Chelsea missed the chance to go to the top of the Premier League table on Sunday afternoon because they were held away to Everton.
Chelsea had to settle for a point after a 0-0 draw at Goodison Park versus Everton, which ended the club’s eight-game winning streak across all competitions.
In difficult conditions, the Blues drew a blank in the Premier League fixture. Enzo Maresca’s side return to action on Boxing Day when they host local rivals Fulham in the league.
Moises Caicedo of Chelsea controls the ball during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Chelsea FC at Goodison Park on December 22, 2024...
Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images
Pat Nevin raves about Moises Caicedo
Pat Nevin picked out Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo, 23, as a huge positive for the visitors during their trip to Merseyside.
Nevin said on BBC Radio 5 Live Sport (2:15pm, 22 December): “How many times have we seen Caicedo over in that right-back position so far in the game? He’s constantly going over there and covering because he has to. There’s a big gap there. Caicedo, very, very quietly, has been outstanding in this game so far.”
Nevin later added (2:25pm): “Caicedo’s winning of the ball in midfield is ridiculous, he was third favourite in that challenge and he still won it.”
Nevin then said (3:23pm): “He does ugly stuff very well. His covering has been great. Reading the play has been great… You need to have a really good football brain, Caicedo has got that.”
Yet again, Caicedo put in a pretty commanding display in the centre of the park. The defensive midfielder continues to be one of his side’s best performers on a weekly basis.
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Interestingly, Jason Cundy thinks Caicedo is Chelsea’s most important player, which is a fair argument when you see his influence with and without the ball.
Caicedo admits he values his defensive work at Chelsea over anything else. Well, the Ecuador international showed against Everton his importance in defending and winning possession back.
Moises Caicedo stats vs Everton
Caicedo, who partnered Enzo Fernandez in midfield against Everton, delivered another quality individual display. It’s something that supporters are very used to seeing this season, too.
Here is a look at Caicedo’s match statistics versus Everton via FOTMOB:
Match rating – 7.8
Minutes played – 90
Touches – 99
Accurate passes – 77/83 (93%)
Tackles won – 2/5 (40%)
Interceptions – 1
Recoveries – 6
Clearances – 3
Dribbled past – 0
Duels won – 8
Duels lost – 1
Ally McCoist claims Chelsea’s Caicedo looks so much better when you compare his form this season to last year. While plenty of his teammates struggled to reach their top levels against Everton, Caicedo was able to yet again put in a consistent performance.
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