Date: Saturday 12th
December 2020
Venue: Goodison Park
Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
It’s another Saturday
night game for us and after a win at home to Leeds last weekend, tonight it’s a
trip to Goodison Park to take on Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton.
Everton have
won their last two home league meetings with Chelsea and whilst they start this
game in ninth and five points worse off than us, we shouldn’t kid ourselves we’ll
be too much for them. Everton are a major
threat going forward with Richarlison available and Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored 19 goals in 31 league games under
Ancelotti.
We showed
against Leeds, we might have overhauled our backline, but we can still have our
mad moments defensively. Of course, Everton’s defence is not exactly rock solid
and we could cause them problems on the break, but we’ll have to do it without Ziyech
this evening. We shouldn’t be shy of taking shots though, given Jordan Pickford
has already conceded five goals from outside the penalty area in the Premier
League this season.
We know we’re in great form, with five away wins in a row in all competitions and 17 unbeaten going into tonight’s game. Everton, on the other hand, have lost their last two homes games – if I’m honest though, I’m just not convinced they’ll let that slip to three.
MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going into today’s game, Everton Manager Carlo Ancelotti, says “He [Lampard] has a
fantastic squad, a fantastic team and so his job is really good. Our relationship
has changed because before it was a relationship between a manager and a
player, now it’s between colleagues. I am pleased and I am happy to see him
again. Chelsea are in a really good moment. I think after a difficult start
they start to play like they want and like they are able to do. It’s necessary
for us to have a fantastic and top, top performance. The question is are we
able to do this? The answer, my personal opinion today, is yes, we are able to
compete.”
Chelsea manager
Frank Lampard, meanwhile, says “They [Everton] started very well. They
have quality players, they have a fantastic manager – one of the best in the
world – and the Premier League is unforgiving. They have had a few injuries but
we all have our own moments and patches where results are challenging. But it
doesn’t change my thoughts about how to approach playing Everton. They are a
very, very good side.
They have
great individuals within collective that can win games. I’m very focused on
their strengths and the dangers we face going there. We found that out last year. I know it was a
different time, different manager although he is still on the staff. But it was
a very tough match for us and that should still be on our minds.”
SQUAD NEWS
For Everton, Lucas Digne, Seamus Coleman, Fabian Delph and James Rodriguez are absentees.
For Chelsea, Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi are both expected to miss a
couple of weeks but Christian Pulisic is available.
TEAMS
EVERTON (Possible line-up): Pickford; Godfrey, Mina, Keane; Davies, Allan,
Doucoure, Iwobi; Rodriguez, Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison
CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Mendy; James, Zouma, Silva, Chilwell; Havertz, Kante, Mount; Pulisic, Giroud,
Werner
LAST SEASON
Everton 3-1 Chelsea (7
December 2019)
CURRENT FORM (PL)
EVERTON: LLLWLD
CHELSEA: WWDWWD
OTHER STUFF
- Chelsea have kept a clean sheet in six of the past
eight league meetings.
- Everton have won our last two meetings at Goodison.
- Everton won their opening seven fixtures in all
competitions this season but have won just one of the next seven.
- Chelsea are unbeaten in nine Premier League games
- Everton have conceded in 10 consecutive Premier
League games, home and away.
- Everton could fail to keep a clean sheet in 10
straight home league matches for the first time since 1959.
- Chelsea are unbeaten in all nine away fixtures in
all competitions, winning six and drawing three.
- Chelsea have scored 25 Premier League goals, a
tally bettered only by Liverpool’s 26.
PREDICTION
Sky Sports: Everton 2-2 Chelsea
BBC Sport: Everton 0-2 Chelsea
Sportsmole: Everton 1-2 Chelsea
Chelsea News 24/7
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