David Moyes finally starts Jermaine Beckford in place of the hugely ineffective Victor Anichebe. Heitinga also preferred alongside Rodwell, but no Phil Neville, out with a mouth infection. No other surprises for the last game of the season, apart from Cahill on the bench; Bilyaletdinov is suspended.
It was a slow start to the game in the Goodison sunshine until Osman released Rodwell who went on a great run down the right and won a corner that Jagielka headed onto the bar. Then Beckford did well to turn the ball away from his defender, but clipped his shot high and wide.
A fantastic free-kick delivery from Baines could have been better used by Rodwell, who seem surprised it reached him in a very threatening position. But it was Chelsea who mounted a half-decent attack at the other end. Coleman did brilliantly to get behind the Chelsea defence, but just could not pull the trigger before Cole blocked his shot.
Then it was Osman's turn to break into the area but he was sandwiched and then fouled; however, the howls ofor a penalty were obstinately ignored, Peter Walton deciding that Alex got the ball away from Osman fairly. But Everton were playing well and taking the game to Chelsea, Baines and Jagielka playing a lovely one-two but the final ball did not reach Rodwell.
Chelsea looked to cut too easily through the Everton defence and set up Anelka but Distin blocked his shot brilliantly. Heitinga then clattered Essien and earned a yellow card on 25 mins. Essien then blatantly dived under attention from Arteta to earn a free-kick off Walton and the full ire of the Goodison faithful.
After a good spell, Everton were squandering possession too easily by passing directly to their opponents, and almost inviting Chelsea to come forward. But Arteta did win a free-kick when Mikel tripped him from behind. After discussions, Arteta fed Baines laterally but the Player of the Season, struck it very poorly.
Beckford then got free on the left and ran in brilliantly and looked to shoot with Osman and Coleman very well placed but his effort ended up horribly off-target across the face of goal and totally wasted. On half-time, Anelka got hold of one from distance and tested Howard not once but twice.
Second half and Everton attacking the Gwladys Street. Coleman almost immediately got a yellow for walking into Cole. Coleman then won a very dangerous free-kick that Arteta clipped off the top of the wall, no real danger from Arteta's corner. Coleman won another free-kick and it looked like some nice football down the left but the nove broke down when the ball went through Arteta's legs.
Baines was the next yellow card, for sliding in on Maluda, and then ironic cheers for Alex getting carded for a foul on Beckford as the temperature of the game rose significantly. Coleaman dived in too aggressively on Malouda who writhed around in agony again, and the Chelsea players saw their chance to go after Coleman, getting the referee to produce his second yellow and red for Coleman.
Goodison was livid, but it seemed to inspire the insipid and cheating Chelsea players ,more, Terry, firing in a vicious shot off Howard's post. Beckford did very well to collect a forward ball away from Alex and advance on Cech but his shot was straight at Cech, who had advanced off his line. Everton put together a lovely move but Rodwell spoilt it with a very poor shot off target. A classic Beckford moment, out wide, with a man to beat, he just loses the ball!
Another good moved really looked to threaten but Osman could not beat the second man. Arteta's corners were better but still no clear chances Arteta ten got a gift off a clearance but Arteta's drive was inches wide. Alex then blocked Beckford with his arms on the half-way line. Yellow Card? No chance... "The referee's a shithouse!" rang out.
Baines delivered a great ball to the far post where Osman was coming in a little too late. Distin powered Arteta's corner over the angle. Hibbert barged Cole a little unnecessarily and drew more pressure that eventually saw the ball in the net off Terry, but the Chelsea scorer was thankfully flagged offside.
Everton's purple patch looked to have passed as Chelsea increased the intensity of their attacks, and piled forward, but Beckford incredibly picked up the ball off one such attack deep in the Everton half and went on the most unbelievable run, fortunate on a couple of occasions especially at the end when he somehow bundled the ball through three defenders and was free to advance on Cech, he took his time and clipped it over Cech, who got a solid hand to it, but the ball arched up beautifully and fell just inside the far post for a most excellent goal from the much maligned and enigmatically frustrating League One striker. Everton Striker (Cost £0M) 1; Chelsea Strikers (Cost £100Ms) – Nill!!!
With 12 mins to go, Anichebe replaced Beckford, the goalscorer receiving a glowing accolade from all but the Chelsea fans as he walked off, his spirit and determination the perfect foil for the cheating diving snarky millions that Chelsea and their ref represented.
Chelsea prodded and probed, while Everton tried their hand at counter-attacking football, Heitinga releasing Anichebe down the left. But Big Vic chose to hold the ball up and wait for the Everton Calvary, then planted a pointless cross in well way from everyone. Tim Cahill came on for Captain Arteta on 90 mins, presumably a cameo so he could receive adulation from the crowd as Everton's top Premier League scorer this season, with 4 nervy minutes of added time to play.
The highlight of added time was the pathetic figure of Fernando Torres, lashing out at Heitinga and picking up a yellow card, much to the amusement of the crowd, who were in increasingly bouyant mood as the whistle approached
Everton finished the game confident of securing a Magnificent Seventh place in the Premier League, the manager and players strolling around the Goodison pitch nonchalantly on their Lap of Appreciation..
Michael Kenrick
Everton bring the curtain down on 2010-11 with an ostensibly meaningless fixture with Chelsea, finishing a season that promised so much at the outset, threatened to derail completely early on and could end with a healthy seventh-place finish. The Blues need a point to secure that seventh spot while Chelsea's goal difference means that they will finish as runners up to Manchester United irrespective of what happens at Goodison Park this Sunday.
David Moyes eschewed the opportunity to play some of the more fringe players at the Hawthorns last weekend until the closing stages when he threw on Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and the Russian capped what has been a miserable campaign for him personally with (an admittedly harsh) straight red card.
He'll begin a three-match suspension that will carry over to next season... which may or may not be Everton's problem, depending on whether he stays at Goodison beyond the summer. A perplexingly enigmatic player, Bily has clearly struggled to find his feet in the Premier League despite scoring some truly magnificent goals and Moyes may feel that he is unable to coax enough workrate or consistency out of the £9m man.
The manager has a few options to change things if he is so motivated. Jermaine Beckford could be given a start against the team he denied victory with a late equaliser back in December. Victor Anichebe unfortunately spurned the one real chance that fell his way in his last three starts at West Brom but Moyes could give him one more run-out up front, if only to put him in the shop window as rumours suggest the club will listen to offers for the Nigerian international in the close season.
He is the only first-teamer beyond Louis Saha and Marouane Fellaini who is certain to not be available — neither of those two longer-term casualties recovered in time to figure before the end of the campaign — but Tim Cahill remains doubtful.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are without Yossi Benayoun and Ramires who have hamstring injuries and Jose Boswinga because of a knee injury.
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* Everton deducted 8 pts; † Forest deducted 4 pts for PSR breachView full table
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