Before a ball was kicked, Everton were sitting two places and one point behind Chelsea in the Premier League table. Coming into the match, Chelsea had won only one match in their last five, with Everton recording
four wins. However, today, Everton made the trip 222 mile trip to another stadium that has caused Everton great consternation for a long time.
Everton had not beaten Chelsea in their last 30 Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge. (W17 D13). It was their longest unbeaten home run against an opponent in their entire league history. This season was shaping up to be one where David Moyes and the team rise up and slay some long standing hoodoos and this was one of them. Away victories over Manchester United and Bournemouth were both very significant and Evertonians hoped that today would be a continuation of that trend.
Team News
David Moyes brought back Idrissa Gueye after he served his three-match suspension was the only change for the visit to Stamford Bridge. Charly Alcaraz was the unfortunate player who needed to go to the bench to make room for Gana.
Chelsea made four changes and one would have been cause for concern for Everton with Cole Palmer getting a start. Although Chelsea have not won a game with Palmer on the pitch since early August, Moyes has to remember the 6-0 thrashing where Palmer scored 4. Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana and Alejandro Garnacho also were back in for the Blues.
Match Report
A place in the top four was the reward for a win as “The Liquidator” by Harry J Allstars rang around Stamford Bridge. On a personal note, that tune may be the wimpiest entry song anywhere! Thomas Bramall was the man in the middle as James Garner kicked off the match.
Everton controlled the play for the first couple of minutes until Chelsea broke forward and forced the first corner but it was well defended. Some positive play from Ndiaye produced a shot that was deflected and gave the Toffees their first corner. It was recycled but they could not pierce the backline. The travelling Evertonians were in full voice.
A hearty challenge from Jake O’Brien on Marc Cucurella did not go down well with the Spanish defender. Jack Grealish went in heavily on Reece James as the match was heating up. Chelsea started to get on the ball. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall went down and needed some treatment on what appeared to be a hamstring injury. A big blow for the visitors after only 13 minutes. Charly Alcaraz quickly prepared to take his place.
Another heavy challenge on Grealish gave Everton a free kick in a dangerous position. Garner delivered it and it required Chalobah to clear it. The resulting corner needed a last ditch defensive clearance from Fofana to prevent a good chance. Ndiaye then forced a save from Sanchez.
Chelsea went route one from front to back when Gusto delivered a lovely pass to Palmer who slotted the ball into the near post and sent the Chelsea Pensioners into heaven. Seconds later Chelsea were at it again and it was only a poor shot from Garnacho that prevented a second. In fact, that was better than the pass from Alcaraz directly to Garnacho who somehow missed an open net. Pickford was apoplectic!
Chelsea were in the ascendancy as Everton struggled to get onto the ball. Gueye was taken down by Fernandez but the ref ignored the foul. A nice move by Grealish down the left forced another corner but they could not get anything on net.
Chelsea patiently passed the ball about and it was Neto who took a pop at net but his shot was well over. A free kick from Garner saw Tarkowski wide open but he could not get his header on net. Alcaraz then sent O’Brien on his way down the wing and his cross was met by Ndiaye but his shot was mishit. Seconds later, Gueye got to the line and delivered a great ball into the box and it was only a tip by Sanchez that denied a tap in for Barry.
Everton were growing in confidence and when Grealish was at it again on the left side, he got through three defenders before trying to dink it over Sanchez but was unsuccessful. That confidence was snuffed out when Malo Gusto played a nice one two with Pedro Neto which doubled the Chelsea advantage. It was scored in the three minutes of added time. The half petered out as Chelsea kept contol of the ball until the whistle was blown to end the half.
Half time report from Stamford Bridge.
No changes for either team as Everton looked for a way back into the match. Plamer and Gusto were working the left side of the Everton defense. The first real chance fell to Garnacho who blew another big chance after blazing past O’Brien but his shot was atrocious. Cole Palmer was withdrawn after 58 minutes with Andrey Santos coming on.
Ndiaye was on his bike again and he forced a corner but Sanchez was strong in the air. Moments later, Ndiaye drove forward and was stopped by a nice tackle from Chalobah. Chelsea made another change with the mostly useless Garnacho being replaced by Gittens.
Everton started to get on the ball and a nice cross from O’Brien was met by Grealish who forced a save from Sanchez. Cucurella and Ndiaye decided to have a dance together before Thierno Barry was replaced by Beto. A poor defensive play by Gueye allowed Andrey Santos in on goal but he was shooting as well as Garnacho.
Charly Alcaraz delivered a beautiful ball into the Chelsea box which was met by Grealish but his shot with the outside of his boot went just wide. Chelsea then had a big chance but Tarkowski was there to clear the ball. A free kick for Chelsea on the edge of Everton’s box was struck by Reece James which required a super save by Pickford.
Wesley Fofana was given a yellow for taking down Garner who was getting Everton forward on a counter attack. It was then Chelsea’s turn to counter attack but Joao Pedro’s shot was well wide. Pedro left the match to be replaced by Estavao. James Garner did well to dispossess Estavao but his pass to Beto was intercepted.
Moyes brought on Dibling and Iroegbunam for Grealish and Garner. Fortune continued to not favour Everton when Ndiaye drove forward but his shot came back off the far post. The Evertonians responded and when Mykolenko made a lovely move past James, it took a great block from Fofana to deny Charly Alcaraz.
Four minutes of added time was announced as Beto threw himself around the pitch trying to generate something. The Blues of Liverpool could not change the outcome as the final whistle was blown. The 32 year wait for a win at Stamford Bridge continues.
Everton’s Man of the Match
James Garner: A very difficult match for the Blues saw Garner do a solid job keeping Chelsea at bay and also link up the play with the front line when Everton had the ball. He left this match for the first time after 84 minutes which was the first time he has not completed a game this season. He created two chances and made 13 defensive contributions. When KDH went down, Garner was the player who stepped up.
Instant Reaction
This was a game where Everton huffed and puffed but could not get the chances to make it a game. Joe Royle was the last Everton manager to enjoy a victory at Stamford Bridge when Paul Rideout scored the only goal for the Toffees, who were in the bottom three at the time. Since then, over 400 players have played for Everton in their quest for a victory. Today’s first half saw Chelsea rarely break forward but each time there was a big chance created. The clinical finishes from Palmer and Gusto were the differences that set Chelsea on their way. Everton denied them any more goals and had some chances of their own, but Everton could not get a break to put pressure on the Pensioners.
The return of Idrissa Gueye required the demotion of Charly Alcaraz to the bench. The pragmatist would have seen the need to get the Senegalese midfielder in to break up play in the middle of the park with the challenge of Fernandez and Neto. That pragmatism denied Everton the dynamism and pace that Alcaraz provided breaking forward from midfield. In the end, the big story in midfield was the loss of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall after only 13 minutes. Alcaraz was brought on and there was even some more minutes for Tyler Dibling. A potential preview of our next match when Ndiaye and Gueye depart for AFCON.
The games are coming thick and fast with the league leaders, Arsenal, up next at Hill Dickinson Stadium next week on Saturday at 3pm. Everton drop to 8th with the loss and David Moyes will need to spend the week hoping KDH is able to feature against the Gunners and who he will select with Ndiaye and Gueye away at AFCON. I will say that I thought Dibling did well when he came on for the last 10 minutes. This player needs to get some game time to really show why we paid so much for him this summer.
