Chelsea talking tactics: Everton is dulled but still sharp when needed

Everton may not be flying as high as they were but they can still pose a threat to Chelsea. What tactics will the Toffees use hosting the Blues?

Everton started the season flying high and away from everyone else. There were whispers of a title challenge given how dominant they were. But then they proved that they were Icarus. They flew to close to the sun, the glue on the wings melted, and they have been falling down since. The club formerly in first place is now in ninth. And that, ladies and gents, is why there is no such thing as a title race until at least New Years.

It has, in fairness, had a lot to do with key player injuries, fatigue, and suspension. While it might be true that Everton’s best XI was putting up a potential title fight, their depth was a soft underbelly to target. From the start of the season until the October break, Everton won every match. They returned and drew Liverpool and became broken. Since then, they have lost all but two matches: a victory over Fulham and a draw to Fulham.

Carlo Ancelotti is never one to sit on his laurels however. As Chelsea manager, he would frequently play in a 4-3-3 one match, 4-3-1-2 the next, 4-4-2 after that, and many more. Ever since he lost Gianfranco Zola at Parma (to Chelsea, ironically) because he didn’t fit the system, he has always looked for the formation that suits his best available players at the time.

Most recently, this has seen him break one of his own taboos. While Ancelotti would always change formations to get his best players on together, he would never do so with a back three. Not anymore. In Everton’s last three matches, the Toffees have formed up in a 3-4-3 shape. Seemingly this has been to get the young Ben Godfrey on the pitch because most of the injured players have returned by now. They are still missing Seamus Coleman and Lucas Digne, which may have further hastened the decision to go to a formation with wingbacks instead of fullbacks.

Of course, and Ancelotti formation is rarely if ever symmetrical. They generally tend to focus down one side of the pitch before switching to the other which features more attacking players. Yes, that is probably where Frank Lampard got it from. For Everton, that means playing down the right for James Rodriguez (Hakim Ziyech for Chelsea) before switching to the left where the winger is cutting in to act more like a striker (Timo Werner for Chelsea). That doesn’t mean they can’t or won’t do the reverse, they just know where their strengths are at.

Defensively, they will press but with a mix of active and inactive players. What this generally means is an inactive player will try to corral a pass into a particular area, and then when the ball moves that way the active player will aggressively push into the space. It’s a pressing trap, though not as all encompassing as they are generally associated.

Of course, having some players active and others inactive can lead to lots of space if the ball isn’t won quickly. A team that can play through with quick passes can easily break through and that is why Chelsea may be a bit of a danger for Everton.

In many ways, Everton is Chelsea’s mirror. It is very easy to draw a line between Lampard’s tactics and Ancelotti’s but even the squads are very similar stylistically. Provided Chelsea understands their own strengths and weaknesses, especially of last season, the Blues should be totally fine in this match.