Chelsea visit Everton for the last stiff challenge of the Premier League season
By Vishnu Raj
Chelsea visit an Everton side who are in an eight match home winning streak. With the rest of their opponents yet to reach 50 points, this is Chelsea’s last big test in the Premier League this season.
There are no easy matches in the Premier League. But Chelsea’s remaining matches on the other side of Sunday’s fixture at Everton are relatively easy, at least on paper.
A week after Chelsea return from Goodison park they welcome Middlesbrough to Stamford Bridge. Boro’s survival hopes are waning with each match-day. They have to face Manchester City and Liverpool in addition to the league leaders. Recent performances suggest they are heading towards relegation.
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Next the Blues visit West Brom. The Baggies are safe from relegation, comfortably mid-table behind Everton. They had a good run earlier this season, during which they gave a stern challenge at Stamford Bridge. With nothing to fight for, they will have much less motivation to put up that kind of challenge this time around.
Watford comes to west London in the penultimate game of the season. Like West Brom, Watford too are in a safe position with nothing much to fight for. By the time the match ends, Chelsea should have wrapped up the Premier League title.
Sunderland visits in the final game, reminiscent of two years ago when the Blues won the title. Twelve points from safety with 5 games left to play indicates Sunderland’s future lies in the Championship next season.
Tottenham have five tricky matches remaining this season. Their schedule includes two London derbies and a visit from Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United, who are unbeaten since their October defeat to Chelsea. Tottenham end their season with two away games. They first visit the side who pipped them to win title last year, Leicester City. They end the season at Hull City, who will be in the fight of their life to avoid the drop.
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Considering both teams’ final fixtures, Chelsea have the better run-in. But with Spurs currently just four points behind courtesy of an eight-match winning streak, Antonio Conte cannot afford any more setbacks in the final run-in. Having relatively easier fixtures helps ease the tension – but guarantees nothing – as they approach yet another Premier League title.