Chelsea head to Merseyside to take on Everton in the Premier League on Saturday, October 17, with kick-off at Hill Dickinson Stadium at 12:30pm BST. The teams approach the game level on 10 points, with David Moyes’ fifth-placed side ahead of the Blues on goal difference.
Xabi Alonso’s men will arrive at the Toffees’ ground in good spirits after thrashing Bournemouth 5-1 at Stamford Bridge last weekend, ending a three-match winless league run. Goals from Morgan Rogers, Jordan Henderson and Joao Pedro saw the hosts race into the lead in mere minutes, and they were clinical throughout the game.
Everton, meanwhile, are one of only three teams not to have lost a Premier League game this season, alongside Manchester City and Brentford. The Toffees have won two and drawn four of their six league fixtures, and were held to a 2-2 draw at Hull City last Sunday.
However, the underlying figures suggest this match-up is far more evenly matched than the recent results indicate. Chelsea have scored 15 league goals but shipped 13. Everton have let in just five and recorded three clean sheets.
Even Bournemouth’s emphatic victory over the Blues last Saturday was not quite as good as it looked, as the Cherries actually edged the expected goals (xG) battle 1.46 to 1.08. Everton, by contrast, dominated at Hull with 15 shots and 1.71xG, but squandered eight big chances and drew the game.
History isn’t kind to the visitors, who have won only one of their last nine league games away at Everton. The Blues have failed to score on their last three visits and were beaten 3-0 at the new stadium in March.
Chelsea captain Reece James is a doubt after missing the Bournemouth game with a minor knee problem sustained in training. Jamie Gittens is still sidelined with an ankle injury, while the Toffees are monitoring the fitness of left-back Vitalii Mykolenko.
Chelsea Start Games With So Much Energy
Chelsea’s tendency to fly out of the traps has been one of the most startling aspects of Xabi Alonso’s early tenure as manager at Stamford Bridge.
But the Spaniard played no part in what happened last Saturday, and said it was something his players can always aim for, but he had no explanation. He added that he had never experienced a team scoring so many early goals in such a short period.
The Blues have scored five goals inside the first five minutes of league fixtures this season. Only in 1994-95 and 2014-15, with six apiece, have the Blues scored more. Rogers, though, believes it is down to the confidence his manager provides.