Chelsea has secured another three points in their push for UEFA Champions League football, but as of now, the fate of the club is still not entirely in Enzo Maresca's hands. The Blues will need Manchester City and Nottingham Forest to drop points io stay in the Champions League spots once all teams have played.
The match was unsurprisingly tough, but key players stepped up and delivered crucial moments, ensuring the Blues claimed maximum points at home against 14th-placed Everton. Nicolas Jackson’s expert finish and Robert Sanchez’s excellent saves prevented Everton from escaping with another "smash-and-grab." Here’s how we rated the Blues’ performances in this hard-fought win.
Chelsea player ratings vs Everton
Robert Sanchez: 9/10
For those who believe Djordje Petrovic should have stayed in the squad and Sanchez loaned out, they might be interested to know that Petrovic kept 5 clean sheets in 23 league games for Chelsea (22% of the time), while Sanchez has kept 8 clean sheets in 28 league games this season (29%). Both players have different save rates and goals prevented values. While Sanchez isn’t on the level of Alisson Becker, it’s fair to say he’s head and shoulders above Petrovic as a shot-stopper. Sanchez showcased his quality again today, making two crucial saves to keep the ball out of the Blues’ net. He was excellent.
Moises Caicedo: 8/10
Caicedo can make a case for being the best outfielder today, even playing from right-back. He was flawless in every aspect of his game: passing, ball carrying, and, perhaps most notably, defending. He was instrumental in winning the ball back for the Blues.
Trevoh Chalobah: 7/10
Chalobah’s reading of the game was superb, especially in the role he played in the goal. He timed his tackle on Beto perfectly, dispossessing him and allowing Enzo Fernandez to play a vertical pass to Nicolas Jackson. His long passing was lacking, but his positioning was top-tier, making a whopping eight headed clearances.
Levi Colwill: 7.5/10
Colwill terrorized Everton with his passing today. His pinpoint 60-yard pass to Cole Palmer, which nearly put the latter through on goal in the first half, was a standout moment. It’s interesting that he and Chalobah completed the same number of passes (62/69), but Colwill completed 5/8 long passes, whereas Chalobah went 1/6. Colwill was also more involved in defensive duels, winning 50% of the 12 he contested.
Marc Cucurella: 8/10
Cucurella had an excellent game. He came close to Caicedo in terms of effectiveness across all phases of play. His passing was as solid as his tackling, and his tackling was nearly flawless. He won 5/6 ground duels and completed every tackle he attempted. He played a key role in the clean sheet. He was so involved in the game that he took more shots than Nicolas Jackson.
Enzo Fernandez: 6.5/10
It was another mediocre performance from the Argentine midfielder. His passing was underwhelming once again, and for no clear reason. His dribbling was poor, his crossing was ineffective, and he didn’t offer much defensively either.
Romeo Lavia: 6.5/10
Lavia was solid and it was good to see him get over 60 minutes, as he hasn’t had many Premier League minutes in a Chelsea shirt. His passing wasn’t much better than his pivot partner’s, but Lavia made his presence felt in the air, dominating aerial duels in the middle of the park while on the pitch.
Pedro Neto: 7/10
Neto was effective in the final third with his runs and carries, though his crossing could have been much better. He wasn’t afraid to get stuck in, and his industry in the final third helped the Blues put pressure on Everton’s defense. His dribbling was good, but he didn’t contribute much in terms of creating chances.
Cole Palmer: 6/10
Palmer couldn’t impose himself on the game, failing to get a shot off in his 90 minutes on the pitch. His dribbling and crossing were excellent, showing consistency even when his overall game wasn’t as impactful. Maresca has commented on Palmer’s struggles in front of goal, stating that his issues are mental, but the manager should consider that there may be a tactical element, as the Blues have struggled in the final third in recent months.
Noni Madueke: 7.5/10
Madueke had a mixed performance, but overall, he was more good than bad. His shooting was excellent, registering four shots on target—more than anyone else in the match—and accounting for four of the Blues’ seven shots on target. The former PSV winger also won a good number of duels, helping to pile the pressure on Everton's midfielders and defenders.
Nicolas Jackson: 8/10
Jackson displayed the ruthlessness that Chelsea fans have been longing for, and it proved to be the match-winner. To receive the pass from Fernandez with his back to goal, turn, and slot it across his body into the bottom corner was a Drogba-esque finish. Unfortunately, the Senegal international didn’t contribute much else, but his game-winning goal is worth its weight in gold.
Reece James (67'): 6/10
The game was such that a substitute right-back wouldn’t have had a significant impact. It’s odd that Maresca opted to play an auxiliary right-back, even though James, the club captain and first-choice right-back, was available. To James' credit, he won both duels he contested when he came on.
Jadon Sancho (78'): 5/10
Sancho did nothing of consequence when he came on, which should have been expected. Sancho has never been the player to bring on as a substitute when trying to push for a goal or protect a lead. His performance didn’t reflect the urgency of Chelsea either pushing for a goal or protecting a lead.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (90'): N/A
Dewsbury-Hall played just one minute. I’m convinced Maresca brought him on just to give me more work to do. It’s telling that the manager chose to bring on the former Leicester City midfielder, only to quickly realize that he’s better suited to affecting games late from the bench.
Tyrique George (90'): N/A
George had the same performance as Dewsbury-Hall, with just one minute on the pitch.
Enzo Maresca: 7/10
Maresca didn’t do anything particularly strange, aside from playing Caicedo at right-back when James, the club captain and first-choice right-back, was available. What’s more intriguing is that when James was brought on, he replaced central midfielder Romeo Lavia, while Caicedo stayed at right-back. The fans will enjoy the win, but they won’t be thrilled with only taking 10 shots at home, while creating fewer big chances than 14th-placed Everton.