Ahead of Chelsea’s clash against Aston Villa on Wednesday night, Liam Rosenior will be buoyed by Liverpool’s defeat to Wolves, but Steven Gerrard thinks Chelsea will have an eye on another club.
Chelsea dropped into sixth place on the weekend, with the coefficient expected to hand the Premier League five Champions League slots. Gary Lineker has predicted Chelsea will finish in sixth position.
It comes after winning just two points from a possible nine, conceding leads to Leeds and then Burnley, before defeat at The Emirates. Liverpool and Man United’s renewed form saw them leapfrog Chelsea.
But Liverpool’s surprise defeat to Wolves, who have now picked up massive results against Arne Slot’s side, Arsenal, and Aston Villa, has opened the door for Chelsea if they can manage to beat Aston Villa.
Finish our XI to face Villa!
However, according to Steven Gerrard, there is another team that Chelsea will be concerned about in the race to finish in the top five. Indeed, Gerrard thinks Rosenior and Chelsea will be worried by Everton.
Steven Gerrard thinks Everton are worrying the big boys
Everton made it two wins from two games on Tuesday night with a comfortable 2-0 home win over struggling Burnley. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall continued his fine form with his sixth goal of the season.
Everton manager David Moyes applauds the supporters
Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
Speaking after Liverpool’s 2-1 loss to Wolves on TNT Sports, Gerrard thinks Everton’s form will have the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool concerned, highlighting David Moyes’ likes a certain European competition.
“Yeah, really good [season]. David Moyes has been brilliant for Everton. They’ve done really well, I’m sure they’re going to sneak into the back door for those European places,” Gerrard said about The Toffees.
“We know he likes the Conference League. He’s done it before, so I think they are going to put the pressure on the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Brentford,” the Liverpool legend continued last night.
Chelsea have the chance to climb into fifth position
Paul Merson has predicted a 2-1 Chelsea win against Aston Villa on Wednesday night and such a result would see the Blues climb into fifth position, due to their superior goal difference over Liverpool.
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Everton are now just two points behind Chelsea and Brentford only one, having played last night. For Chelsea, it was lucky that Brentford only managed a draw, a win would have seen the Bees go sixth.
While defeat will see Chelsea remain in sixth on Wednesday night, Man United would go nine clear of Chelsea if Rosenior suffers a second Premier League defeat and Michael Carrick wins at Newcastle.
All to play for then, and Chelsea must get themselves a win against Aston Villa to reignite their hopes of playing Champions League football. It is an opportunity that Rosenior’s side cannot pass up.
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