This time, an over-the-line moment at Wembley proved inconsequential. The name of Florent Malouda – whose shot rocketed against the crossbar and bounced down behind the line in the blink of an eye and out again – may not be woven into FA Cup history but, mon dieu, the boy deserved his share of the spotlight here.
If there was one area of the pitch that cruelly exposed the difference between Chelsea and Everton it was the flank patrolled with such authority and so exuberantly by Malouda and his sidekick Ashley Cole. In the first half they made poor Tony Hibbert and Leon Osman look like a pair of overheating Englishmen made a little bit too woozy by the baking sun.
As David Moyes pointed out, the Cole-Malouda link was Chelsea's "strongest combination", a threat only equalled by Frank Lampard. Everton's manager attempted to address the situation with a half-time tactical switch, but the tide would not be stemmed. Some proof of sorts arrived with the announcement of the man of the match. As lively as Cole was, the selectors had clearly got the wrong guy down Chelsea's left.
Malouda has been one of the best examples of the spell Guus Hiddink has cast over Chelsea. Over the past few weeks, the club has got to know the Malouda of Lyon, the winger whose fusion of athleticism and craft made him a standout performer in the side that won the league seven times in a row in France, the guy so good that nobody really blinked when Abramovich signed a check for £13.5m to bring him to Stamford Bridge in 2007.
But they quickly winced. Wingers have come and gone in recent years – the major transfers in that department of Damien Duff and Arjen Robben both frustrated – and in his debut season in England it looked like Malouda was another to add to the list.
Earlier this season the player had been a target for jeers. But he did not shy away from the criticism and earned respect by going towards his baiters on one occasion and throwing his shirt into the crowd. The guiding hand of Hiddink added to a successful operation on his wisdom teeth to cure some persistent niggles, helped Malouda to elevate his performances since the turn of the year. On 2 January he wend under the knife in Paris and he has sure gained from the pain. Malouda has scored nine goals this season compared with three last term. "It's been a long time since I played at this level," he admitted recently.
Hiddink was thrilled with the way the Frenchman took his ideas on board. "Malouda is one of the players who reacted in a way I like to see," he said. "In my first weeks I tried to make a judgement about the capacity of what a player can bring. Malouda needed to be convinced he could bring more than he was showing. Then he started to play very regularly and take a lot of responsibility, which was very pleasing to see."
It was Everton's misfortune that they should arrive at an occasion of this stature without two of their best attacking outlets – long term injury victims Mikel Arteta and Yakubu Ayegbeni – while at the same time Chelsea have discovered arguably their most potent attack in the Roman Abramovich era.
The connection between Malouda, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka brings beauty and efficiency to the front line. But the importance of Malouda's improvement is that it has brought balance too. Some have dubbed them the three musketeers and they share genuine friendship.
"We have spent a lot of time together in the last few months and automatically that creates a bond," explains Drogba. "It's easier to perform well and win matches. We all know each other well. Flo and Nico play together usually for the French team. Flo and I had a history at Guingamp, and Nico and I really like to play together."
All three contributed directly to Chelsea's comeback here. Malouda, who was a menace to Everton all afternoon, created his team's equaliser with a precision cross for Drogba to gobble up. Anelka played his part with a neat pass for Lampard to lash the winner.
Malouda's form has been so smart he earned a recall to the France squad he has been in exile from since last October. He is not the first player to fall out with their contrary coach, Raymond Domenech, and Malouda cracked when he was told to play in holding midfield, for a World Cup qualifier in Romania. He was insulted and has been out of the international scene since.
Recent performances mean that Domenech has bowed to the inevitable and Malouda is due to meet up with Les Bleus this week for the first time this calendar year. Presumably he won't walk in with his FA Cup medal round his neck, but if he does it would be understandable.