Chelsea - 4 Everton - 1 There are several reasons why Chelsea are desperate to qualify for the Champions League. Large debts and big ambitions count among them and Claudio Ranieri mentioned another yesterday after his team had outplayed Everton and moved into third spot.
The coach is aware that reaching Europe's leading competition will give him the best chance of keeping Gianfranco Zola, and Ranieri gives the impression he would offer to chauffeur the striker into training every morning if he thought that might convince the 36-year-old to extend his career with the club.
Zola's part in this game was short but still confirmed how much he has to offer. About 10 minutes after coming off the bench the Italian rounded off Chelsea's emphatic response to Saturday's defeat at Aston Villa by lobbing a brilliant fourth goal. Chelsea are guaranteed a UEFA Cup place but for Ranieri - and Zola - that would not be enough.
"I don't want to stay in the UEFA Cup," Ranieri said. "The Champions League is our target and also for Gianfranco it's important."
Though Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Eidur Gudjohnsen started and scored against a flat Everton, Ranieri appreciates Zola is irreplaceable. It is hard to imagine the former Parma player retiring in this form and with the Champions League to look forward to.
Although Chelsea are third they cannot relax. Only two points separate them from fifth-placed Liverpool whom they meet on the final day in what could be a decisive match.
Chelsea were superior but were helped by some poor Everton defending, not least by David Weir, who slipped for the first goal and was caught out by two long balls in the second half.
Everton rarely threatened and their manager David Moyes conceded their Champions League hopes are over.
Moyes must make sure now that his team reach the UEFA Cup. They are three points ahead of seventh-placed Blackburn and looked a team lacking inspiration in the absence of Tomasz Radzinski and with Wayne Rooney well below his best. Perhaps the teenager had on his mind the Merseyside police investigation into allegations that he spat at Liverpool fans in Saturday's derby.
"In recent games he's been a little bit below the standards he's set," Moyes said. "If we had Radzinski we would have given Wayne a bit of breathing time but we are having to play him. We can't have too many complaints here. We conceded poor goals."
As with his selection of Hasselbaink and Gudjohnsen, Ranieri's decision to recall Jesper Gronkjaer paid off handsomely. The Dane scored Chelsea's third impressively, set up Hasselbaink's header and troubled Everton's Joseph Yobo.
At the back Marcel Desailly and John Terry dealt expertly with Rooney and Kevin Campbell, lapsing only once the game appeared beyond Everton.
Chelsea's first goal was a gift, Weir failing to cut out Hasselbaink's cross and allowing Gudjohnsen to finish. If their second was fortunate, Hasselbaink failing to get clean contact on a header which looped in, the next two owed nothing to luck.
Gronkjaer sped on to Terry's long free-kick to beat Richard Wright and, after Lee Carsley had finished well from Scot Gemmill's pass, Zola knocked in a fine lob. No wonder Ranieri wants to keep him.
Guardian Service
CHELSEA: Cudicini, Melchiot, Desailly, Terry, Gallas, Gronkjaer (Le Saux 87), Petit, Lampard, De Lucas, Gudjohnsen (Cole 84), Hasselbaink (Zola 81). Subs Not Used: de Goey, Stanic. Booked: De Lucas. Goals: Gudjohnsen 25, Hasselbaink 48, Gronkjaer 62, Zola 90.
EVERTON: Wright, Yobo (Gravesen 52), Weir, Stubbs, Unsworth (Hibbert 52), Naysmith, Gemmill, Li Tie (Ferguson 78), Carsley, Campbell, Rooney. Subs Not Used: Gerrard, Alexandersson. Booked: Gravesen. Goal: Carsley 77.
Referee: M Riley (W Yorkshire).
