Frank Lampard’s 4th placed Chelsea side picked up what was only their first win in three Premier League outings in midweek, having beaten Aston Villa by a 2-1 scoreline at Stamford Bridge. The Blues weren’t at their best on the night by any stretch of the imagination, but goals from Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount were enough to see out the three points.
Their next League encounter against Everton is scheduled in less than 72 hours after their most recent win, effectively forcing Lampard into making some key changes to the team, especially considering that the Blues also have Champions League commitments this midweek. Even with their qualification to the knockout stage hanging in the balance, expect Lampard to field a fairly strong team against the struggling Toffees.
Team News
Chelsea were blessed with the timely return of Tammy Abraham from his hip problem in midweek but was taken off during the latter stages of their win against Villa, after clashing knees with Tyrone Mings. Although the young striker was subbed almost immediately, the likelihood of him missing this league encounter seems to be extremely bleak.
In other news, Antonio Rudiger and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are still on their roads to recovery, meaning that they could come into the side at the turn of the year. Ross Barkley has also been nursing a minor illness over the last few weeks but could return to the squad this time, while Marco Van Ginkel’s ruptured ACL means that he will play no part in this weekend’s action either.
Predicted 4-2-3-1 Chelsea Lineup Vs Everton
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Defence
Kepa Arizzabalaga made an absolute vital save in the final minutes against Aston Villa to keep the scoreline tilted in the Blues favour. His place in the side won’t come into question unless he picks up an injury along the way. Andreas Christensen was preferred to Fikayo Tomori in the heart defence for Villa, but this fixture against Everton could see the return of the young Englishman into the squad.
He is set to slot in alongside Chelsea’s brick-wall Kurt Zouma at the back this weekend, to form the defensive partnership that has done wonders for the Blues so far this term. On the flanks, Reece James could be dropped back onto the bench with Emerson slotting in at left-back. Skipper Cesar Azpilicueta is expected to return to his preferred role on the right side to make space for the incoming Italian.
Midfield
This fixture against Everton could be the perfect time for Frank Lampard to give Mateo Kovacic a much-needed break. The Croatian has been involved heavily since the start of the campaign and has arguably been the Blues’ most influential player so far. With the Toffees struggling to find any form, the Blues could go with a slightly more weakened midfield lineup and still get the win. This means that Jorginho should return to the side to partner N’Golo Kante at the centre of the park.
Attack
Mason Mount scored an absolute belter of a goal at Stamford Bridge in midweek to ensure that the Blues collected all three points. He is expected to slot into the number ten role just in behind the main striker Tammy Abraham. On the flanks, the familiar faces of Willian and Christian Pulisic will provide the Blues width, while the pair of them will be given the freedom to dribble players and generally work their magic in the final third.
