01/11/2003  Everton 0 Chelsea 1
 
Wayne Rooney went off for his birthday bash with the scorn of Chelsea fans ringing in his ears.

The 18-year-old, reputedly on Chelsea's wish list, had to listen to choruses of "who needs Wayne Rooney when we've got Mutu" from the visiting supporters.

Everton had made and wasted a string of glittering chances and Rooney had been everywhere trying to inspire his team.

But Mutu grabbed his sixth goal of the season in the second half from almost his only decent opening, and Everton were cruelly punished for not putting themselves way ahead.

Tomasz Radzinski scorned two glorious openings, Alex Nyarko hit the bar and Francis Jeffers headed wide of an open goal from two yards.

Had Mutu seen anything like the quality of those opportunities, he would have taken home the match ball but Chelsea still earned the points which keeps them in the three-horse race at the top of the table.

Everton took the game to Chelsea, they denied them time and space and gave them a very uncomfortable afternoon, but in the end it was one piece of perfect opportunism that left the Merseysiders without a league goal in more than a month.

Chelsea made just one change from their last league game, Geremi in for Jesper Gronkjaer, while the Merseysiders lost Duncan Ferguson at the last moment, sent home from the ground with flu.

Nyarko made his league comeback, appearing in his first top flight game for 31 months, after vowing never to play for the club again.

It is either a second chance for the midfielder or a chance to put the Ghanaian on show with the transfer window approaching.

The Everton boss had promised Chelsea a game they would not forget in a hurry, and his team were true to their manager's words. They competed, ran and harassed all over the pitch.

The home side could have been two up in the first three minutes. The first opportunity, after just 60 seconds, saw Thomas Gravesen's pass find Radzinski.

John Terry slipped and Radzinski scampered on into empty territory but, as Carlo Cudicini came out, the Everton striker side-footed wide from just 12 yards.

A free-kick a couple of minutes later curled in by Gravesen, saw Kevin Kilbane head over from six yards out.

Rooney cracked a 30-yard shot that Cudicini pulled down while Terry looked to clatter into David Weir's back as they both went for a free-kick, but referee Jeff Winter waved away penalty appeals.

Nyarko then almost scored, sending a fierce 25-yard effort on to the angle of bar and post, the ball leaving Cudicini stranded as it bounced down on the line and out.

Everton's sheer energy was defying Chelsea, and the hosts wasted another glorious opportunity.

Cudicini, under pressure from Radzinski, managed only to half hit a clearance to Rooney some 30 yards out.

As the keeper scampered back, Rooney lifted a lob towards an empty net but just over the bar.

Chelsea had barely made a decent chance until this point, but Joe Cole should have scored when he collected a Mutu lay-back and sent a shot inches wide of the far post.

As in the first half, Radzinski missed a great opening inside a minute of the second half restart.

Gravesen's touched pass into the box was met by the Canadian international on the half volley, and his powerful effort was turned away by a spectacular Cudicini save to his left.

But, for all Everton's chances, it was Chelsea who took the lead after 49 minutes.

Geremi got a cross in from the right, which evaded Gary Naysmith on the way, and the ball flashed across the six-yard box for Mutu to nod in on the far post.

Everton almost conceded another after 57 minutes when Geremi burst through and saw his shot saved by Nigel Martyn, who also blocked the follow-up by Mutu.

Moyes went for broke with a double substitution which saw James McFadden and Jeffers replace Radzinski and Thomas Linderoth.

Rooney was all over the park now, leading the line, chasing back to claim midfield possession as he fought to inspire an Everton comeback.

But another gift went begging with seven minutes left. Naysmith got to the line and lifted a perfect cross to the far post for the unmarked Jeffers to somehow head wide from a couple of yards.