Watch Everton vs Chelsea live streaming as the Blues looks to get back on their feet when they visit Goodison Park after a bad exit from the Champions League.
Everton manager Roberto Martinez does not believe Chelsea needed any extra motivation from its Champions League exit ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup quarterfinal at Goodison Park.
The FA Cup is Chelsea’s only remaining chance of silverware this season after Paris Saint-Germain left Stamford Bridge on Wednesday with a 2-1 win and 4-2 aggregate triumph to deny Guus Hiddink’s men a place in the quarterfinals of Europe’s premier competition.
Everton also is attempting to garnish a frustrating campaign by booking a Wembley visit, but Martinez feels Chelsea would have made for a formidable opponent irrespective of its fortunes midweek.
He said during a pre-match news conference: “It depends what way you want to look at it. If you are pessimistic, you’ll say that Chelsea will now be focused on the FA Cup. If you are optimistic, you’ll say that they won’t now have that feel-good factor after [Wednesday's] result.
“The reality is that Chelsea are an outstanding team and we know what they have achieved since Guus Hiddink arrived — they are unbeaten in domestic competition. We have faced each other twice already this season, so these are teams that know each other well.”
Martinez paid tribute to the job done by Hiddink, who returned to Stamford Bridge with the club hovering above the relegation zone in December, having led the Blues to the 2009 FA Cup in his first temporary spell.
He said: “Guus Hiddink’s experience, not just in the British game but other leagues, has brought a different approach. But in general, it is the same group of players who found it difficult at the beginning of the season that are now consistently producing good performances. Guus’ experience on how to handle group dynamics and a dressing room in need has been very impressive.”
Everton hopes to have Bryan Oviedo back from the chest infection that has hampered midfielders Tom Cleverley and Gareth Barry in recent weeks. Chelsea could be without Diego Costa and Eden Hazard.
The Spain striker’s influential and goal-scoring outing against PSG was cut short when he aggravated a hip problem he carried into the match with an hour played. Hazard failed to cover himself in similar glory and was booed by a section of the home support when he made way for Oscar.
|
|
 
|
