned David Moyes' men to 
back-to-back Easter defeats which have cut them adrift in the 
race for Europe's elite club competition.

Wayne Rooney started for Everton hours after it emerged he 
faces a police probe over allegations he spat at Liverpool 
fans in Saturday's 2-1 Merseyside derby defeat. 
Marcel Desailly lined up in the heart of the Blues backline 
after being briefed by Ranieri to shackle Rooney - a player 
the Italian boss described as a 'Brazilian panther'.

Desailly needed treatment on a leg injury inside the first 
minute after a thundering challenge by Scot Gemmill. 
Gronkjaer skinned Weir and delivered a pull-back which 
Frank Lampard scuffed wide.

It was an exciting opening in west London and, in the fifth 
minute, David Unsworth slid in to take the ball off 
Gudjohnsen's toe as the Icelander prepared to shoot.

Rooney had his first run three minutes later, ended by 
Quique de Lucas' crude body-check for which he was deservedly 
booked.

The game went quiet after that point, however, as Chelsea 
foundered on Moyes' packed midfield.

That changed after 25 minutes when Weir slipped at a 
crucial moment and Gudjohnsen hit Chelsea's opener.

The Scot prepared to clear Hasselbaink's diagonal pass but 
tumbled and Gudjohnsen controlled smartly before dispatching a 
sweet shot beyond Richard Wright for his 10th goal of the 
season.

Late in the half, Carlo Cudicini and Desailly combined to 
clear after the first real alarm in the Chelsea goalmouth, 
triggered by Rooney's brave header towards Kevin Campbell.

Chelsea took a 2-0 lead three minutes after the interval 
thanks to a magnificent piece of skill by Gronkjaer and a 
bizarre finish by Hasselbaink.

Gronkjaer pulled a superb dummy to evade Joseph Yobo, 
skinned the Nigerian for pace on the left and centred for 
Hasselbaink to connect with a 10-yard header.

The Dutchman's effort span high in the air and looped into 
the top left corner of Wright's net.

The Toffees keeper made an heroic attempt to claw the ball 
away and needed treatment after colliding with his post. Yobo 
was substituted four minutes after his error.

Gronkjaer effectively wrapped up victory in the 61st minute 
with a classy piece of control and a slick finish for 
Chelsea's third.

The Danish winger cut in from the left to meet John Terry's 
long pass, prodded the ball out of the reach of Everton 
substitute Tony Hibbert and slipped it past Wright from 12 
yards for his fourth goal this term.

Lampard almost added another seven minutes later when he 
bundled his way goalwards and his shot hit the side-netting. 
Everton pulled one back in the 77th minute when Gemmill 
picked out Carsley and the midfielder shot accurately into the 
bottom corner from 15 yards.

With five minutes left, Carsley gave Chelsea a few jitters 
when he connected with an excellent volley on the turn from 
Thomas Gravesen's dinked pass and sent the ball bouncing just 
a foot past the post.

Chelsea substitute Zola raced upfield and scored a 
sensational lob with the last kick of the game to complete the 
scoring.