Chelsea unstuck by Toffees
CHELSEA assistant Ray Wilkins confirmed John Terry will miss this weekend’s FA Cup clash after the captain endured a night to forget at the hands of Louis Saha.
Everton striker Saha got the better of Terry to score two goals as the Toffees came from a goal down to end Chelsea’s 10-match unbeaten run.
Chelsea, who took the lead through Florent Malouda, remain top but their lead over Manchester United has been cut to just one point.
Terry is set to fly to Dubai to see his wife and children following a series of allegations about his private life which have seen him stripped of the England captaincy.
But while Wilkins confirmed Terry had been excused from the fifth-round tie with Cardiff, he defended the centre-back’s struggle to cope with Saha.
“I think you have got to give Louis Saha a bit of credit because he is a tough opponent to play against,” he said. “John got caught under the ball for the second one but that was probably thinking Saha might have been going over the top to win it.
“But John has been absolutely outstanding for us all season, so if it was a mistake from John I am sure it was just the slightest of blips.”
Malouda put the visitors in front on 17 minutes when Didier Drogba flicked on a Petr Cech goal kick and the France winger fired low into the far corner. Saha levelled on 33 minutes when he evaded Terry to head home Landon Donovan’s teasing near-post corner, and was denied another when Cech saved his penalty in first half stoppage time.
But the Frenchman struck again with 15 minutes left, outmuscling Terry on the edge of the box before lashing a left-foot volley past Cech.