Chelsea predictions at Everton: Maybe boring, maybe thrilling, but surely a win

Chelsea hope a trip to Goodison Park will lead them into the international break on a high note. Our writers predict just that.

Chelsea’s fixtures against Everton used to be high-scoring, end-to-end, all-entertainment affairs. This has not been the case recently, not since the 5-0 masterclass under Antonio Conte in 2016. The Blues are finally coming into their own under Maurizio Sarri and, who knows, he may just learn a thing or two from the game against Dynamo Kyiv and let the youth do their thing.

Barrett Rouen: Everton 1 – 2 Chelsea. Chelsea are not very good and they aren’t either. This will be a dull game but the Blues will win it. David Luiz will play even though he shouldn’t… annoyingly.

Scott Brant: 2 – 3. Chelsea win a wild one, which is becoming a regular trait of the matchup. At the end of a back-and-forth game with very little defense to showcase, Chelsea laugh last with a late winner. Maybe Eden Hazard bails them out with a late winner this time around. The midfield starters and eventual substitutions will be interesting, and worth keeping an eye out for.

Kevin Peacock: 0 – 1. These are generally high scoring games, but Chelsea have tightened up their defence. Everton blow hot and cold but will no doubt raise their game with Boss Barkley heading home. This could be decided by the prodigal son’s only goal of the game. The Blues will not be as free-flowing as most would like, but they need the win more than Everton and Maurizio Sarri is starting to get the team playing his football, even if it’s only sporadically.

Tan Yi Hao: 0 – 2. Despite the 5-0 midweek victory over Dynamo Kyiv, the truth remains that Chelsea have largely been poor in the league this season. Both the 2-1 win and the 1-1 draw against Fulham and Wolves, respectively, were dull and mundane affairs. In the eight months since Sarriball’s introduction into this Chelsea side, Ancelotti’s Napoli are still playing better “Sarriball” than the man himself.

On the other hand, Everton have been absolutely dreadful defensively and remain largely inconsistent under Marco Silva’s tenure. Nonetheless, Silva’s Everton are capable of putting in a shift when they feel like it and should the game turn into a cagey affair. Much like in the reverse fixture, which ended 0-0, fans can expect yet another boring display at Goodison Park.

Nonetheless, Chelsea should have enough to scrape pass their mid-table opponents and I am predicting a straightforward but dull win over the Toffees.

Abhishek Pancholi: 1 – 3. Yes, I’m predicting a win, for once. If there’s one team where there’s a bigger mismatch between expectations from the new coach and the harsh reality, it’s Everton. Marco Silva’s arrival with great fanfare did not turn out to be a return to the glory days of decades ago, and they are firmly ensconced in mid-table mediocrity.

The return of Ross Barkley to his old stomping ground will prove to be a happy one for him, as he’ll watch his new side run rings around his old one. After soaking up the boos and hisses, Barkley will let fly with a long-range screamer that will leave Jordan Pickford clutching at thin air. That will be the third and final goal Chelsea will put past the England goalkeeper on the day.

Now, watch Sarri prove me wrong on everything I just wrote.