Chelsea kept their dreams of a treble-winning season alive by booking their place in the last 16 of the FA Cup with a 4-1 fourth-round replay win at home to Premiership rivals Everton in London on Wednesday.
Chelsea were 3-0 up at half-time with Dutch winger Arjen Robben putting the English champions, 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League, ahead.
Frank Lampard made it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the 36th minute after Shaun Wright-Phillips was fouled in the box, and three minutes later England midfielder Lampard provided a cross that Hernan Crespo nodded in.
Everton pulled a goal back thanks to Mikel Arteta’s 72-minute penalty after Robert Huth handled, but minutes later Chelsea captain John Terry made it 4-1.
Chelsea, who face Spanish giants Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League, continue their FA Cup campaign at home to League One side Colchester later this month.
In the day’s other fourth-round replay, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s goal was good enough to give Premiership strugglers Middlesbrough a 1-0 win over Championship outfit Coventry at the Riverside.
Boro’s reward was a match against another side from English football’s second tier, Preston North End. — Sapa-AFP