After years of waiting we had finally made it: The Champions League Final

This is something I have been working on for a few months now, when I had the idea of writing an e-book on my experiences following Chelsea from the arrival of Jose Mourinho in 2004 to the present day. Let me know what you think.

I will never forget the night of April 30th 2008. Chelsea 3-2 Liverpool, 4-3 on aggregate. It meant we were going to Moscow and the first Champions League final in our history. The atmosphere at the Bridge that night was unlike anything I have ever heard, then or since. It was incredible and made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The Matthew Harding Stand was literally shaking and my vocal chords took one almighty pounding.

After the pain of the semi final defeat in 2007 and the five-hour coach journey back from Anfield this was sweet revenge. If you had said to my Dad 20 years ago that he would have the chance to see his team in a Champions League final he would have thrown his head back and laughed. But in 2008 it became sweet reality.

There was no doubt in my mind that we would go, could we really miss the biggest game in the club’s history? My Dad required a bit of persuading I’ll admit. Initially he decided we wouldn’t be going. It would cost us near enough £1,000 each and I had A Level exams – my future – to worry about. I needed two As and a B to get into university and a Politics resit was on the Friday after the final.

I began to resign myself to defeat and tried my best to keep my head buried in books instead of up in the clouds dreaming of a Chelsea triumph in Moscow.

The Luzhniki Stadium

Then my Dad realised – he might never see this day again. I have my whole life ahead of me. He had just hit 50 and who knows what the future holds? We took the plunge: we got tickets and return flights for just under £1,000 each. All that was left was to wait for the day to roll around. I vividly remember working in the pub in the run up to the final and dreaming dreams of triumph during quiet moments, with Dad the other side of the bar nursing a pint and no doubt doing the same thing.

I could think of nothing else. This was the biggest game in Chelsea’s history and of my life. Winning the Premier League, Carling Cup and FA Cup was special but nothing would compare to the Champions League. The Holy Grail.

The game dominated my every waking moment. These are the moments that every football fan lives for.

Since this was no ordinary game, our preparations were that extra bit special. We bought home shirts with the match details on it and my Dad got a banner made. It read: ‘Chelsea is our name, keep the faith…With special thanks to Rafa and Riise’. Our gratitude to the Norwegian was self-explanatory. His own goal at the end of the semi final first leg proved crucial. Benitez also helped us get to Moscow – by taking off Fernando Torres when the Reds still had a chance to win the tie.

The banner we had made for the game

Gatwick airport. 7:00am, 21st May 2008. This it. We are sitting in the airport’s departure lounge, nursing a Magners over ice. I have been up since 4am. A four-hour flight lies ahead of us. Our pre-flight chat was on one subject and one subject only. The papers were full of news and comment on what for many was the biggest game of football since 1966. I was an absolute nervous wreck.

The hours before kick off flew by. We got lost for a while amidst the hustle and bustle of Moscow, eventually managed to find the stadium and then milled around in the fan zone before heading through the turnstiles to our seats. We were right above the tunnel, Row 16. For a long period of time I just stood there and took it all in, I do not think what I was witnessing had quite dawned on me. This was beyond my wildest dreams.

40 years on from Munich, Manchester United fans believed this would be their night

The big screens were playing classic finals moments on a loop – United’s incredible comeback in Barcelona, Zidane’s volley in 2001, and ‘that night in Istanbul’.

When kick off actually came my stomach felt like a mass of jelly. We started sloppily and should have been a couple of goals down within the first half an hour. We were being run ragged. Ronaldo put the United ahead just before the half hour mark and my heart sank. My legs were aching – I was far too nervous to sit down. I belted out the usual Chelsea chants and tried to keep my hopes up. After all, there was after all a long way to go.

Just before half time we leveled things up. Michael Essien hit a shot and the ball deflected through to Frank Lampard, who stroked the ball past a stranded Edwin Van der Sar. The pandemonium in the Chelsea end was simply unforgettable, I’ve never experienced a feeling quite like it. Gone was my usual reserved nature. I exploded into life, fueled by a cocktail of heady jubilation.

Like most of the night, the half time break was a blur. As the second half progressed I became more and more convinced that this would be our night. The Chelsea side I witnessed in the second half bore no relation to the lethargic imposters I had watched with such despair in the first period.

We had been through so much to reach this moment – Monaco, Barcelona, Liverpool (twice) – I began to develop an iron conviction that we would do it. Every year I had got my hopes up only to have them dashed. Surely tonight would be the night?

We came agonsingly close. Didier Drogba could have won it in normal time but his shot cannoned off the post. Extra-time came and with every passing minute the horrible spectre of penalties loomed ever larger.

This was the scene just before kick off

The pivotal moment in extra time came in the 116th minute. Didier Drogba once again displayed the unsavoury side to his character by slapping Nemanja Vidic. This occurred over the other side of the pitch to where I was standing and confusion reigned in the immediate aftermath of the incident. Someone behind me shouted out that it was Terry that had been given his marching orders.

Then as Drogba trudged towards the tunnel it all became clear. He received some hefty abuse from the fans around me and while I did not join them, I could understand their reaction. Drogba had done his team no good and put them at a disadvantage with a bout of immature petulance. That short walk must have felt like miles for him.

As the whistle blew for the end of extra time I let out a groan. I did not want it to end like this. Chelsea’s record at this point in penalty shootouts was quite frankly shocking: you would had to have gone back to a cup game against Ipswich in 1998 to find the last time we triumphed from the spot. But still, ever the optimist I tried to believe.

The banner making its first appearance

To be perfectly honest, given how things panned out I have repressed nearly all of the penalty shoot out. The misses by Ronaldo, Terry and Anelka I remember. When the Portugal international stuttered in his run up and then saw his kick parried by Cech the reaction in the Chelsea section of the ground was sheer mayhem. Supporters around me were celebrating like we had won the thing as John Terry stepped forward in the driving rain and readied himself for the kick that could win us the Champions League.

What happened next was an iconic moment, a passage of time that will never leave the conscience of any fan watching the match. Terry slipped as he took his kick and the ball brushed the post. Van Der Sar had gone the other way and was beaten. A wall of noise from the United end hit me like a slap in the face. Terry lay on the wet turf, crestfallen. A sickening feeling of despair swept over me. I knew then that we had lost it.

Anelka’s soft spot kick was academic. I could tell just by observing his run up and general demeanor that he was going to miss.

The United fans and players were mad with joy and celebrated as such. There are some moments in life that just leave you speechless. What could we say after witnessing what we had just seen?

We stayed to see the United players lift the trophy just to the left of where we were sitting. As the seats around me emptied I sat back down and looked around. The United players were parading the trophy in front of their fans and rogue streams of ticker tape were blowing around the pitch. The dejected Chelsea players and staff were long gone.

Frank Lampard salutes the fans as he leaves the pitch

I tilted my head back despairingly and looked up to the sky and contemplated the now undoubtedly nightmarish journey home that awaited me. I had no idea how right I would be.

The biting Moscow night cut through me as I walked with my Dad to our pick up point. Hordes of fans from both sides were everywhere, under the watchful guard of the Russian army and police. We didn’t have to wait long to catch a bus. As I sat back in my seat the piercing silence said it all. By this point I’d been awake for nearly 24 hours and I drifted off to sleep, occasionally being jerked awake as our bus meandered its way through the streets of the Russian capital towards Vnukovo airport.

My sense of time was hazy by this point. It was the early hours of the morning Russian time when we walked through the airport towards our gate. What awaited us was akin to a scene from a disaster movie. Hordes of people were massed in front of the departure gates. Amidst all of the confusion I managed to spot a handful of Chelsea’s youth team, which diverted attention away from our predicament for a minute or two.

The procedure Thomas Cook chose for getting us back home was a curious one. We were not given a specific flight back. Instead we went to whichever gate had a flight going back to the airport from where we came from. We would be in the air by 3am at the latest they said.

Avram Grant, in what turned out to be his last game as Chelsea manager

Suffice to say this did not work too well in practice. Nothing seemed to happen and the hours passed. Frustrations boiled over and our Thomas Cook reps were in the firing line. When we finally got to the front of the gate we were told our plane had a cracked windscreen. A replacement would have to be flown in. ETA?

12pm.

A rueful smile passed over my face, I was too tired to get worked up about it. People were angry, and the fact that we had lost did not help matters. If we had won I would have been on such a high that I would have probably had a go at fixing the cracked windscreen and then offered to fly the bloody plane as well.

I found a few spare seats and tried to get some sleep. A bar close by had a Russian news channel on, which showed highlights of the game every 20 minutes or so. I did not need much extra incentive to doze off by this point – but here was some more.

The replacement plane came and that afternoon – nine hours later than planned – we were finally on our way home. My phone picked up a flurry of texts when we landed. Most expressed sympathy and said how unlucky we were. I stepped through my front door at 6pm on Thursday, 42 hours after me and my Dad had set off.

When I say to people that I was in Moscow they often say how disappointing it must have been. While it was, my memories of the day are bittersweet. My Dad saw something he never thought he would see in his wildest dreams, as did many of the 21,000 Chelsea fans in the Luzhniki on that night. We witnessed history. Chelsea’s first Champions League final and the first all English one to boot.

We will do it one day, and the pain of Moscow will make that eventual triumph all the sweeter.

It is something that will always stay with me.

Ashley Cole celebrates his goal, which set Chelsea on their way to a 3-0 win. Photo from the Daily Telegraph

Recent clashes between these two London rivals have been the stage for many Chelsea defenders to make themselves unlikely heroes: Juliano Belletti scored has scored twice against Spurs and both William Gallas and Ricardo Carvalho have hit memorable winning goals.

Yesterday Ashley Cole added his name to that list. The left back stooped low to head beyond Carlo Cudicini just past the half hour mark to set Carlo Ancelotti’s side on their way to a win that keeps them top of the Premier League and maintains their 100% start to the season.

But to pretend this was all plain sailing for the home side would be wrong. Harry Redknapp’s team looked the most likely to take the lead before Cole scored, and Robbie Keane was adamant he had won a penalty minutes into the second half which could have changed the complexion of the game.

Jose Bosingwa came the closest of any Chelsea player to opening the scoring with seven minutes on the clock, hitting the angle between post and bar, but apart from that it was Spurs who could lay claim to creating the best chances.

Wilson Palacios put Jermain Defoe through for the away side’s first opportunity, but the England striker’s shot was blocked by Cech. Tom Huddlestone and Jermaine Jenas also came close to finding the net – demonstrating why Spurs had a 100% record before last weekend’s meeting with Manchester United.

Then with just over 30 minutes gone Chelsea took the lead. Those inside Stamford Bridge could hardly believe the sight of Cole wheeling away in celebration, having headed in from Didier Drogba’s cross. The former Arsenal man has now scored in consecutive league games.

Drogba had the last chance of the first half, firing a free kick into the Spurs wall.

Two minutes into the second period it should have been 2-0, Drogba pulled the ball back for Lampard in the penalty area and everyone expected the net to bulge. However, the usually clinical midfielder shot wide when many would have put money on him scoring.

Ledley King – who had gone down injured in the course of the move – was forced off, and Alan Hutton replaced him.

The game then turned decisively on 54 minutes. Robbie Keane raced into the box and appeared to be caught by Carvalho but no penalty was given. The striker was incredulous, running to remonstrate with referee Howard Webb. A spot kick could have given Spurs a way back into the game, but minutes later Chelsea doubled their lead.

Didier Drogba powers home Chelsea's third. Photo from the official Chelsea web site.

Lampard turned provider after Cudicini had parried Drogba’s shot, and Michael Ballack was on hand to put the ball into the net.

Five minutes later it was three. Cole played a high ball over the top and Drogba held off Vedran Corluka and bore down on goal. The Croatia defender attempted to nick the ball away from the Ivorian, but in doing so only diverted the ball past his keeper, and Drogba smashed the ball in for good measure.

Chelsea could have had a penalty of their own soon afterwards. The ball struck Benoit Assou-Ekotto’s arm from a Lampard free kick, but it wasn’t spotted by Howard Webb.

Substitute Peter Crouch came close to scoring for Tottenham, sending a shot from 25 yards out not far over the bar.

John Obi Mikel – who replaced Ballack – sent in a volley that squirmed under Cudicini and was then pushed round the post by the Italian stopper.

An injury apiece on either side then broke up the play and gave everyone a chance to catch their breath. First Sebastian Bassong fell awkwardly when challenging with Nicolas Anelka, and then Drogba went down after slicing a shot.

His replacement, Salomon Kalou, struck the post as eight minutes of injury time were signaled. He was joined up top by 18-year-old Fabio Borini, who made his first team debut.

This is the club’s 11th successive league win. Life continues to be good for Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea.

Up and running: Nicolas Anelka celebrates his strike which gave the Blues all three points. Photo courtesy of the Guardian.

As far as first steps on the road to potential Champions League glory go, this was a fairly uninspiring start for Chelsea.

Carlo Ancelotti will pleased with the three points – which were secured with a strike just after half time from Nicolas Anelka – but he will know that his side can play much better than this. The Italian could counter that at this stage it is points, not performances that matter. And these points were gained without the likes of Didier Drogba, Jose Bosingwa, Joe Cole and Yuri Zhirkov.

On a rain sodden night in West London Frank Lampard was the first player to get an effort on target, forcing Porto’s Helton into making a save.

The Portuguese champions then had two efforts at goal in a frantic opening few minutes. First Hulk let rip with a shot that Cech chose to save with his legs. From the resulting corner Rodriguez, under pressure from Michael Essien, headed over.

With eight minutes on the clock there was a coming together between the captains – John Terry and Bruno Alves – and the England defender needed treatment before being able to continue.

Lampard was getting right into the thick of things, setting up Nicolas Anelka for a shot on goal and having two chances himself, both of which he squandered.

Michael Ballack and Salomon Kalou came as close as any Chelsea player to opening the scoring when they both slid in and just failed to make contact with a teasing Branislav Ivanovic cross.

But as the game began to drift towards half time, the Blues began to concede possession cheaply and Porto could so easily have taken the lead. Gaurin found himself in space but could only head over the bar. His team mate Raul Meireles also found himself unmarked but again he couldn’t get his effort on target.

Then just minutes after the restart Ancelotti’s side took the lead. Kalou was the provider, prodding the ball through to Anelka, who finished nimbly at the second time of asking after his initial shot had been saved by Helton.

Florent Malouda nearly made it two five minutes later, however his header only hit the side netting.

The game was played on a wet night in West London. Photo courtesy of the official Chelsea web site.

Ivanovic – deputising for Bosingwa at right back then sent in another excellent cross on 58 minutes and Helton had to be at his best to keep out Kalou’s header.

1-0 is always a precarious winning margin, as Chelsea found to their heartbreaking cost against Barcelona last season, and, aided by some slack play from the home side, Porto sensed they could get something from this game.

This translated into shots from Hulk, Guarin, Falcao and Varela as those inside Stamford Bridge nervously waited for the final whistle to go.

There was still time for Fernando to be shown a second yellow card for a late tackle on Ashley Cole.

When the final whistle blew the sense of relief around the stadium was tangible. An improvement will need to be made on this performance, but there is a long way to Madrid yet.

The Blues continued where they left off against Sunderland in midweek, spraying the ball across the pitch and dominating possession. Fulham’s players found themselves chasing shadows for much of this contest. But despite Chelsea’s seemingly iron grip on possession, Mark Schwarzer was an untroubled spectator for the majority of the first half.

It was Fulham that had the first notable effort of the match – Clint Dempsey turning and hitting a shot over Petr Cech’s crossbar.

A foul by Aaron Hughes presented Chelsea with their first opportunity. Drogba – who scored from a set piece in the Blues’ opening day win over Hull – lurked with intent but it was Michael Ballack who struck. The German’s shot was always rising and didn’t trouble Schwarzer.

The away side’s next two efforts came from unlikely sources – John Obi Mikel and John Terry both trying their luck from range.

Ancelotti would have no doubt been pleased that his side was exerting such a stranglehold on the game, but they had nothing tangible to show for their efforts.

Drogba changed that seven minutes before the break. The Ivorian, judged to be onside, latched on to Anelka’s through ball and dispatched his shot past Schwarzer for his third goal in as many league games.

For the first time this season Chelsea had opened the scoring in a Premier League encounter, and Ancelotti could breathe a sigh of relief as he made his way back to the dressing room.

The second half was a near mirror image of the first, but there was a spell when Fulham put some pressure on Chelsea and the home crowd found their voice. At 1-0 there was still danger for the Blues.

Chelsea weathered the storm and continued their search for the goal that would kill the game. Lampard and Malouda both screwed efforts wide, and Drogba forced Schwarzer into action from a tight angle.

When the second goal arrived, it was a role reversal of the first. This time Drogba turned provider for Anelka, who took the ball past Schwarzer and then tapped it into the net.

Erik Nevland, on as a substitute for Bobby Zamora, hit a shot over the bar as Ancelotti’s side ran down time on a comfortable victory.

Sterner tests are sure to come, but the early signs look promising for Carlo Ancelotti.

Picture courtsey of the Daily Telegraph

As far as new dawns go, the early days of life under Carlo Ancelotti have gone swimmingly for Chelsea.

A trophy in the cabinet at the first opportunity with a first penalty shootout victory in over 10 years and six points from six in the Premier League. You could hardly ask for more.

Didier Drogba appears revitalised, Frank Lampard his usual self.

Even the much-maligned Deco is playing well. He was in scintillating form in the Blues’ 3-1 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, so much so that the Portuguese midfielder got a standing ovation from the home fans when he was substituted.

With both Liverpool and Manchester United slipping to early season defeats – to Tottenham and Burnley respectively – many are tipping Ancelotti’s men to take the title back to West London for the first time in three years.

But history makes me cautious. I can’t help but feel a sense of deja vu.

Last season also began well for Chelsea, hammering Portsmouth 4-0 at Stamford Bridge. Deco followed up his well-taken finish in that game to give his side a 1-0 victory over Wigan with a brilliant free kick.

Us Chelsea fans thought we had a real star on our hands, and pundits couldn’t see any other outcome than Luiz Felipe Scolari winning the league in his maiden season at the club. I’ll admit to getting slightly carried away during the early part of last season. I was practically purring at the football we were playing. The match reports I filed for games against the likes of Aston Villa (2-0) and Middlesbrough (5-0) reflect this.

Then things began to unravel. Teams began to fathom the secret to Scolari’s briefly dazzling Brazilian blend.

Once Jose Bosingwa and Ashley Cole were neutralised, Chelsea began to run into problems. They had no width. Faced with a defensively resolute side Scolari’s team appeared lacking in ideas and points were soon dropped. Deco’s form took a remarkable nosedive and he bore no resemblance to the midfielder that won the player of the month award for August.

The squad that Ancelotti has at his disposal is basically the same, and watching the Hull City game I couldn’t get over how much it reminded me of so many games under the Brazilian last season.

Bosingwa and Cole were relied upon for the width, and frustration soon ensued when Hull looked like they would hold firm for a draw. A fortunate Drogba goal – his second of the match – ensured Ancelotti began with three points, but the Italian was minutes away from making a very inauspicious start to life in England.

Manchester United – Chelsea’s main title rivals over the past four years – have been written off by many due to the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. It appeared as if these claims have been given further weight by last night’s shock 1-0 loss to Burnley. But Sir Alex Ferguson’s men are notoriously slow starters domestically.

The league is contested over 38 games. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Of course there are differences between Scolari and Ancelotti and their teams.

Ancelotti has top level European experience with AC Milan, winning a league title and two Champions League trophies. Scolari had a World Cup on his CV but no experience in Europe.

One crucial difference in terms of personnel is Ancelotti has a fully fit and motivated Drogba to call upon right from the off, and is willing to pair him up front with Nicolas Anelka, which is something that Scolari seemed reluctant to do.

The brooding striker has been talismanic for Chelsea since his arrival from Marseille in 2004 and it is hard to see him being anything but during the season ahead. He could prove the key difference between the reigns of the two. If Ancelotti can call on a fit Drogba for most of the season then he may well succeed where Scolari failed.

Without the benefit of a crystal ball it is hard to predict how the rest of the season will pan out. Things look good for the Blues at the moment, but I think it is worth bearing in mind that Blues fans felt exactly the same a year ago.

As the old saying goes, “once bitten, twice shy”. Only time will tell if my caution is warranted.

Frank Lampard celebrates scoring Chelsea's winning goal

As Guus Hiddink stood clasping the FA Cup on a sweltering May afternoon at Wembley he could reflect on a job very well done. When he took charge of Chelsea in February the club was in danger of going into free fall. But the Dutchman has ended his short tenure at the club in the best possible fashion, winning the club’s fifth FA Cup and their first trophy for two years.

Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard were the heroes on the day as the Blues recovered from an absolutely disastrous start.

Most inside Wembley had hardly got to their seats when – from Marouane Fellaini’s header – Louis Saha lashed the ball past Petr Cech after just 25 seconds to send the Everton fans into ecstasy. It is the fastest goal in FA Cup Final history.

Chelsea seemed unable to settle, with Alex in particular looking nervy. But as time wore on they composed themselves, and began to gain possession and exert some control over proceedings.

Tony Hibbert picked up the game’s first yellow card for taking down Florent Malouda. Lampard rather carelessly blasted the resulting free kick high over the bar.

Michael Essien followed suit a couple of minutes later, but then parity was restored and inevitably it was Drogba who got the goal. The Ivorian lost Joleon Lescott and headed the ball past Tim Howard from Malouda’s left wing cross. It kept up his extraordinary record of scoring in every domestic cup final he has appeared in.

The Dutchman has ended his short tenure at the club in the best possible fashion, winning the club’s fifth FA Cup and their first trophy for two years.

The momentum had swung in Chelsea’s favour, and Ashley Cole could have added a second when he broke into the box, but wildly shot wide.

Hibbert was hauled of by David Moyes at half time and replaced by Lars Jacobsen after a less than sparkling first half performance. Malouda was a constant threat and the Scot seemed unable to stop the winger.

But the change had little effect – Hiddink’s side still looked in the ascendency. Malouda volleyed over and Saha had a rare chance for Everton, but he couldn’t find the target.

John Terry and Frank Lampard lift the trophy - Chelsea's first in two years

After an hour Nicolas Anelka attempted to lob Howard, but put too much into his effort and it went over the bar.

Shortly afterwards Hiddink made his first substitution, sending Michael Ballack on in place of the subdued Essien.

Having had little to do in the second half, Cech had to be alert to keep out a fizzing shot from Tim Cahill.

Saha then had a glorious chance to put his side back into the lead. Leighton Baines whipped a free kick into the box and Saha rose to head over the top, Chelsea breathed a sigh of relief.

That relief then turned to sheer joy as Lampard struck what turned out to be the winning goal.

Collecting Ballack’s pass, the England international turned Neville and hit a strike that found its way past Howard, despite the American stopper getting a hand to it.

One corner of Wembley erupted and Lampard ran to the corner flag and around it, a copy of his father’s celebration when he scored against Everton for West Ham in the semi final stage of this competition in 1980.

An Everton response never seemed likely after that hammer blow. Indeed, the deficit could and should have been greater when Malouda let fly from 35 yards out and struck the crossbar. The ball bounced down and over the line, but Howard Webb didn’t give it.

Not that it mattered. Chelsea played out time and secured a fully deserved cup triumph. Guus Hiddink will return to Russia with the warm words of both supporters and players ringing in his ears.

Many Chelsea fans would have been happy with a top four finish when he took the reigns in West London. He leaves having left an indelible mark on a football club that faces another period of change and upheaval. But for now they can savour the return of the winning feeling they had grown so accustomed to experiencing under Jose Mourinho.

Three goals were scored in a frantic opening 10 minutes as Guus Hiddink ditched his preferred 4-3-3 formation for a 4-4-2 with Drogba and Anelka paired together up front.

The first came after just 51 seconds. Malouda played a one-two with Anelka and then sent in a cross that Drogba diverted into the path of the Frenchman, who finished with aplomb.

Three minutes later Fulham were back on level terms. Brazilian defender Alex was caught out by Danny Murphy’s lofted pass and Erik Nevland ran through and hit a shot that Petr Cech managed to get a touch to, but couldn’t stop going into the corner of the net.

But soon enough Chelsea regained the lead, Anelka released Drogba and the Ivorian’s cross was turned in by Malouda.

Not content with just the one goal advantage, Hiddink’s side continued to attack. Drogba had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside and both Frank Lampard and Michael Essien had efforts on goal.

Fulham weren’t totally out of it, with goal scorer Nevland volleying over and Zoltan Gera having a shot deflected over by Blues’ skipper John Terry.

At half time Hiddink brought on Branislav Ivanovic and Michael Ballack for Alex and Michael Essien, clearly with Wednesday’s game in mind.

Seven minutes into the second half Chelsea had the cushion of another goal. Anelka threaded a near-perfect ball through the Fulham defence into the path of Drogba, who took a touch before firing home.

A couple of minutes later he went down injured after a clash with John Pantsil, causing some concern on the Chelsea bench. But after some treatment he was OK to continue.

With the result not in much doubt, how many more goals Chelsea would score seemed to be the only question left to be answered.

Lampard came close to adding a fourth with a free kick, but Mark Schwarzer was equal to it, tipping the ball over the bar.

Anelka again combined with Drogba but he could only fire wide. He was replaced by Franco Di Santo with six minutes remaining, having put in an encouraging display that suggest him and Anelka can work together to devastating effect.

The home side then played out time for three points and a comfortable win that will stand them in good stead for the visit of Barcelona on Wednesday.

This result all but ends the Blues’ hopes of securing an unlikely fourth league title, leaving them to focus on the Champions League and FA Cup.

After his side’s cup exploits at the weekend, Everton boss David Moyes made a number of changes from the side that knocked Manchester United 4-2 on penalties. Guus Hiddink, meanwhile, stuck with the same side that defeated Arsenal.

There appeared to be no tired legs from the home team as they dominated possession, but despite this it was Everton who had the best chances, and in particular their Brazilian striker Jo.

The lanky forward had two good chances in the first period, but shot straight at Cech and then fluffed his shot when played into a good position.

Chelsea’s best chances came via long-range shots from Michael Essien and Frank Lampard, but Tim Howard remained untroubled in the Toffees goal.

Moyes’ side also had a good shout for a penalty turned down when Alex stretched out his leg and brought down Leighton Baines.

Chelsea stepped up the pressure in the second half, but just like during the first 45 minutes of play, they couldn’t find a way past a stubborn Everton defence and were constantly frustrated.

John Terry stung the palms of Howard with a rasping 40-yard shot, and then Jo had another chance, but again he wasted it, firing over the bar.

Then came two Chelsea chances in quick succession. First Lampard saw his shot blocked in the area and soon afterwards Salomon Kalou headed over.

Everton remained a threat on the counter attack and both Tim Cahill and Steven Pienaar had efforts on goal that caused Petr Cech some concern.

Drogba had had a quiet game, but sprung into life when he controlled a ball into the box, turned and smashed a shot against the bar.

Groans of despair echoed around Stamford Bridge as that chance, and perhaps Chelsea’s hopes of winning the Premier League, slipped away for another season.

The Ivorian grabbed the winner in this cup tie, knocking the ball past the shaky Lukasz Fabianski and then into the net, with just under 10 minutes left on the clock to set up a clash with either Manchester United or Everton in the final at Wembley on 30th May.

Much of the talk in the build up to this semi final surrounded the state of Blues’ keeper Petr Cech after his uncertain display against Liverpool midweek, but it was Fabianski who caused the most concern throughout the 90 minutes, and he was at fault for both of Chelsea’s goals. His fragility was exposed minutes after kick off.

There was uncertainty in the Arsenal defence when a long ball was punted downfield and Drogba managed to nip in and beat Fabianski to the ball with a header, but Kieran Gibbs got back well and cleared off the line.

After that early moment of panic, Arsenal began to compose themselves and went ahead with 18 minutes on the clock.

There was a heavy sense of de ja vu surrouding the goal. Emmanuel Adebayor’s played in Gibbs, whose lofted ball into the box found Theo Walcott – the scorer of the opening goal in the 2007 Carling Cup Final meeting between these two sides – and the young England international made no mistake, firing home via a deflection off former Gunner Ashley Cole.

Florent Malouda – who has experienced something of a resurgence of form under temporary manager Guus Hiddink, leveled matters soon afterwards. The Frenchman controlled Frank Lampard’s pass and sent a shot towards goal that beat Fabianski at his near post.

The Blues sniffed blood. A remarkable turnaround was almost completed less than three minutes later but Nicolas Anelka saw his shot come back off the post with Fabianski well beaten.

Chances for Arsene Wenger’s men were rarer in the second half as Chelsea began to win the midfield battle and exert a stranglehold over proceedings.

But the energetic Walcott had Chelsea hearts in mouths twice in quick succession when he sent a pair of crosses across the six yard box. Luckily for those in Blue there was no red shirt on the end of it on both occasions.

Lampard, who was full on running all afternoon, had an excellent chance to give his side the lead but from Drogba’s pass he could only volley wide.

Chelsea then had a credible appeal for a penalty turned down by referee Martin Atkinson. Mikael Silvestre and Drogba tussled for the ball in the Arsenal box and the ball appeared to strike the Arsenal defender’s hand. But despite the protestations of Guus Hiddink and Ray Wilkins on touchline, nothing was given.

As the game edged ever closer towards extra time, both mangers opted to shuffle their packs. Andrey Arshavin was sent on by Arsene Wenger and Nicolas Anelka made way for Salomon Kalou in Chelsea’s corresponding substitution.

But neither had a role to play in the goal that decided the game. Inevitably it was Drogba who settled things. He latched on to another Lampard pass, knocked the ball past the onrushing Fabianski and then kept his composure to prod the ball home.

He has now scored eight goals in nine games against Arsenal, and Wenger must be ruing the sight of such a familiar tormentor.

This win keeps the Blues’ slim hopes of a treble alive, and also the possibility that they could face Manchester United in two cup finals come May.