Despite a convincing performance at Anfield, Thomas Tuchel decided to make four changes to his starting XI for the visit of Everton, the most notable one being the omission of Mason Mount from the start. Not much else changed though for Chelsea, as they recorded another comfortable win with another cleansheet and tightened their grip on 4th place. Tuchel stretches his unbeaten run to 11 games in all competitions, with 8 of those being wins.
The Match
The pattern of the game was established early on, as Chelsea started dominating the ball. Everton defended resolutely under sustained pressure from the hosts, with Jorginho coming closest to scoring in the opening half hour or so. The breakthrough soon followed, as Callum Hudson-Odoi created space with some nimble footwork to skip past Mason Holgate and Andre Gomes, before releasing Marcos Alonso. Kai Havertz latched upon the Spaniard’s cross, whose shot bounced off Ben Godfrey and into the back of the net.
In the second half, Havertz thought he had doubled his side’s lead, but he was deemed to have handled the ball before smashing it past Jordan Pickford. Then Richarlison spurned Everton’s best chance of the game, after being put through on goal by Gylfi Sigurdsson. And as is so often the case, when you miss your chance you pay for it. Mateo Kovacic’s visionary through ball just moments later set up Havertz, who was brought down by an onrushing Pickford. Jorginho converted the resulting spot kick to double Chelsea’s lead.
Carlo Ancelotti then made some attack-minded changes to try and mount a fightback. But as Everton committed bodies forward, gaps began to appear at the back. If not for the heroics of Pickford, Everton could have conceded three or four.
With Spurs getting back to their best and West Ham continuing to exceed expectations, Chelsea were well aware of the importance of three points. They may be in fourth, but all three of their immediate challengers have games in hand, making it imperative to pick up maximum points possible.
Key Takeaways
Havertz repays faith: Starting Havertz instead of Mount in such a crucial game was a gamble, given how good Mount has been recently. But it is a gamble that paid off. Havertz looked sharp from the start, linked up well with fellow German Timo Werner, and was involved in both the goals. If this performance is anything to go by, then Chelsea fans are set to be rewarded for showing patience in him.
Hudson-Odoi, Jorginho and Andreas Christensen also continue their impressive form. Hudson-Odoi showed his versatility, having impressed both at right wing back and as the number 10. Christensen looks a completely different player to what he was under Frank Lampard. He looks composed on the ball, doesn’t panic and looks disciplined while defending. The defense looks solid, and it will be hard for Thiago Silva to break into it once he is fully fit.
Everton may have managed to cause Chelsea trouble recently, but none of that has happened at Stamford Bridge. The Toffees are now winless at the Bridge since November 1994.
Up Next
Chelsea travel to arch rivals Leeds United, hoping to extend their fine unbeaten run. Everton host relegation fighters Burnley. They’ll be looking to get back to winning ways.