Sean Dyche has given his assessment of Everton’s 0-0 draw with Chelsea on Sunday.
Everton stopped Chelsea from moving to the top of the Premier League table after preventing them from scoring at Goodison Park.
Of course, Liverpool went on to win their match against Tottenham Hotspur 6-3, so the Blues would not have finished the day at the summit even if they had won on Merseyside.
Before the game, Dyche had some complimentary words for Enzo Maresca, praising the Italian for the job he has done at Chelsea so far.
Everton manager Sean Dyche reacts during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Chelsea FC at Goodison Park on December 22, 2024 in Liverp...
Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
Sean Dyche thinks Everton ‘could have nicked it’
As expected, Chelsea dominated the Premier League encounter at Goodison Park, with Everton sitting on the edge of their box for most of the game.
However, the Toffees did get some chances after a couple of counter-attacks, leaving Dyche with a feeling that his side could have actually won the game.
Speaking to Match of the Day, with BBC Sport relaying his words, Dyche said: “I said before the game Enzo Maresca has done a fine job and they have certainly shown the power they have got. We could have nicked it. It was two teams going at it in the right way. You have to be willing to put a shift in and I think that was on show today.
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“Chances were minimal. They had a couple and we had a couple towards the end. We take a point. I’ve never not been proud of these players. We’ve come through a storm. I respect them.”
In the end, it proved to be a very difficult afternoon for Chelsea. In fact, Pat Nevin felt sorry for Axel Disasi, who was forced to play out of position because of injuries and suspension.
What has Enzo Maresca said about Chelsea’s draw with Everton?
While Chelsea dropped points at Goodison Park, Maresca was still happy with the team’s performance, knowing it was always going to be a hard game.
“I’m absolutely happy,” the 44-year-old was quoted as saying by Chelsea’s official website. “I just said to the players I’m more happy today than the Brentford game. The reason why is I was quite worried about this game. It’s a tricky game, a tricky stadium, a tricky team.”
Chelsea take on Fulham at Stamford Bridge next before they travel to Portman Road to face Ipswich Town.
Both fixtures are very winnable games. It would be a surprise if the Blues did not take maximum points from them.
Some Chelsea supporters would have been disappointed with the result at Goodison, especially those dreaming about the title. But it was a fixture that they lost 2-0 last season, so a draw is not a terrible outcome.