Everton travel to Stamford Bridge to play Chelsea on Saturday, a stadium that hasn’t recently been kind to the Toffees .
Everton look to break a 21-game winless streak at Stamford Bridge, a record that spans back to 1994. With a victory, the Toffees would at least temporarily leapfrog Tottenham – who play Arsenal on Sunday – and climb to within a point of Chelsea.
Everton have 18 points – five wins and three draws – from 10 matches and are in sixth place in the Premier League .
Maarten Stekelenburg is fit for the match, while both Leighton Baines and James McCarthy have been ruled out due to lingering hamstring injuries. Senegal international Idrissa Gueye, after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season in the victory over West Ham, is out due to suspension.
Here’s what Ronald Koeman thinks of playing without the influential midfielder for the first time this season.
https://twitter.com/Everton/status/794229841427984384
So, what does Everton have to do to beat Chelsea on Saturday?
Firstly, they have to strangle the supply to Pedro and Eden Hazard, while offering the two in-form midfielders no space to turn. Everton’s chances of claiming all three points may come down to how well Seamus Coleman and Bryan Oviedo handle Chelsea’s creative and shifty wingers.
Antonio Conte has employed a 3-4-3 system to great effect. Chelsea have won five straight and are firing on all cylinders. And as you’d expect, most of their offense is coming from the triumvirate of Hazard, Pedro and Diego Costa.
Playing for 90
Everton’s back four, to escape the dreaded confines of Stamford Bridge with at least a point, will need to play mistake-free, disciplined football.
Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams will have to stay compact while ramping up their physical play to frustrate Costa. Hopefully they’ll provoke an impetuous response from the hotheaded striker.
This is a big chance for Everton to put their recent inconsistencies behind them. A win or a draw at Stamford Bridge would inject the players with the kind of confidence they’ll need to challenge for a top-four spot.
The Toffees are unbeaten in two against Chelsea and left Stamford Bridge with a 3-3 result last time out, in January 2016.
Can Romelu Lukaku break Chelsea hearts?
Romelu Lukaku will be fired up take the field against his former team.
Lukaku has seven goals thus far, only one behind league leader Costa. The 23-year-old has yet to score at the Bridge since moving to Everton but will be chomping at the bit to line up against Gary Cahill and David Luiz.
Next: Ronald Koeman praises Ross Barkley's West Ham performance
Cahill, though he’s been better lately, made some schoolboy errors earlier in the season, none worse than his gaffe in a 3-0 loss to Liverpool on September 24.
Gary Cahill vs Arsenal pic.twitter.com/JwoO1uThgX
— Kemal (@ikmalikram10) September 24, 2016
And it wasn’t an isolated incident. Lukaku can use his physical strength and power to disrupt Cahill and Luiz. He’ll need to be clinical in front of goal if a chance comes his way, which is a likely prospect with a mistake-prone Cahill roaming the heart of Chelsea’s defense.
It’s crucial for the Toffees to start well, thereby neutralizing Chelsea’s often-fickle fan base. Everton, by keeping it tight early, will have a great chance to leave West London with at least a share of the spoils.