Everton vs. Chelsea, FA Cup: Half-time report

A good old-fashioned, full-blooded helter-skelter cup tie then.  Little threat of any actual football being played.  All about desire, will, and who can get whom sent off first.  The odds are not in Diego Costa's favor, though he's defied such odds before.

Meanwhile, Cesar Azpilicueta can't complete a pass, Willian doesn't want to make a pass, Cesc Fabregas is a non-entity, and Kenedy's trying his best to get Baba back into the starting lineup.  Not that Everton's collection of core of dramatic actors have done much better or much different.

In a way, none of this is unexpected.  This is by far the biggest game left for either team.  The winner will get one even bigger of course, but for the loser, this is the season.  On this, everything may depend.  There's no time to play proper football when such things are on the line.

So onwards we must work, fight, scratch.  Everton's work-rate and closing down has been commendable so far, but surely they can't keep that up.  Meanwhile, Chelsea could get tired as the game wears on.  There's no way this ends 0-0, or with 22 still on the pitch.

COME ON, CHELSEA!