Marc Cucurella of Chelsea reacts after being shown a red card at full time during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Brentford FC at Stamford Bridge on December 15, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)Marc Cucurella of Chelsea reacts after being shown a red card at full time during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Brentford FC at Stamford Bridge on December 15, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Marc Cucurella of Chelsea reacts after being shown a red card at full time during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Brentford FC at Stamford Bridge on December 15, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Everton welcome Chelsea to Goodison Park in the Premier League.
It was a point that many Everton fans were not expecting.
So much has been made about the Toffees’ daunting run of fixtures that they face in December. In truth, plenty of supporters would have admitted that getting anything from games against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City would be regarded as a bonus.
Certainly, Sean Dyche’s side deserved a share of the spoils from their encounter with Arsenal. A goalless stalemate underlined all of Everton’s battling qualities, while the heroics of Jordan Pickford were rightly lauded. Had Abdoulaye Doucoure taken an early chance, the outcome of the Emirates Stadium clash could have been so much different. But a 0-0 draw was a result swathes of supporters would have taken before kick-off.
It means that Everton welcome Chelsea to Goodison Park on Sunday with added confidence. The Blues have an outstanding record against the London outfit at the Grand Oldy Lady, having won five of the past six meetings.
Chelsea are flying in the Premier League and are bona fide title contenders. Enzo Maresca’s side sit just two points behind leaders Liverpool in second spot after earning a 2-1 win over Brentford. They have won their past seven games in all competitions.
However, the Stamford Bridge side will have to cope without key defender Marc Cucurella against. The left-back opened the scoring against Brentford and has been in fine form. But the Spain international was sent off after the final whistle against Brentford when he was issued a second yellow card. A statement from the Premier League Match Centre account on X said: “The referee issued a second yellow card to Cucurella for adopting an aggressive attitude. Schade was also booked for the same offence.”
Cucurella must serve a one-match suspension, with will be enforced against Everton. It is likely that Renato Veiga deputises for Chelsea on the left-hand side of defence. Meanwhile, Romeo Lavia and Joao Felix were absent against Brentford although Maresca is hopeful the pair will be back against Everton.
However, Benoit Badiashile suffered a fresh blow on the eve of the Brentford win and looks likely to miss out for the trip to Goodison. ‘Benoit had a problem yesterday during the session,” said Maresca. “For now, we do not know how long he will be out for.” Reece James, Wesley Fofana and Omari Kellyman (all hamstring) are long-term casualties.
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