Chelsea will resume their Premier League title tilt against Everton this weekend.
Everton vs Chelsea best bets
Chelsea to win - 3/5 with BetMGM
Nicolas Jackson to score any time - 13/8 with Paddy Power
Ashley Young to be carded any time - 2/1 with Midnite
Everton vs Chelsea odds
Find the latest match odds for Everton vs Chelsea. All odds are provided by our best football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.
Everton vs Chelsea predictions
Things are starting to look up for Everton.
A 4-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers followed by a 0-0 draw with Arsenal have lifted Sean Dyche’s side three points clear of the drop zone.
More significantly, the takeover of the club by the Friedkin Group was completed on Thursday. The Farhad Moshiri era at Goodison Park is over - and you will not find a single Everton supporter who is upset at that outcome.
Dan Friedkin and his partners have come under fire by Roma fans after various missteps in their ownership of the Italian outfit, but Everton fans are understandably pleased that they can finally embark on a different path.
Early reports suggest the new custodians are prepared to reserve judgment on Sean Dyche, who has come under pressure in the first few months of the campaign.
In fairness to the former Burnley boss, he has maintained Everton's top-flight status over the last two seasons while also reducing the wage bill. Dyche would doubtless argue he has done a good job in difficult circumstances, but the football has often been poor this term.
The same cannot be said for Chelsea, who have emerged as surprise title contenders. The Blues are the form team in the division right now, having won each of their last five games.
Currently just two points behind Liverpool, Chelsea would (at least temporarily) rise to the summit of the standings with a win at Goodison Park. They have not occupied top spot since December 2021.
Understandably, if implausibly, Enzo Maresca continues to insist his team are not in the title race. Chelsea are certainly not favourites, but they are in an excellent place right now and their challenge should be taken seriously.
The Blues have only suffered two defeats in 2024/25. The first was by Manchester City on the opening weekend, before Maresca had really got his feet under the table.
The second was a narrow loss away to Liverpool. Chelsea played well at Anfield and, even in defeat, showed that they are ready to go toe to toe with the strongest sides in the division.
There are two big question marks over this team. One is whether a relative lack of experience will hurt them as the season goes on. The other concerns their mediocre defensive record.
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Everton vs Chelsea betting tips. 18+ GambleAware.org - Please play responsibly.
Everton vs Chelsea betting tips
Everton host Chelsea in the final round of Premier League fixtures before Christmas.
Chelsea to win
Goodison Park is capable of producing one of the best atmospheres in the Premier League. After the takeover news, Everton fans will arrive at the old ground with a spring in their step.
That will not be enough to prevent Chelsea emerging victorious, however. To have any chance of pulling off an upset, Everton will need to be at their best defensively.
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They successfully shut out Arsenal last weekend, while only Liverpool have kept more clean sheets so far.
The problem is, you probably have a better chance of beating Chelsea by getting at them. That is not really Everton’s style under Dyche.
Sitting back and soaking up pressure is the strategy Leicester City employed against Chelsea last month. It resulted in a 2-1 defeat for the Foxes and the end of Steve Cooper’s employment as their manager.
⚽ Select a Chelsea win at 3/5 with BetMGM ⚽
Nicolas Jackson to score any time
Nicolas Jackson, it is fair to say, had a mixed debut season at Chelsea.
The former Villarreal frontman showed plenty of promise for Mauricio Pochettino’s team, not least with his ability to link the play. But the striker was too often let down by his finishing.
No longer. Jackson has been much more assured in front of goal this season. He is averaging 0.6 goals per game in 2024/25, compared to 0.4 last time out.
The whole team has improved so perhaps it is no surprise that Jackson is looking sharper up front. Moreover, he is hardly the first striker to have required a season to bed in after moving to England from abroad.
Jackson has scored three goals in his last four appearances. Everton’s backline will find it difficult to keep him quiet on Sunday.
⚽ Tip Nicolas Jackson to score any time at 13/8 with Paddy Power ⚽
Ashley Young to be carded any time
Chris Kavanagh will referee this match, so we can expect a few players to enter his notebook.
Only Michael Oliver (66) has shown more yellow cards in the Premier League than Kavanagh (63), who has taken charge of two fewer games.
Everton will not have much of the ball here. They will be happy to stand off Chelsea, at least until their opponents enter the final third.
Previously a silky winger, Ashley Young has become a gnarled, tenacious full-back in his later years.
The Everton man ranks joint-third for bookings this term. Do not be surprised if he is given a card in his final game before Christmas.
⚽ Choose Ashley Young to be carded any time at 2/1 with Midnite ⚽
📺 How to watch Everton vs Chelsea
Location: Goodison Park, Liverpool, England.
Date and time: Sunday 22nd December, 2pm.
How to watch: Not being shown live in the UK.
Read more about the 2024/25 football season
About the author
Greg Lea
Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on X:@GregLeaFootball
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