Everton host defending champions Chelsea at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday after occupying fifth place in the Premier League table following six consecutive unbeaten games in their opening six fixtures. David Moyes’s men have registered two wins and four draws while scoring eight goals and conceding five to finish level on 10 points with their hosts.
They drew 2-2 at Hull City in their most recent match, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry scoring second-half goals to rescue a point after the Tigers put them under pressure twice. Everton dominated possession (65%) and led in expected goals (1.71 to 1.33), but wasted six of their eight big chances.
Everton played in a 4-2-3-1 formation at Hull, with James Tarkowski and Michael Keane operating as the centre-backs while Jarrad Branthwaite played at left-back. The former was the man of the match, completing 68 of his 76 passes and making 11 clearances, including blocking a goal-bound effort.
Everton are not known for attacking flair, but Moyes’s men have been the most disciplined team this season. They led the league in number of pressures in the opponent’s half (1,145) and final third (682), according to Opta data. Meanwhile, no team has registered more turnovers than Everton (11).
Jack Grealish is the creative boost and the team’s primary playmaker after joining on a season-long loan from Manchester City, as Ndiaye made the reverse move on deadline day. Moyes has said he wants to build the system around the playmaker, even as he recovers from a six-and-a-half-month injury layoff. Meanwhile, teammate Dewsbury Hall has been the team’s second-highest key passer (11) this season, per Sofascore, while Barry has ranked third in the division for accumulated expected goals (xG).
However, their main weakness has been their inability to deliver accurate crosses, with just 18.2% crossing accuracy in their last five matches. They also equalled their lowest-ever number of chances in a game (12), missing ten big ones in their encounter with Hull. The opening goal for the Tigers was scored following a misplaced pass by Ainsley Maitland-Niles, and Moyes conceded that his team’s display was below their usual standard.
How Everton Beat Chelsea 3-0 On The Blues’ Last Visit To Merseyside
Hill Dickinson was the scene for the first-ever meeting between the teams at the ground, and it was the first-ever defeat for the then newly-appointed Blues manager Liam Rosenior. Everton recorded a comfortable 3-0 win, with a brace from Beto and a goal from Iliman Ndiaye.
They were narrowly better in expected goals (1.11 to 0.98) from 12 shots, but were consistently more intense. Substitute Dewsbury Hall threatened to score a stunning fourth goal for the Toffees after a counter-attacking move, but his effort was thwarted by Sanchez.
Everton and Chelsea have both made significant changes to their playing staff since that meeting. Alonso replaced Rosenior as manager, Ndiaye joined Manchester City, and Everton signed Tyrique George from their local rivals. The two sides will look to showcase their progress on Saturday.