Chelsea 2 - 0 Everton
The loss of Dewsbury-Hall after just 14 minutes with a hamstring problem meant that Everton had little left to respond after Palmer put Chelsea ahead at Stamford Bridge this afternoon. Gusto got a second for the home side that sealed their first win in 6 games before half-time.
No real surprise that Alcaraz makes way for the return of Idrissa Gana Gueye -- for just one game before he and Iliman Ndiaye take off for the Afcon tournament.
One huge surprise on the subs bench: only one keeper! Moyes is going soft.
First Half
We all know how the mustard and navy clad boys kicked the game off. But they managed to hold the ball a fair bit in the first 2 minutes before The Chavs started passing it around and won a corner off Tarkowski, headed over by Chalobah.
Ndiaye picked the ball up and ran in but his shot was blocked away for an Everton corner. Poor though, Cucurella the first man, half-cleared before Graner got forward but his effort was blocked back to Sanchez.
But Everton kept the early play upfield until a poor forward pass from O'Brien allowed the turnover. Grealish fouled Gusto. Then Palmer's forward ball went through to Pickford. Cucurella beat O'Brien in a foot race for the ball wide right but nothing came of his long throw.
Grealish went in low again, this time on James with him and Dewsbury-Hall ending in a heap. Dewsbury-Hall tried to run it off but he had sustained a hamstring injury and Charly Alcaraz replaced him after just 14 minutes. A huge blow surely.
Cucurella did not like being called for a block on Ndiaye, Pedro Neto then fouled Grealish near the left corner flag, headed over for a corner by Chalobah. Garner played this one short and Grealish worked hard to put in a cross that Tarkowski played back in at the far post but behind everyone.
Chelsea mounted their first attack after 20 minutes, Palmer played in well by Gusto, gave Pickford no chance. And suddenly it was target practise for Chelsea, Garnacho lashing a shot just over the angle. Then a horrendous ball backwards from Alcaraz, Garnacho putting it just wide thanks to Tarkowski's attention.
A dreadful 3 minutes for Everton, with Ndiaye getting kicked by Cucurella for good measure, Everton desperate to regroup after a decent opening 20 minutes.
Chelsea threatened again but Fernandez headed softly to Pickford, who came out to claim the next dangerous cross in. Cucurella stole the ball after a foul by Fernandez on Ndiaye that the referee failed to call.
Grealish made a rare forward advance, his cross put behind, the corner cleared after \Ndiaye was wrestled to the floor -- clear penalty? Not even looked at. Garner tried to rework it but Chelsea went forward, their cross in cleared by Tarkowski. Pedro Neto lashed one over from distance.
Gana was fouled and Garner swung a clever one to the far post where Tarkowski running in, headed it down too hard into the turf rather than the goal and it squirmed wide.
O'Brien made a great run down the right and picked out Ndiaye who made a complete airball mess of it. Gana tried to make amends, his low cross right across goal and surely meat and potatoes for Barry... but no, he missed it completely. Perhaps Sanchez got his fingertips to divert the cross away from him.
Another O'Brien cross was a little less convincing, and the next one just an absolute shocker that Jake spooned over the Chelsea goal. It had been almost a decent spell for Everton up to that point but nothing to show for it.
Grealish cut in from the left and dribbled brilliantly right into the 6-yard box but his chip over Sanchez was too cute and did not fool the big Chelsea keeper, when a powerful a directed shot might have beaten him.
Gusto had a shot from far out that Pickford saved easily. Chelsea came forward again, Pedro Neto skipping past Mykolenko and cutting it back perfectly for Gusto to force his shot past Pickford at the near post. 2-0... Game over at half time?
Second Half
It will take a miracle to turn this around, with no changes made at the break. Neto delivered a brilliant cross beyond Pickford to the far post where Garnacho didn't get it quite right, or it would have been 3-0.
Mykoleko looked to have got free wide left and headed for the byeline but Fofana took it off him like sweets from a baby. Garnaco roasted O'Brien for pace but scooped his shot over when it looked easier to score.
Good work from Ndiaye won a corner and the ref had to have words in the build-up but Sanchez watched the delivery all the way and got Chelsea on the counter until a foul turned the ball over to Everton.
Garnacho and O'Brien clashed over a 50-50 ball. Everton finally got forward after the hour mark, a cross headed over by Grealish, helped on its way by Sanchez. Nothing from the corner before Barry is switched for Beto.
Santos was gifted a golden chance but he fired over. Alcaraz was lucky to get the ball but he could only win a corner. From that a great cross to the far post was played across goal by Grealish when he really should have scored.
Chelsea created a chance through Gittens, whose cross was glanced on its way across goal by Keane. But Chelsea won a dangerous free-kick, James firing a great attempt that Pickford palmed behind. Tarkowski headed the first corner behind.
Everton tried to break but Fofana's cynical barge in the back of Garner to stop it was rewarded with a yellow card.
Joao Pedro got forward well but put his went in front of Gittens at the far post.
Garner did superbly to steal the ball off Estevao but his forward ball did not find Beto. Ndiaye danced his way through and placed a nice shot beyond Sanchez but it hit the post and came back out.
Finally, approaching the last minute, Everton put together a fantastic move, the ball coming to Alcaraz whose shot was blocked by too many Chelsea bodies on the penalty spot.
Chelsea came very close at the other end, a panicked header by Keane clearing the ball. Another Chelsea break saw Gittens played in but he drove his shot wide. And Celsea, who needed a win, got one quite easily in the end.
Chelsea: Sanchez, Gusto, Fofana [Y:76'], Chalobah, Cucurella, James, Fernandez, Pedro Neto, Palmer (58' Santos), Garnacho (65' Bynoe-Gittens), Joao Pedro (80' Estevao).
Subs: Jorgensen, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Hato, Acheampong, Guiu, .
Everton XI: Pickford, O'Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Gana, Garner (84' Iroegbunam), Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall (15' Alcaraz), Grealish (84' Dibling), Barry (69' Beto).
Subs: Travers, Campbell, Patterson, Aznou, McNeil.
Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer ()
Posted 13/12/2025 at 14:15:50
15 mins since line ups were announced and not a comment on this thread, sad times.
Agree with the line-up and feel with Caicedo out we have a chance. Great to end the hoodoo here.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 14:22:15
Plenty of attacking options on the bench.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 14:22:27
Always stick to a winning... erm... squad.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 14:26:54
As much as I like Gana and his influence (usually) in midfield I can't see the sense in disrupting a winning side to accommodate him for ONE game. He will be off to AFCON after this, as will Ndiaye so we will have to improvise without the pair, so why not start now?
Not being ambivalent but I applaud keeping Ndiaye for his last game as he has the skills that could be important today. At least only one keeper on the bench, but scant consolation.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 14:33:16
We've a pretty decent away record so I can see why Moyes opted to bring Gana back in.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 14:51:59
I don't think the return of Gana will change much here. Everton do not have the midfield to compete with Chelsea and I will be very surprised if we get anything from this game.
Yes, that's a very negative comment but the record at Stamford Bridge is abysmal and, whilst we have gotten some results lately, we are still lacking a lot to compete with the likes of Chelsea.
It will be a backs-to-the-wall set-up by Moyes which doesn't give me any confidence despite the result at Man Utd.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 14:53:27
Where's Kieran Kinsella?
He's gotta share Kansas City with a pretty ugly pair of fat Gunners fans. Scary!
Posted 13/12/2025 at 14:56:26
I am at work, Michael, trying to surreptitiously keep an eye on the game in freezing cold Kansas City.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 15:00:08
I hope you didn't see them ugly Gunners blokes in USA's warm-up. Calimed they were in your big city!
Posted 13/12/2025 at 15:03:59
Thankfully, I was spared the awful sight!
Posted 13/12/2025 at 15:05:05
Is it just me, or does anyone else think Cucurella is an obnoxious little cunt?
Posted 13/12/2025 at 15:06:21
You're not alone, Derek.
He is like a long-haired Pepe.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 15:29:19
Get Beto on second half!…
Barry does fuck-all.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 15:48:30
Both our full-backs are so awful going forward. Neither can make a useful cross to save their own lives. We would be so much better with a Baines or Coleman type of pairing there.
All teams can double or triple up on Jack and Illi, cos there is no need to watch Mykolenko and O'Brien.
Top priority in January, alongside the sack of coal we have up front
Posted 13/12/2025 at 15:48:57
Kireran.
You work in Kansas City? What the fuck.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 15:53:17
We could've been ahead if we had a proper striker.
Barry is garbage.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 15:54:37
Well, that was an almost unmitigated disaster after what was a really promising first 20 minutes.
I really wanted Alcaraz to come good for us but he just does these utterly stupid things.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 15:55:45
Agree with the full-backs. Embarrassing. Waste such good openings.
Missing Dewsbury-Hall. Call out for Gana who didn't track the runner for both goals.
Hasn't been a 2-0 on balance. They're clinical; we're wasteful.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 15:57:06
At times, we have played some nice stuff but with no end result, and we have given away a couple of soft goals.
We've also tried to play out from the back and at times it looks as though we have no midfield as the defence playing out don't seem to find anyone and Ndiaye and Grealish don't seem to come for the ball but, with Gana playing and Dewsbury-Hall off, we tend to look a bit disjointed.
And another first-class display of inept refereeing missing some obvious fouls and also looking like a bit of a homer.
As we could have scored a couple ourselves, the game isn't over but you wouldn't put your last on it.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 16:00:53
Both goals 100% Mykolenko half-asleep yet again...
In fact, there could've been another couple due to his inability to smell danger.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 16:11:09
Agree Eric, he had a disaster in the first half.
Asleep for Cole's run for the first goal and shrugged aside by Neto for the second. He is completely average in every aspect of the fullback position -- defensive positioning, awareness, tracking runners. His offensive threat is non-existent.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 16:28:47
I wouldn't dispute the benefit of signing Dewsbury-Hall, but surely allocating our budget has to start with our main priorities.
Our primary weakness has been evident for everyone to see for the last few seasons: we've needed two full-backs and a striker. Not addressing it is costing goals at both ends, as is evident again today.
O'Brien is not much better than Mykolenko and could've cost us a couple of goals as well, and the least said about Barry, the better. Other than that, we've performed reasonably, even without the in-form Dewsbury-Hall.🙄
Posted 13/12/2025 at 16:52:36
Gueye heading off on Monday so why change a winning team?
Keep Dewsbury-Hall at No 8 where he excelled in Gueye's absence. He is a massive loss now, after doing his hamstring.
Ndiaye and Dewsbury-Hall, two of our best players now missing over Christmas.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 16:57:29
You're only going to get occasional 2-game winning runs with Moyes -- then the slump.
We get all excited and optimistic. The life of an Evertonian.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 16:59:29
Second half seemed a bit of an anticlimax but I thought it was a game we could have lost 4-0 or with a few slightly better moments we could have won 2-0.
Not too sure the midfield was improved by Gana's return but we certainly missed Dewsbury-Hall and a top class sniffer if not outright striker. Interesting to see what we do when the African Cup of Nations is on.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 17:06:24
Plenty of chances but no one to put them away.
Barry is shocking -- whoever scouted him needs sacking, and I thought Gana and Keane were poor today.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 17:09:48
Kieran, You are in KC!!
Gather the biggest selling item are Patriot Shirts as everyone jumps off the Mahomes/Kelce bandwagon and back onto New England one.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 17:12:18
Phil
lol all the locals are in mourning at present
Posted 13/12/2025 at 17:15:05
BBC have Ashley Williams saying Everton offered too little too late.
Glad he isn't still in our team -- he'd have put his shirt over his head, thrown the towel in after 10 minutes and made sure it was a 0-6 loss.
Not sure how he qualifies as someone to bring insight into analysis after his largely unsuccessful career.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 17:18:53
it's amazing that we've got to where we have with those fullbacks. the difference to the side of putting two good players in there. Very dispiriting to lose by those goals. It felt easy for them. Just a gentle press on the pedal, and 'goal'. I suspect we were a bit more adventurous than we would normally be coming here, and maybe played ten yards further up, but of course when you do that, if the players aren't concentrating the whole time, you're dead. Myko will have nightmares with the way that guy strolled past him.
Ndiaye terrific throughout, Jack really should have had a goal, a little bit disappointed with him today. Not a bad little cameo from Dibling, he's still got his confidence, I think we'll see a lot more of him in the next few weeks.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 17:21:21
Pickford rolling the ball out is too much for our defenders.
Having said that, hoofing it up to Barry or Beto isn't going produce much more.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 17:29:20
So evident today we are lacking quality, LB and RB desperately needed, adequate midfield replacements if, as today injury dictated change, not having two jokes of Strikers !
Posted 13/12/2025 at 17:57:10
Second goal just before the break killed us; it could easily have been 1-1 @ H-T...
Onwards and upwards, hope we have a good go v Arsenal next week, then take 6 points v Burnley and Forest. 🤞
Posted 13/12/2025 at 18:01:58
Beaten by all round better players.
Not our best performance marred by the injury to Dewsbury-Hall; however, despite some average performances, we held our own despite never looking like winning.
Our team spirit is good and we are fighting, for each other as well as individually. There were some good battles out there and I am quite pleased with our overall progress this Season.
Let's see where we are after the Africa thing.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 18:02:42
We all know that we need two strikers at the very least amnd we need a new left-back and right-back.
Square pegs in round holes just won't cut it now in this league anymore!
Time to spend some dosh in January, methinks... big time!
Posted 13/12/2025 at 18:07:41
Two questions - and take off your blue-tinted specs before answering.
Who, out of that Chelsea team, would not have got into our team today?
And who, out of our team, would have got into theirs?
(My answer to both fwiw is none)
In the end, unless you have a genius manager with a brilliant strategy, quality all over the park will win the contest.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 18:16:50
No one seems to have noticed the blatant drag to the floor of Ndiaye from a corner but guess what: Stuart Atwell was the VAR so no surprise there then.
Having Barry up front is like playing with 10 men. A lamppost would have done better.
Gana at fault for both goals and Keane was slow to react for the first.
With better finishing, it's a game we could have got something out of.
Can we please address this in January and not dither. We know where the weaknesses are.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 18:42:43
I noticed that, Jay.
The NBC commentator said there was not enough in it!
Posted 13/12/2025 at 19:02:55
I'll never understand how Mykolenko gets away with being unbelievably bad yet gets very little criticism. He's a total imposter.
Beto needs to be sold for what we can get and Barry loaned with an eye to get a bit of money back. They are obvious mistakes and all we can do is mitigate the situation.
Our recruitment team inspires zero confidence. Let's hope Dibling isn't another catastrophic mistake.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 19:09:38
Easily beaten by a team who showed more quality and movement in the important moments. Our system relies upon the attacking centre mid while everyone else is stuck to their positions.
Chelsea had greater movement all over the park. I didn't think we played that badly but just lacked quality.
Their right back moves inside, waltzes by Barry and passes to Palmer to slot home. The same guy hits us on the counter and scores the 2nd.
Our right-back was hesitant to go on any overlaps and, when he did, he didn't have the quality to play the pass.
Gana drills the ball across the 6-yard box and the ball nicks off the goalie and through our striker's legs, not a quality issue, more of a timing issue, as any half-decent striker converts that.
Grealish has 2 good chances and couldn't take either in front of Tuchel.
Garner my MotM by a long way must have impressed the England manager.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 19:23:53
I think losing Dewsbury-Hall so early in the game didn't help the Blues but that was more than balanced out with Chelsea playing a half-fit Palmer for only an hour and he was a big part of Chelsea's victory.
We had chances, again, but failed to take them and we were badly let down in defence for those two Chelsea goals.
Amazingly we could have stolen a draw late in the game when Mykolenko did well lining up a decent chance for Charly Alcaraz who was denied by a great block.
Also, Ndiaye, who could have had a penalty in the first half, did brilliantly with a lovely dribble and shot that hit the inside of the post. He continues to fight all over the field for the ball and got little help from the referee with the stick he took off that Chelsea full back.
Beaten today by a better team but not outclassed and we will do better than this when we get a bigger and stronger squad, hopefully starting in January and then February when Gana and Ndiaye come back.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 19:35:48
Rob (43):
Yes, James Garner a big favourite of mine, another game where he never stops working and taking responsibility for attacking and defending, a real team player.
I made Ndiaye my MotM but wouldn't begrudge James Garner if he got it.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 21:07:42
Dear Santa,
Can we have Jarrad back for Christmas?
I promise I'll be good.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 21:21:32
“I'll find out later what it is, he had a bit of tightness already and then he felt it during the game,” the Scotsman admitted.
Not great management?
Posted 13/12/2025 at 22:39:00
Heard a rumour Grealish is injured as well ! Already a doubt for Arsenal
Posted 13/12/2025 at 23:05:41
Get @ 47; I watched on delayed replay 7am my time Sunday and saw KDH giving his hammies a good rub 30secs before the kick-off.
I think it was a known problem of the 'give it a run and see how it goes / how long you last' type.
Our bench is not well stocked with big time game changers...even less now due to AFCON.
Once KDH went off and they scored I went to the 8 mins highlights...it could've been a lot worse...on a really bad day, 4, 5, 6 worse.
We're in a 5th to 13th-ish very close mini league, wins and losses will have you yo-yoing up and down.
Right back and No9 have been a problem for ages, now the Mid Fields looking a bit thin.
But we can't bring anybody in until 1st Jan, everybody baring (further) Injury setbacks (hopefully) will be back by Mid Jan anyway...and I'm not even bothering to think about Rohl.
An inspired MF signing who can hit the ground running (without pulling a hammy) not withstanding, it's going to be a hard, backs to the wall, 4 to 6 weeks.
Given the circumstances beyond Moyeses control - and if you discount the decision to let KDH ''Give it a run and see how it goes'.
Some might say it's a no pressure, made for Moyes situation.
Posted 13/12/2025 at 23:13:25
Derek
Yeah its a weird season as you say with the 5th to 13ish though Id say you could probably expand it to a 3ish to 16ish. Hopefully we whether the storm of AFCON and injuries do come February we are still in the mix for the higher end of the range
Posted 14/12/2025 at 00:35:34
so KDH goes down, nobody near him. Looks like Grealish is now injured, again no explanation. How many times does this happen to us? Players get injured from nowhere, and are out. Rolhl, Jarrad, McNeil was always injured when he was good, DCL was always out, and it always seems to be when they get good. Remember Ndiaye, flying last year, then 'oh, he's out now for three months'. You can say injuries happen to all teams, but I'd love to see a comparison between ourselves and Liverpool. their players NEVER seem to get injured. they just bounce on from game to game. Like tanks.
Posted 14/12/2025 at 00:52:01
Billy @ 38; I'd like a big splurge too - but I doubt we've got the cash.
How to get rid of these ads and support TW
© ToffeeWeb