Everton vs Chelsea at Goodison Park in this week’s Premier League clash. While Frank’s men have been in stellar form over the past couple of months, former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti and his Toffees have been in a bit of a slump. Given the differing fortunes in recent times, will Lampard’s Chelsea continue to give Ancelotti the blues, or will the Toffees leave a sour taste in the mouths of Chelsea? Some of the writers at SW6Daily give their thoughts as to how they think the Everton vs Chelsea match will unfold.
Everton vs Chelsea – Introduction
Following the Blues come-from-behind 3-1 win against old enemies Leeds, Chelsea will be looking to continue maintaining their impressive League form when they take on the not-so-hot Everton at Goodison Park.
The Toffees have had a pretty dismal month or so (1 win in 7 matches), and factoring in some notable absences (Rodriguez, Delpgh, Digne and Coleman), when combined with Chelsea’s form of late, this is appears to be a straightforward proposition for Frank’s Blues.
However, the game isn’t played on paper, Everton have enjoyed success over Chelsea during their last clash at Goodison Park last season, plus Chelsea do have some injury concerns on the wings (Ziyech, Hudson-Odoi and to a lesser extent, Pulisic). Consequently, the Blues will need to bring their A game to avoid a shock-loss against an opponent with vast managerial experience, as well as the lethal Calvert-Lewin spearheading their attack.
With this in mind, a few of the writers at SW6Daily have shared their thoughts on how they think the Everton vs Chelsea match will unfold.
RJ (@RJ_Goodthings)
Everton vs Chelsea is always a game that both excites me and makes me nervous.
As I’ve mentioned in my monthly key themes analysis piece, there’s been a lot to like regarding the performance of the Blues in recent times. However, I am also continuously cautious of the potential for complacency when things are going smoothly. To our credit, the boys have continued to show up each match and perform professionally, whether it’s ‘Team A’ or ‘Team B’. And, although the injuries to Ziyech and Hudson-Odoi are of concern in terms of what does it mean for our RW, I am largely confident we have enough coverage to offset their absences, at least temporarily.
From a line-up point of view I would go as follows: Mendy, James, Silva, Zouma, Chilwell, Kante, Mount, Kovacic, Pulisic, Havertz, Giroud. Having said that, I could understand if Havertz was to come from the bench and Werner starts on either the left or the right with Pulisic. In my opinion, Kovacic has been in sensational form and deserves to be starting, at least until Kai gets back into the full swing of things. Either way, I have full faith in whoever gets picked to get the job done. Here’s hoping!
Final Score: Everton 1 – 4 Chelsea
Vivek (@CFC_Vivek)
Even though our record at Goodison park has not been the most impressive of late, Chelsea are the team on form and the team to beat. I believe it will be an uphill challenge for Everton today especially with key players not available for selection later today.
I predict Chelsea to go back to Stamford Bridge to face Wolves midweek after securing 3 points on the back of a 3-0 win today with a brace from Timo Werner and a goal from Olivier Giroud.
Final Score: Everton 0 – 3 Chelsea
Tom (@tomcoley49)
Even back into his playing days with the Blues, Lampard struggled against both Newcastle and Everton. This year though, he has set out to forget those dark days and help move Chelsea into the light. Perhaps Chelsea haven’t had a better chance to get the better of their Liverpudlian Blue rivals given they are in some of the best form in the League, and despite Everton’s rapid start, they have hit a bit of a wall.
With Everton playing without influential playmaker James Rodriquez and also left back Lucas Digne, this is a big chance for Chelsea to keep their assault on the top of the League. With the title already looking like it’ll be won with a lower total than the previous 3-4 years, beating Everton and the other tricky mid-table challengers will be as big a test as any this season.
Final Score: Everton 1 – 3 Chelsea
Tobi (@tobipromise_)
I imagined the Everton vs Chelsea game to be similar to Leeds. You have Everton players running the whole pitch chasing the ball, launching balls over field in transitions, relentless, high tempo and intensity plays, and just a moment can decide the match. No doubt Everton will miss James Rodriguez so Chelsea fans should be slightly happy that some dangerous distributions from him are left out, along with his creativity.
For us, I reckon we retain the line-up we played vs Leeds with a maximum of 2-3 changes (e.g. Ziyech injury). This is due to the understanding the team has developed, and for consistent momentum.
I’m predicting a 3-1 win for Chelsea. Keeping a clean sheet against Everton at Goodison Park, with albeit just 2000 but energetic fans, seems impossible. But we’re Chelsea, the team is in a good place, beating them shouldn’t be unattainable for us. Would love to see those goals from Werner, Pulisic and Mount.
Final Score: Everton 1 – 3 Chelsea
Written By: RJ, Vivek, Tom, and Tobi
Edited By: Ross-John (RJ) Bonaccorsi (@RJ_Goodthings)