JOIN US Everton and Bolton Wanderers achieved what beleaguered Chelsea and their under-fire manager could not by booking places in the FA Cup quarterfinals with 2-0 victories over second tier opposition on Saturday.
Chelsea needed Daniel Sturridge’s equaliser to force a replay of their fifth-round tie with Championship (second division) Birmingham City after a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge that did nothing to alleviate the pressure on Andre Villas-Boas.
While the Portuguese manager's side at least stayed in the competition, fellow Premier League team Norwich City did not as they were beaten 2-1 at home by second tier Leicester City.
Everton join Leicester in the last eight after establishing their two-goal winning margin over Blackpool in the first six minutes courtesy of Royston Drenthe and Denis Stracqualursi while Bolton scored once in each half at Millwall.
The day's early kickoff produced the biggest surprise as an under-strength Birmingham team took a 20th-minute lead through David Murphy before 2010 winners Chelsea levelled when Sturridge climbed to head in Branislav Ivanovic's 62nd-minute cross. Chelsea squandered an earlier chance to level straight after Murphy's opener when Juan Mata's penalty was well saved by diving Birmingham keeper Colin Doyle.
Later in the day Sunderland host Arsenal in an all-Premier League encounter while favourites Tottenham Hotspur travel to League One (third tier) Stevenage on Sunday.
Chelsea went into their match on the back of a poor run of form in the league, where they have won just two of their last 10 games, and came out of it with a chorus of boos ringing in their ears.