Everton v Chelsea player ratings

Chelsea’s wretched season reached a new low as defeat against Everton in the FA Cup quarter-finals ended their last hopes of a trophy. Here’s how we rated the players in the 2-0 loss at Goodison Park.

Thibaut Courtois: 6
Made one fine save to thwart Romelu Lukaku with the score 0-0 but was hardly involved until the final 15 minutes. Cannot be blamed for either goal but will probably think he could have done better on both occasions.

Cesar Azpilicueta: 5
Plenty of endeavour, a faultless attitude and was generally safe in defence. But the right-back was ineffective in the final third and was one of several players culpable for the opening goal.

Gary Cahill: 6
Got in a terrible mess as he backed off trying to deal with Lukaku but had done well before then, defending bravely and making numerous good blocks.

Branislav Ivanovic: 6
Like Cahill, the Serbian had seemed comfortable against the brute strength of Lukaku but when it counted he failed to use his own considerable power effectively. Played well for the most part, but needed to do better at the crucial moments.

Kenedy: 5
Was dangerous in attack on several occasions only to fail to pick out a final pass. Had a tough time dealing with Aaron Lennon.

John Mikel Obi: 5
Needed to step up to the challenge more. Going through the motions was not good enough in a game Chelsea had to win – or at least avoid defeat.

Nemanja Matic: 5
Typified Chelsea’s display in that he did okay without imposing himself. Tended to let things happen rather than make things happen. Won a decent amount of possession and kept the ball well, but was too ponderous and part of a midfield that allowed themselves to be flustered.

Cesc Fabregas: 6
Did the ugly things well enough but was unable to find the bit of quality to unlock the Everton defence. Has improved immeasurably since the early stages of the season, but needed more assistance from those around him – most notably from wide areas.

Pedro: 6
The best of a pretty poor bunch in a disjointed stacking display. There was precious little quality on show from Chelsea, but the Spaniard provided a few promising moments and his work-rate and spirit never dropped.

Willian: 5
A rare forgettable performance from the Brazilian, who was bullied and battered throughout and never seemed to settle.

Diego Costa: 5
Was impressive with the ball in the face of constant provocation but the good work was ruined by the ridiculous red card. Lacked support but held the ball up well, made countless good runs and was desperately unlucky not to score with the score at 0-0.

Oscar: 4
Only on the pitch for 17 minutes but his pathetic attempt to win the ball ended up being the game’s decisive moment. The Brazilian dangled his foot in to win possession, was easily beaten and the hosts broke away to take the lead.