After two draws Everton came crashing to defeat at Chesea today

Well after all the optimism of the past few weeks, Everton went down to a comprehensive 4-0 loss at Chelsea this afternoon as the Blues unbeaten run comes to a shuddering end.

Yet again Everton have failed to turn up and get anything from a game in London as the Toffees terrible record in the capital goes on.

This defeat has underlined again just how much work the Blues apparently still need to do before they can realistically think of competing at the Premier League’s top table. This loss was a real wake-up call to many of us, including me, who have perhaps been carried away a bit by the positive start under Carlo Ancelotti.

I’ve said this before but it does seem at times as though Everton are like a mirage, with the occasional run of decent games making us believe there are genuine signs of progress and then just as we think it’s real, we have a day like today.

Strangely Ancelotti started the match with Bernard playing wide on the right and Gylfi Sigurdsson lining up on the left again.

I’m not sure why the manager keeps playing the Icelander there, these tactics are a little baffling because he’s certainly not a winger. And Bernard much prefers being on the left where he can come inside and he and Lucas Digne can combine as they have to good effect in the past.

Digne himself had a poor game and he’s still not recaptured anywhere near the form of last season. I don’t know what’s wrong with the ex-Barcelona man but he’s a shadow of his former self. While on the other side, Djibril Sidibe was badly exposed as I expected he would be.

If Ancelotti wants a French right-back who can defend and also contribute in attack he should perhaps go back to his former club for the Napoli player Kevin Malcuit.

Anyway whatever the idea behind these selection decisions from the manager, it didn’t work today and the Toffees midfield was pedestrian again and far too easily out muscled and bypassed.

I know that he has very little to choose from, but it might have made more sense to play Alex Iwobi in one of the wide positions or Richarlison on the left while Sigurdsson has to be alongside Tom Davies in the middle, at least as that’s his only position.

Chelsea started very brightly with real energy and were much quicker and precise in most of what they did. They were soon in front as yet another mistake in midfield led to their first goal.

The Toffees defence was vulnerable all afternoon and along with the full-backs, Micheal Keane had another indifferent outing in the centre alongside Mason Holgate. I’m also not sure why Ancelotti has gone away from starting Yerry Mina alongside Holgate.

While a lot of attention is being focused on fixing the Blues defence, any back four, no matter how good, will be vulnerable at times if you don’t have enough quality in front of them. For me therefore sorting out the middle of the park is the first priority if Everton are to improve.

I know Ancelotti prefers a 4-4-2, but I still believe that three in the middle is the best option. A combination of Andre Gomes, Jean-Philippe Gbamin if he’s ever fit and another energetic but also creative midfielder (like Marc Roca) would I think give the Blues better protection and numbers.

Then he could experiment with someone operating off the front two or give Moise Kean a chance to play alongside Richarlison and Dominic Cavert-Lewin, which is my preferred option.

Talking of DCL, he had his poorest match in a long while and fluffed his one real chance to pull a goal back after Chelsea had added to their early lead in the first half.

It’s days like this that will mean some Blues fans will always have their doubts about his pedigree. And it’s true that the very best finishers rarely miss such chances.

Of course it would happen the very next game after he’s just signed a new long-term contract! However, perhaps it was just an off day for him, as it certainly was for everyone else in a royal blue shirt. Let’s hope so.

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So after going in at half time two goals down the Toffees had to get the next goal. But of course they didn’t and succumbed to two more quick goals after the break. This was game over and there was no way back for Everton.

In fact although Chelsea are certainly not world beaters, they were comfortably superior to the Blues today and had it not been for the much maligned Jordan Pickford, who made some fine stops, the scoreline might have been worse.

Well with this defeat I think we can kiss European football goodbye for next season, as I don’t feel the Toffees will be able to finish high enough in the league having dropped eight points in the last three games. Next is the small matter of the Merseyside derby, how thrilling a prospect that is!

Everton crash to humiliating defeat

By Matt Townsend | Mar 8, 2020

Well after all the optimism of the past few weeks, Everton went down to a comprehensive 4-0 loss at Chelsea this afternoon as the Blues unbeaten run comes to a shuddering end.

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