The last time when they met back in November, Everton were humiliated in the worst possible manner as Chelsea won 5-0. The Toffees will look to level things up and given the form they are at home, it is very much possible.
Team News
Everton- There are no new injuries to worry about for manager Ronald Koeman going into this crucial fixture and the Dutch manager will have a more or less strong squad to fight with. A big injury boost could, however, be forward Enner Valencia.
The West Ham United loanee has been a handy option for Koeman with pace on the ball and vibrancy in the attacking third. And in the absence of Aaron Lennon and Seamus Coleman on that flank, Valencia could be useful. Apart from him, the injury list for Everton remains the same.
Chelsea- Chelsea, too, have no new concerns going into the game and after a hectic two games, the Blues manager is likely to get back into the full-proofed starting eleven, which has been largely dominant for the most part of the season.
Predicted Line-ups
Everton- Robles; Baines, Williams, Jagielka, Holgate; Davies, Schneiderlin, Gueye; Mirallas, Barkley; Lukaku
Chelsea- Courtois; Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill; Moses, Fabregas, Kante, Alonso; Willian, Hazard; Costa
Key Players
Everton- Premier League top scorer Romelu Lukaku is the most likely to get his name on the scoresheet. The Belgian is massively said to be departing from Goodison Park at the end of the season and Chelsea could be one of his prime suitors. Hence, an extra motivation will work in him surely as he faces them. Although he has failed to score against his former club in the last five games, he hasn’t stopped scoring at his home turf in the last nine games.
Apart from him, another key player for Everton, who is also rumoured to be moving away from the Merseyside club at the end of the season, is Ross Barkley. With Enner Valencia returning, Koeman can place the English youngster back to his preferred central position, from where he is the most dangerous.
Chelsea- After scoring a brace in the last game against Southampton following a frustrating dry spell, Diego Costa will look to start adding to his tally yet again. The Spaniard is also said to be leaving Stamford Bridge at the end of the season and he would surely want to finish his time in England on a good note. Eden Hazard will be another player, who can cause all kinds of problems for Everton.
Betting odds
Everton @ 3.90
Draw @ 3.70
Chelsea @ 2.00
