If Chelsea are to
salvage anything
from their most
traumatic season for
years then Guus
Hiddink will need to
preserve his record of
never having lost an
FA Cup tie when his
stuttering team face
Everton in the
quarterfinals on
Saturday.
The 69-year-old Dutchman, in his second
spell as interim manager at Stamford Bridge,
has overseen six Chelsea victories in his six
FA Cup matches, including the 2009 final
when they conceded a first-minute goal but
still beat Everton 2-1 at Wembley.
He has guided them to this stage with wins
over lower-league opponents Scunthorpe
United 2-0, Milton Keynes Dons 5-1 and a
virtually reserve Manchester City side 5-1 but
they face a far tougher match against
Everton at Goodison Park.
Hiddink, who leaves Chelsea at the end of
the season, saw his side eliminated from the
Champions League by Paris St Germain on
Wednesday. With them marooned in 10th
place in the Premier League table, 20 points
behind pace-setters Leicester City, the FA Cup
offers their only hope of salvation from a
poor campaign.
Brazilian forward Willian told reporters after
their 2-1 defeat to PSG on Wednesday: "The
coach has a great FA Cup record. If it carries
on, we can still end this season with a big
victory at Wembley."
Chelsea, who last season won the Premier
League title and the League Cup, travel to
Everton waiting on the fitness of striker
Diego Costa and captain John Terry and will
face an Everton side in the hunt for a first
major honour since they won the FA Cup in
1995.
BOUNCE BACK
Everton have reached this stage without
conceding a goal, and will be looking to
bounce back immediately from last week's
crushing 3-2 home defeat to West Ham
United when they conceded three times in
the final 12 minutes.
The Hammers return to the northwest on
Sunday when they visit Manchester United,
three days after United's all-Premier League
tie with Liverpool in the Europa League at
Anfield.
West Ham ended a run of eight straight
defeats at Old Trafford when they drew 0-0
in the league in December and go there full
of confidence, one place and two points
ahead of United in the table.
"We have nothing to fear," coach Slaven Bilic
said. "We can win the FA Cup, why not?"
Holders Arsenal, bidding to become the first
club since Blackburn Rovers in 1886 to win
the FA Cup three years in succession, are at
home to Premier League rivals Watford, but
will be without Aaron Ramsey who injured a
thigh in Tuesday's 4-0 fifth-round replay
win at Hull City.
Championship side Reading, who knocked
out Premier League West Bromwich Albion
in the fifth round, will be seeking another
top-flight scalp and a place in the semifinals
for the second successive season when they
face out-of-sorts Crystal Palace at home on
Friday.