Chelsea will be aiming to continue their unbeaten start under Thomas Tuchel when they play hosts to Everton in the Premier League on Monday.
Chelsea will be looking to further bolster their hopes of a top four finish in the 2020/21 Premier League when they face off against Carlo Ancelotti’s high-flying Everton side at Stamford Bridge on Monday night.
Having looked down and out not so long ago under Frank Lampard, Chelsea have mounted a brilliant recovery under the guidance of new manager Thomas Tuchel, going on a ten-game unbeaten run across all competitions, that includes a well-earned 1-0 win over Liverpool in midweek which sent them into the fourth place, just four points off of second-placed Manchester United ahead of the gameweek.
But with teams around them set to play over the weekend, Chelsea will likely have dropped lower on the table and will need to pick up a victory in order to keep their momentum. Things, though, will not be easy against Everton, who themselves are pushing for a UEFA Champions League qualifying spot.
Indeed, the Toffees are just a point and a place below Chelsea in the table heading into the matchweek, following three consecutive victories against Merseyside rivals Liverpool (2-0), Southampton (1-0) and most recently, West Bromwich Albion (1-0).
The reverse fixture, played at Goodison Park last December, saw Everton pick up a narrow 1-0 win over Chelsea thanks to a first-half penalty from Gylfi Sigurdsson. And ahead of their latest meeting on Monday, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams.
Team News & Tactics
Chelsea
Happy to be back and doing what I love!! Let’s go @ChelseaFC ?? #ChelseaFC #ThiagoSilva pic.twitter.com/FwUm29VTFA
— Thiago Silva (@tsilva3) March 2, 2021
Thiago Silva and Tammy Abraham are the only two Chelsea players whose involvement on Monday remains doubtful. While the duo has been spotted back in training this week, it remains to be seen if they are match fit and ready to take the field against Everton.
There could be a few tweaks made to the side that beat Liverpool last time out, but no alteration is expected in goal where Edouard Mendy should once again start. Despite Silva’s potential availability, the central defensive trio of Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen has done very well and should be retained.
Reece James should continue at right wing-back ahead of Callum Hudson-Odoi in order to cope with the threat posed by Lucas Digne. The England international’s pace and directness will make him a key attacking outlet for Chelsea. On the opposite wing, Marcos Alonso is in line for a return, with Ben Chilwell having been preferred in the last two games.
N’Golo Kante turned in top-notch displays against Manchester United and Liverpool. But, Thomas Tuchel has hinted that the Frenchman’s game-time needs to be managed and could opt to do so against Everton, with Mateo Kovacic likely to partner Jorginho in midfield.
Timo Werner looked good operating as a centre-forward against Liverpool, but with Everton unlikely to play a high line like their neighbours, the German could benefit from moving slightly back into the left attacking midfield slot. Mason Mount is a certainty on the opposite side with Olivier Giroud set to lead the line for Chelsea.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Mendy; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger; James, Kovacic, Jorginho, Alonso; Mount, Werner; Giroud
Everton
Yerry Mina, Fabian Delph and Jean-Philippe Gbamin remain sidelined for Everton but the likes of Seamus Coleman, James Rodriguez, Tom Davies and Robin Olsen are expected to be fit and available after missing the last game due to knocks. Carlo Ancelotti should make a few changes to the team that took the field against West Brom last time out.
? | "The manager has given us the belief we can mix it with the best and we can beat these teams. We’ve proven it. We’re really happy with the progress we’ve made."@michaelkeane04 looks ahead to Chelsea away on Monday night. #CHEEVE
— Everton (@Everton) March 6, 2021
Jordan Pickford is a certainty between the sticks while the centre-back partnership of Michael Keane and Ben Godfrey will look to keep Olivier Giroud and Timo Werner in check. The returning Coleman should replace Mason Holgate at right-back while the dangerous Lucas Digne should continue out on the left.
Allan had a good impact on the game after coming on as a substitute against West Bromwich Albion and should start here in the defensive midfield role. Abdoulaye Doucore, with his work-rate and box-to-box qualities, should be a certain starter while Gylfi Sigurdsson also starts after making a difference coming on from the bench last time out.
The returning James Rodriguez should slot in on the right flank although he will constantly look to veer into central areas and pull the strings for Everton. On the opposite side, Richarlison, who scored the only goal of the game against West Brom is a certainty and so is Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the centre-forward slot.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Godfrey, Digne; Doucoure, Allan, Sigurdsson; Rodriguez, Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison
Betting Odds
Favourable Tips
1. Both Teams to score – YES @ 2.00
Hot Ones
1. Everton to win @ 6.50
Key Stats
- Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 25 Premier League home matches against Everton (W14 D11).
- Everton have won six of their last seven away matches in the Premier League.
- Chelsea have kept a clean sheet in eight of their last ten matches in all competitions. The Blues have managed a shut-out in each of their previous four home matches Premier League.
- Having beaten Chelsea once already this season, Everton will be looking to complete a double over the London outfit in a top-flight campaign for the first time since 1978/79.
- Chelsea star Edouard Mendy has kept six clean sheets in his first 10 home Premier League starts – the most by a goalkeeper in their first 10 home starts in the competition since Alisson managed 7 for Liverpool in 2018.
Player to Watch
Timo Werner
? Timo Werner: “A lot of good strikers come to the PL and take one year to settle down and adapt.
“I think my form is going up and getting better and better.
"Maybe this year is not the year of goal-scoring for Timo but at the end I will reflect on the season." [BBC Sport] pic.twitter.com/a94pCXlTbr
— Goal (@goal) March 4, 2021
The German international continues to be starved of goals in Chelsea colours, having managed to score just one goal in his last eighteen Premier League appearances. However, Werner’s importance to the team is growing steadily under Thomas Tuchel, thanks to his all-round abilities.
The 25-year-old offers so much with his running and link-up play and has been directly involved in 19 goals in all competitions this term – the most by any Chelsea player. He was extremely unlucky to have a goal chalked off for a very marginal offside call in the game against Liverpool and one can feel that the elusive goal is just around the corner for the former RB Leipzig man.
Prediction
Chelsea 1-0 Everton
Both Chelsea and Everton come into the game on the back of a strong run of form. However, under Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea have been extremely solid if not always spectacular. A ten-game unbeaten run that includes victories against the likes of Liverpool and Atletico Madrid shows the kind of form that the Blues are in they should be able to bag another victory on Monday night, continuing their strong run under the German.
