Everton vs Chelsea: Predicting the day at Goodison Park
Chelsea are at Everton hoping to keep their distance from Tottenham and lower their magic number to nine. How will the day pan out for the Blues?
Romelu Lukaku has been sufficiently impressive this season that he does not need to score any goals today to secure his transfer to Chelsea. He will be the home side’s biggest threat, and Everton will put a lot of balls in his direction to split Chelsea’s back-line.
Hopefully Ronald Koeman will play the 3-4-3 that enabled Chelsea to lead 2-0 within 25 minutes during the earlier fixture at Stamford Bridge. Here are our predictions for the match.
Scott Brant: Everton 2 – 4 Chelsea. Chelsea will not shrink under the expectations and pressure of closing out this title run. The Blues come out firing on all cylinders. Lukaku nets a brace and puts in a dominant performance. Costa to score yet another match winner.
Ollie Miller: 1 – 1. Having easily swept aside Everton earlier in the season, Chelsea will be looking for another easy game. Sadly, it will not be as easy as it was last time. With Everton in form and the blues not being able to keep a clean sheet, expect Everton to get a goal. Are we going to see a return to form from Costa? Possibly, and we’ll need him tomorrow.
Kee Min: 2 – 2. Judging by how Chelsea has defended crosses and set pieces recently, Romelu Lukaku will be a nightmare to stop. However, Everton’s tendency to foul often and the weapons like David Luiz, Marcos Alonso and others will be able to offset the former (and future?) Chelsea striker. The Belgian scores two but Luiz and Hazard lead the comeback for a point each, as frustrating defensive showing continues.
Barrett Rouen: 1 -2. I am worried about this match. Chelsea have defended like Arsenal recently and that’s just not good enough.
Andre Carlisle: 3 – 1. If you have an affinity for Chelsea, don’t bother looking at Everton’s home record. And, especially with sudden defensive concerns, don’t pay attention to the fact that Lukaku is tied for the Premier League lead in headed goals – six of his twenty-four. The dark arts are just as insecure as every deity. You must believe before they can be bothered to blink the universe in your favor. Anyone expecting a repeat of the last meeting will be disappointed during but just as elated after, as Hazard’s second half hat-trick cancels Lukaku’s brace. 3-2, Chelsea.
Travis Tyler: 3 – 6. I write this as I am currently stuck behind a train. Is that a metaphor for this game? No, probably not, but the gut says another high scoring crazy fixture between these two.
Brendan McDonnell: 2 – 2. I love what I saw from the lads earlier this week, but for some reason traveling to Goodison doesn’t give me the best feeling this weekend. My heart says 3 points, my head says 1.
Daniel Mcclue: 5 – 5. Chelsea vs Everton games are always wild, particularly at Goodison Park. The Blues can’t defend at the moment, while The Toffees are on an unbelievable run at home. Seriously, I didn’t believe how well they are doing. Chelsea’s defence can handle Lukaku just fine, it’s the pacey midfielders I’m worried about. Five different players score for Everton in the first half, before Michy Batshuayi comes on for Diego Costa and scores 5 in the second half. Conte still claims that Costa played better because he stared angrily at Phil Jagielka for 45 minutes.
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