Chelsea will be aiming to boost their chances of finishing in the Premier League's top five when they host Everton at Stamford Bridge in Saturday’s early kickoff.
Enzo Maresca is still feeling the heat despite a dramatic comeback win over Fulham last weekend, thanks to late goals from Tyrique George and Pedro Neto. That 2-1 victory gave Chelsea a lifeline in the Champions League race, but it hasn’t done much to quiet the pressure on their manager, who’ll be serving a touchline ban this weekend.
That win extended Chelsea’s unbeaten run in the league to four matches. They’ve shown some grit lately, clawing back points after going behind at halftime in their last two games.
Maresca will have appreciated a little help from his old pal Pep Guardiola too—Manchester City’s win over Aston Villa on Tuesday means Chelsea stay sixth in the table, just two points shy of the top five.
But it’s not going to get any easier. Chelsea have one of the toughest schedules left among the European hopefuls, with clashes against Everton, Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester United, and Nottingham Forest still on the horizon.
They’re also balancing a European run of their own, with a Conference League semi-final against Djurgarden coming up on Thursday. While lifting that trophy would end a four-year silverware drought, it only guarantees Europa League football—so the Premier League push remains priority number one.
The good news? Chelsea have a historically lopsided record against Everton at the Bridge. They haven’t lost to the Toffees at home in the league since 1994—a staggering 29-game unbeaten streak, the longest they’ve had against any team.
Last year, they smashed Everton 6-0 in this fixture—the Toffees’ worst defeat in two decades. That said, Everton did hold Chelsea to a goalless draw just before Christmas, back when Maresca's side had briefly looked like title contenders (feels like ages ago, right?).
This time around, Everton are under new management. David Moyes has brought stability and fight back to the team, helping them steer clear of relegation in their final season at Goodison Park.
They went nine games unbeaten before hitting a bump—just four points from their last four matches—but given that run included games against three of the league’s top four, it’s hard to criticize.
Last weekend, they fell 2-0 to Man City in their final home game against the champions, ending a rough streak of nine straight losses to City at Goodison.
Their only win in the last eight games came at Nottingham Forest, and while they’ve struggled to get wins, they’ve made a habit of drawing—no team has more this season (14).
With only eight wins all year, only the bottom three have managed fewer. But since Moyes took charge, Everton have picked up 21 points—more than the combined total of all three teams currently in the drop zone over the same stretch.
Heading into the weekend, Everton sit 13th—top of a congested lower mid-table, but still comfortably clear of relegation danger after losses for Manchester United and Spurs helped hold the line.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Chelsea are sweating over the fitness of Malo Gusto after the right-back limped off with a muscle injury during last weekend’s win at Fulham. There’s growing concern he might not feature again this season, which would be a big blow—especially with Wesley Fofana already out long-term.
Despite having a European semi-final coming up midweek, Enzo Maresca is expected to field a strong starting XI against Everton. That said, Tyrique George might have earned himself a Premier League start after making a big impact off the bench at Craven Cottage. The young winger has mostly been used in the Conference League but could now get a shot in the league.
Cole Palmer, meanwhile, is going through a bit of a dry spell—he hasn’t scored in 16 games. Still, he’s likely to start, especially given he tore Everton apart in this fixture last season, scoring four goals. He was the first player to do that against the Toffees in the 21st century.
Over on the Everton side, they’ve got problems of their own. Key defender James Tarkowski looks set to miss the rest of the campaign after picking up a hamstring injury against Man City. Michael Keane came on to replace him but had a rough outing, drawing heavy criticism.
That could lead to a shake-up at the back, with Jake O’Brien possibly moving into the middle and one of Nathan Patterson, Ashley Young, or Seamus Coleman slotting in at right-back.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Enzo, Caicedo; George, Palmer, Neto; Jackson
Everton possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Patterson, O'Brien, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Harrison, Gueye, Garner, Doucoure, Ndiaye; Beto
EXPERT PREDICTION
Chelsea 1-0 Everton
