Last Sunday, Chelsea bested the Brentford Bees 2-1 at Stamford Bridge. It was an important win for the Blues considering Chelsea hadn’t beaten Brentford since their promotion in 2022. The Blues are hot right now amid an eight-game winning streak across all competitions. They currently sit second in the Premier League table just two points behind Liverpool and four points above third-place Arsenal. If the Blues want to stay in the title race, they must keep taking care of business against inferior teams.
For most of this season, first-year manager Enzo Maresca has kept many of the same players in the starting 11 for EPL games, this upcoming Sunday that should remain true. However, there are a couple of tweaks that need to be made. One of the lowlights of that game was after the game was over Marc Cucurella got his second yellow card leading to a red and is now suspended against Everton. It’s a shame this happened because the Spanish international had one of his best performances this season, scoring his first goal in the 2024-25 campaign.
In his place will most likely be the Portuguese youngster Renato Veiga, who can play as a defensive midfielder and defender but has mostly played left back for the Blues this season. He is the most likely option to fill in for Cucurella this weekend. The other option would be Malo Gusto, who will probably need to play right back with the captain Reece James injured. The former Basel player has been a solid rotation player in his first year in West London. Veiga has mostly played in the Europa Conference League and has done well, albeit against inferior opponents. His 6’3” frame allows him to win balls in the air, and his skill allows him to deliver good passes and defend.
But in the EPL, he has played in seven matches and has shined in some games particularly the game against Bournemouth where he completed 90% of his passes, won five ground duels, and won two out of three tackles. Veiga is the most logical replacement to fill in at left back this Sunday against Everton.
With Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile out with injuries until January, the most logical replacement to play as a right-side center-back next to Levi Colwill is Tosin Adarabioyo. Since coming over from Fulham this past summer, Adarabioyo’s play in the EPL has been limited due to Maresca sticking with Colwill and Fofana. But with Fofana out the 27-year-old has started in two of Chelsea’s last three EPL games. In both of those games (against Southampton and Brentford), he played well, against the Bees he won nine out of ten duels, and completed 89% of his passes.
The other option to play center back next to Colwill would be Axel Disasi, but Maresca has only played him in three EPL games this season and does not favor him over some of his other options. It seems likely that he will start Adarabioyo in this position against Everton. Whoever starts for Chelsea this weekend, those two are the best options for the positions that need to be filled. A win against Everton on Sunday would make it six wins in a row for the Blues in the Premier League.