While Chelsea were busying themselves with the attempted mega money acquisition of one of the world's best strikers Everton manager David Moyes was sifting through a bargain bin of loan deals trying to find an odd job goal scorer for a six month stint.
Off the field their dilemmas couldn't be more different, but on it, both sets of Blues have seen their season marred by an unrelenting underachievement.
For Moyes and Ancelotti then, this tie may have been a welcome break from their Premier League problems - but as a scrappy 1-1 draw came to show, even the magic of the FA Cup couldn't abrakadabra away their deficiencies.
A relatively small crowd of just over 28,000 inside Goodison Park were treated to possibly the most pedestrian first half played at the Old Lady this season.
David Moyes, reverting to his tried and tested 4-5-1, seemed to be covering all bases against the FA Cup holders. So even he might have been surprised when a full strength Chelsea eleven approached Everton with caution allowing Mikel Arteta and Marouane Fellaini to stroke the ball from flank to flank.
Possession being offered up so freely only seemed to expose Everton failings though and, met with a solid back four which was patrolled by Chelsea's two dogged sentries in Essien and Ramires, the home side looked powerless to find a chink in Chelsea's expensive armour.
Their best sight on goal came when Marouane Fellaini caught Essien dallying on the ball dangerously in his own half, the big Belgian snatched hold of possession and set a ball back for Louis Saha. He picked out Jack Rodwell who went marauding through the Chelsea back line. The youngster fired a powerful low shot but it was straight at Petr Cech and the best chance of the first half went begging.
Everton's start to the second half was at a pace which suited them better. Seamus Coleman, who was directed like a willing sheep dog by Moyes in the first half found himself on the other side of the pitch to his manager - and his tireless chasing began to bare fruit almost immediately.
Coleman hurried John Terry into a botched clearance soon after the restart and that set Jack Rodwell away down the left. His hanging cross bypassed everyone in the box before Louis Saha arrived to volley goalward at the back post. Only a last ditch block from the back tracking Ramires prevented the Blues from taking a deserved lead.
Buoyed by finding themselves in a sudden ascendancy, Everton peppered the Chelsea box with a series of testing crosses, and it wasn't long before they got their reward. Leighton Baines whipped in a wicked left footed corner in the 62nd minute which was powered home by Louis Saha at the peak of his climb.
Saha had now scored 7 goals in his last 8 games against Chelsea - a record suggesting that if there was one person happy to see Everton draw the holders in so early in the competition, it was the goal shy Goodison forward.
Sensing that the fragility Chelsea showed during their shocking run of form at the end of 2010 was their to be exploited, Everton pressed on for a game clinching goal - and they very nearly had it.
Seamus Coleman, the £60,000 signing from Sligo, who was inspirational all afternoon, rose at the back post to head a header a Leighton Baines cross goalward in the 75th minute. His effort was blocked by Cech but the plucky Irishman reacted quickest to the rebound and stabbed a second shot toward the target. Only an excellent last ditch block by Michael Essien spared Chelsea and from that attack they launched the counter which saw them level.
Nicholas Anelka brought the ball away from Chelsea's crowded box and carried deep into Everton territory before sliding a cross-field ball which found substitute Soloman Kalou. He stroked the ball calmly into Tim Howard's left hand corner before wheeling away to the Chelsea bench in celebration.
Late strikes by Jermaine Beckford, who stung Petr Cech's palms with a wicked volley, and Ramires who saw a 25 yard piledriver rock the frame of the goal, threatened to end the tie at Goodison. But a Stamford Bridge replay now awaits the Blues, and by that time a cup-tied familiar foe could be watching from the stands.
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Everton (4-5-1): Howard, Baines, Distin, Heitinga, Neville, Rodwell (Beckford 85), Arteta, Fellaini, Coleman, Bilyaletdinov, Saha
Subs: Mucha, Hibbert, Jagielka, Beckford, Gueye, Osman, Baxter.
Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech, Ivanovic, Cole, Essien, Ramires, Lampard (Mikel 85), Drogba, Malouda (Kalou 70), Bosingwa, Terry, Anelka
Subs: Hilario, Mikel, Ferreira, Kalou, Bruma, McEachran, Sala
Yellow:
Red:
Goals: Saha 62, Kalou 75
Ref: H. Webb
Att: 28,376
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By Aaron Sharp @ Goodison Park
Anthony smith, Sw1v 2tg around 1 year, 3 months ago