Chelsea assistant Ray Wilkins decided to praise Louis Saha rather than criticise John Terry after his mistake helped Everton to victory.
Terry was caught out as Saha fired a superb goal - his second goal of the game - to sink the Premier League leaders 2-1 at Goodison Park.
Terry, sacked as England captain last week, remains at the centre of a media storm over his private life and has been given permission to miss this weekend's FA Cup clash against Cardiff.
Wilkins said: "I think you have got to give Louis Saha a bit of credit because he is a tough opponent to play against.
"John got caught under the ball for the second one but that was probably thinking Saha might have been going over the top to win it.
"But John has been absolutely outstanding for us all season, so if it was a mistake from John I am sure it was just the slightest of blips."
Of further concern to Chelsea was the manner in which they conceded the equaliser from a corner.
Saha headed powerfully home from a Landon Donovan delivery to cancel out an early strike from Florent Malouda.
Chelsea have now conceded 22 goals in the Premier League this season, with 16 of them coming from set-pieces.
Wilkins said: "When we concede goals we analyse it and we would be disappointed, but these things happen unfortunately.
"We work hard at them but just get a slight lack of concentration.
"It was a good delivery and a good header and we found ourselves losing another goal. From that aspect we are disappointed."
Wilkins conceded that Everton - who might have won by more had Saha not missed a penalty and spurned another good chance - deserved their victory.
He added: "Normally when we go in front we are quite good at keeping hold of it but when you come to a place like Everton, their workrate is such that they make it extremely difficult for you.
"They never lay down and they came back at us in a strong fashion.
"Looking back over the whole piece, they just about deserved to nick it.
"But full credit to our lads as well, towards the end we came back and had a really good go at them."
Saha's performance, which took his goal tally for the season to 13, came just days after the former Manchester United striker signed a new two-year contract with Everton.
Yet manager David Moyes did not go overboard in his praise for the Frenchman.
Moyes said: "He should have got four, not two. I gave him a slight pat on the back but not a full one."
Moyes, however, was at least impressed with the way his top goalscorer troubled Terry throughout the match.
"Louis played really against him at Stamford Bridge and tonight I thought he did it again," Moyes said.
"I think John Terry was worried when the long ball dropped over the top and Louis took it on his chest.
"But John Terry is a top centre-half and if they don't want him I'll have him!
"It's a terrific result and it just says the way we have been playing in the recent weeks and months.
"To not have [Marouane] Fellaini and [Steven] Pienaar, who over the months have done really well for us, shows the players who have come in have done really well.
"To go a goal behind and come back, I don't know how many teams do that against Chelsea.
"We had to hang in because for 20 minutes Chelsea were fantastic."
