TEN-man Chelsea surged into the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup with a character-filled injury time winner at Everton.
Chelsea should have lead on the quarter hour when Josh McEachran was felled in the box by John Heitinga.
With Frank Lampard on the bench, it was Nicolas Anelka who stepped up to take the resulting penalty – one he casually sliced wide of Jan Mucha's net to jeers from both sets of supporters.
If the penalty was bizarre, then Chelsea's goal was even more so.
Saloman Kalou started on the left of a forward three and his lofted high cross-cum-shot in the 39th minute appeared to be heading for the crossbar. Mucha’s reach for it was more safety measure, but he only succeeded in parrying it into his own net.
There was more goalkeeping drama at the other end in the second half when Ross Turnbull flapped at an oncoming Luis Saha and got his marching orders.
There was certainly contact, though even the most partisan of Everton fans concluded it was a soft red card, with the keeper not even the last man.
Petr Cech (pic) was brought on for the ensuing penalty, and immediately proved his worth.
Leighton Baines slotted the ball low and left, but Cech got down to it. Baines then hooked high for the rebound, which Cech again gloriously saved.
But for the second time in a week, Chelsea were plugging on with a side short of the full 11, and there was inevitability about the equaliser.
Louis Saha leaped to turn a glancing header past Cech with seven minutes remaining – just like he’s done against Chelsea so many times in the past.
The came coursed into extra time, with the London Blues looking the better side despite playing a man short – after all, they are getting used to it.
But the red card count got balanced in the second extra period when Royston Drenthe was shown a second yellow for a foul on Ryan Bertrand.
Chelsea took total command and staked out the Everton box. Florent Malouda sent a long-range shot straight at Mucha, which the keeper again inexpertly parried – this time Daniel Sturridge made no mistake to send his team into the last eight.
