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The Hill Dickinson Stadium is the venue tonight (Picture: Getty)
Chelsea face another stern test when they take on Everton in Premier League action tonight.
It has been an absolutely wretched week for Liam Rosenior’s side. Defeat at home to Newcastle United last weekend was followed by a mauling midweek against Paris Saint-Germain that saw them dumped out of the Champions League.
Throw in a new injury blow for Reece James, Enzo Fernandez’s casting doubt over his long-term future at a suspended transfer ban and it’s safe to say the Blues could do with a break.
Everton, with European aspirations of their own, will be put to pile more misery on tonight on Merseyside.
Metro’s LIVE matchday blog will bring you all the build-up, confirmed team news and starting XIs, goal updates and minute-by-minute coverage.
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March 21, 2026 5:57 pm
Everton 0-0 Chelsea
James Goldman
25 mins: Chelsea are starting to get a measure of control and may have weathered the early storm but are yet to test Jordan Pickford.
March 21, 2026 5:50 pm
Everton 0-0 Chelsea
James Goldman
19 mins: It really is one way traffic and Chelsea are extremely fortunate not to be behind. As they were at Arsenal last week, Everton have been superb but just can’t find the right shot or final pass to make their good work count.
March 21, 2026 5:46 pm
Everton 0-0 Chelsea
James Goldman
14 mins: Chelsea are playing with fire here! Another giveaway sees Everton work the ball into the box where James Garner fires in a low shot that is blocked on the edge of the six-yard box by Marc Cucurella.
March 21, 2026 5:41 pm
Everton 0-0 Chelsea
James Goldman
10 mins: What is Robert Sanchez doing? The Chelsea goalkeeper tries to dribble around Beto and makes a mess of it, before just about managing to rescue the situation.
March 21, 2026 5:37 pm
Everton 0-0 Chelsea
James Goldman
6 mins: An error at the back is pounced on by Everton and a chance nearly presents itself for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, but the former Chelsea man is stopped by Moises Caicedo inside the penalty area, just as he was preparing to pull the trigger.
March 21, 2026 5:33 pm
Everton 0-0 Chelsea
James Goldman
3 mins: A positive start for the home side who force their way into Chelsea territory with ease. Everton’s press already looks in good order.
March 21, 2026 5:30 pm
James Goldman
1 min: We’re underway at Hill Dickinson Stadium
March 21, 2026 5:29 pm
Huddle time
James Goldman
Chelsea conduct their now customary pre-match huddle but, mercifully, away from the centre spot. Time to respect the ball!
March 21, 2026 5:17 pm
Wantaway Enzo Fernandez?
James Goldman
As if defeat wasn’t hard enough to stomach in midweek, Enzo Fernandez’s comments rubbed salt into the wounds. The Argentina international is wearing the armband again this afternoon and all eyes will be on him after some pretty pointed statements.
‘I don’t understand it either,’ Fernandez said. ‘Sometimes there are things that we as players don’t understand, how and in what way they try to manage things.
‘Obviously, it was a departure that hurt us a lot because we had an identity. He gave us an order, even though, as is the way of football, sometimes it’s good and bad.
‘But he always had a very clear identity when it came to training and playing, and obviously his departure hurt us a lot, especially in the middle of the season, it cuts everything short.’
March 21, 2026 5:10 pm
Rotation hurting Chelsea?
James Goldman
While it couldn’t be helped today, given the injury to Trevoh Chalobah, Chelsea have made 96 changes to their starting XI in the Premier League this season, the most of any side and already more than they did in the whole of last season (95).
Is a lack of consistency, particularly at the back, hurting Chelsea?
March 21, 2026 4:43 pm
Alan Shearer’s prediction
James Goldman
I’ve got no confidence in Chelsea. They got battered in midweek and Newcastle beat them last weekend. I guess they’re playing for the manager because you know what the noise will be if they get beaten again. But I’m going to go for a home win for Everton.
I think Everton will somehow scrape something from Chelsea. David Moyes has done a brilliant job and I’m a huge fan of his and what he’s done, what he’s achieved and what he’s doing at Everton.
Prediction – Everton win
March 21, 2026 4:31 pm
James Tarkowski boost for Everton
James Goldman
Everton hardly missed their experienced centre-half last week at Arsenal, but the return of James Tarkowski will still represent a welcome boost.
The former Burnley defender’s return means James Garner moves back into midfield in an otherwise unchanged Everton side.
March 21, 2026 4:27 pm
Three changes for Chelsea
James Goldman
Unsurprisingly, Liam Rosenior has made changes following Chelsea’s midweek mauling at the hands of PSG.
One alteration was enforced with the injured Trevoh Chalobah replaced by Wesley Fofana. Elsewhere, Malo Gusto returns from illness to come in for Mamadou Sarr, while Romeo Lavia is preferred to Andrey Santos in midfield.
March 21, 2026 4:21 pm
Chelsea and Everton starting Line-ups
James Goldman
Everton XI: Pickford, O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Garner, Gueye, McNeil, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye, Beto
Chelsea XI: Sanchez, Gusto, Fofana, Hato, Cucurella, Caicedo, Lavia, Palmer, Fernandez, Neto, Joao Pedro
March 21, 2026 4:12 pm
Magic Moyes
James Goldman
Chelsea’s task is a less than straightforward one, with Everton in decent form under David Moyes.
The Toffees are likely to finish in the top half for the first time since 2018/19 but could be forgiven for focusing on European qualification given the inconsistent form of the teams ahead of them in the table.
Everton were desperately unlucky not to pick up at least a point at Arsenal last week and will provide Chelsea with a stern examination on their first visit to Hill Dickinson Stadium.
March 21, 2026 4:06 pm
James Goldman
It’s been a testing week for Chelsea and Liam Rosenior, but he and the Blues arrive on Merseyside already having received some good news today in the shape of Liverpool’s defeat at Brighton.
The Reds were beaten by a Danny Welbeck brace which has left their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League in a precarious position.
Can Chelsea capitalise?
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