Match Preview
Everton head to the Capital for the first time since the end of January seeking to end a 30-year wait for victory at Stamford Bridge and their first away win of 2024.
The Toffees go into the Monday night game against Chelsea still sitting in 16th thanks to the fact that Nottingham Forest were held by Wolves and Luton were hammered 5-1 at Manchester City and they will know that anything they can get from this game would be a boost to their hopes of avoiding the drop this season.
So often a scene of painful defeat, this part of West London has also seen Everton pick up their share of creditable points down the years, not least the 3-3 draw under Roberto Martinez when they came as close as ever to beating Chelsea on their own patch for the first time since 1994, and the 1-1 and 2-2 ties on their last two visits.
Sean Dyche and his men would, no doubt, grab a point with both hands if offered it before kick-off, particularly in view of how poorly they have been playing of late, but if they can recapture the spirit, tenacity and attacking threat they showed against the likes of Tottenham before Christmas, they stand a chance of getting something against erratic opponents.
Mauricio Pochettino has struggled for much of the season to get a sufficient tune out of the expensively-assembled squad he inherited to keep them in the top half of the season but he has started to show in recent weeks that, at home at least, he is finding the right formula.
Chelsea’s only away win of the calendar year so far might only have been against Crystal Palace and they were held last time out by Sheffield United at Bramall Lane but, at Stamford Bridge, they’ve beaten promotion-chasing Leeds and Leicester in the FA Cup and overcome Champions League hopefuls Newcastle and Manchester United, scoring seven goals in those two Premier League fixtures alone.
They were also held by ten-man Burnley a fortnight ago, however, which suggests an ongoing fallibility that, hopefully, an Everton side energised by their victory over the Clarets can exploit.
The Blues will have to deal with the in-form Cole Palmer, though, who has scored in each of the Londoners’ last three home games, including a hat-trick against Man Utd. He didn’t finish the draw against the Blades after being withdrawn with a quarter of an hour to go because of fatigue but he has been passed fit for Monday night, as has Malo Gusto.
Raheem Sterling and Enzo Hernandez are doubts, however, due to illness, Ben Chilwell faces a late fitness test but Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia, Lesley Ugochukwu, Reece James, Christopher Nkunku and Levi Colwill are ruled out.
Dyche, though, is hoping to include Arnaut Danjuma in the squad for the first time since the end of January after he turned out for the Under-21s on Friday evening, while Idrissa Gueye and Amadou Onana will be available after missing the Burnley game.
The manager is hoping that the second points deduction handed down to them in the same season can add clarity to the Club’s situation vis-a-vis the relegation battle and provide a catalyst in the same way last November’s 10-point deduction eventually did.
“I’ve spoken to the players and staff to remind them of the truth of the moment, which is to focus on the games in hand.
“[The deduction] is unexpected in the sense we thought it had been dealt with but it obviously hasn’t been, and [there is] time to possibly appeal, so the Club is looking into that but the last response was, ‘what’s done is done’.
“The last time we got a knock everyone pulled together. The fans were terrific in a new reality and it rounded the wagons for us. Everyone said: ‘Hang on, the badge is more important than anything’ and I still feel the same. Myself, the players, the fans all pulling together and making sure we look after the club.
“Front foot mentality is an important factor.”
Gueye was of a similar mind with comments he made this week, stressing that the Blues have what they need in their ranks to get out of trouble.
“We need to get back to what we can do best and get wins on the board, always giving everything for the club,” the Senegal international said.
“Yes, we fought to survive, but the idea of ​​Everton being in anything other than the elite is unthinkable. We have quality and we have shown what we are capable of. You have to give everything, it’s as simple as that.”
Kick-off: 8pm, Monday 15 April 2024
Referee: Paul Tierney
VAR: Michael Salisbury
Last Time: Chelsea 2 – 2 Everton
Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Gueye, Garner, Young, McNeil, Doucouré, Calvert-Lewin