Tag: Everton

Chelsea return to Premier League action on Saturday, as they kick off the day’s matches. With a busy schedule coming up over the next couple of weeks, the Blues are in the middle of the festive fixture frenzy. This could be a defining stage of the season for Antonio Conte and his men, who are looking to get themselves back into the title race, while ensuring they have a place in the Champions League next season. While Man City are already too far ahead to catch this season, the Blues need to make more of an effort to close the gap in the back half of the campaign.

At one point, December looked like it could be a great month for the Blues. Things haven’t quite gone their way, starting with a 1-0 loss to West Ham at the Olympic Stadium. That’s set up another tough trip this week, with Everton suddenly improving at home under Sam Allardyce. The Toffees will be hoping to pick up another three points this weekend, although the recent record between these two sides does slightly count against them. Can Allardyce have a better record against Conte than Ronald Koeman mustered?

Team News: Will Conte Make Changes to Counter Toffees?

Chelsea have almost a full strength squad to pick from ahead of this clash, but we can’t see Conte making too many changes from the usual. The Blues boss has been switching between last season’s 3-4-3 and a 3-5-2 set-up this season, and we expect him to go for the latter with Everton looking impressive. The Italian does look to flood the midfield when facing top sides, and the form of Allardyce’s side is likely to factor in to his choice here. On top of that, we can’t forget that the new Everton boss was one of the few to beat Conte last term, as he led Palace to victory at Stamford Bridge. As a result, expect Conte to settle for a three-man central midfield.

Everton remain without Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman at full-back, while one time Chelsea target Ross Barkley is also injured. The Toffees have gone with a 4-2-3-1 system of late, with Wayne Rooney being deployed behind the main striker. He’s impressed with a few goals from that position, and he’ll be even more useful there this week as he can drop into the centre of midfield if the two behind him get overwhelmed. Allardyce isn’t likely to change much from the side which keeps winning, while they’re short of full-back replacements. That means Cuco Martina and Jonjoe Kenny are potential weak links for the Chelsea wing-backs to exploit.

Everton Form

Everton have a disastrous start to the season, but they were able to bounce back from that when Sam Allardyce took charge. Having found themselves in the drop zone after the efforts of Koeman and caretaker manager David Unsworth, the turnaround since Allardyce arrived has been clear, and he’ll be aiming to continue that progress over Christmas.

With five wins and a draw from their last six matches, it’s hard to argue with the hosts’ momentum heading into this clash. However, they may have some concerns over their record against the Blues, which is an area that certainly needs work. That’s not a one off, with the Toffees being winless against any of the eight sides above them – a run which has seen three home defeats.

Everton v Chelsea Head to Head

Chelsea have established some dominance over Everton of late, after struggling against them during the doomed 2015/16 campaign. Since Conte took charge, the Blues have managed four wins against the Toffees – two of which have already come this season. A League Cup win in October followed an early season league win, can Chelsea record a third victory over Everton within four months this season?

• Chelsea 2-1 Everton, Oct 2017
• Chelsea 2-0 Everton, Aug 2017
• Everton 0-3 Chelsea, Apr 2017
• Chelsea 5-0 Everton, Nov 2016
• Everton 2-0 Chelsea, Mar 2016

Betting Tips

• Both teams to score – evens with Betfred
• Rooney to score any time – 13/5 with BetVictor

Chelsea may be facing an in-form Everton side, but it’s hard to tell that from the pre-match betting. The Blues are priced up at 8/13 with Coral to take the points, while the hosts are 9/2 with Betfair for another victory under Big Sam. Meanwhile, you can get 11/4 with Ladbrokes on the draw, so the bookies are leaving us in little doubt over who they are backing. While we fancy an away win, we aren’t exactly rushing out to back it at that price. Instead, we have a couple of other bets lined up for this clash as Conte’s men look for another victory on their travels.

Everton have improved going forwards under Sam Allardyce, and they’re managing to convert chances, unlike under Koeman. While they’re getting fewer touches in the box, Everton are doing well in attack, which makes us think that they’ll score here. After all, they have Wayne Rooney up front who can’t seem to stop scoring under Allardyce, and he’s got to be one to keep an eye on. Having struck nine career goals against Chelsea ahead of this clash, we’re backing him to score against the Blues on Saturday, adding to the six goals he’s scored in just five matches since Allardyce arrived on Merseyside.

Everton should be carrying enough threat up front to get a goal, and we can’t see the Blues heading back without finding the net. They’ve averaged two goals per away game this season, while Everton have conceded 1.67 goals per match in the Premier League. Not only have they scored 12 times against Everton under Conte, but they’ve found the net in 89% of their away games so far. That has us backing both teams to score in this clash at evens with Betfred.

Chelsea saw off Tottenham at Wembley last weekend to claim their first points of the new Premier League season, but can they build on that against Everton? Spirits at Stamford Bridge have certainly been raised after that victory, while the board are still hard at work looking for new signings. Things are starting to look up for the champions, but the last thing they need is to have their momentum sapped by this hard-working Everton side. With an international break right around the corner, Antonio Conte will want his men departing from club duty on something of a high.

However, Everton have shown that they are tricky opponents in their opening games of the season. The Toffees do have a busy calendar after midweek Europa League action, but can they cause a shock at Stamford Bridge? With a poor record at this ground, it’s going to be tough for the visitors to take anything away from this one. With the opening day loss to Burnley in mind, the Blues need to be completely focused heading into this clash, or they could well drop more points.

Team News: Will Conte change his victorious side?

Conte went with a 3-5-2 set up last time out, but we can’t see a repeat of that here. That was a more defensive minded set up with Spurs having plenty of attacking options. At home, Conte will want a little more in attack, so expect a 3-4-3 set up this weekend. That frees up space for another advanced player, with Pedro the most likely to come in. Eden Hazard remains out, and it’s unlikely the Blues want to rush him back and risk him being called up by Belgium for their international games.

Everton played a similar 3-5-2 to Chelsea last weekend, and that is likely to be their approach here. That denied space to City and gave them counter attacking options, and we can see them trying to use that system again. However, Koeman may be slightly worried by the fact that he tried to match Conte’s three at the back here last season, and ended up being hammered 5-0.

Everton Form

Everton have made a strong start to the new season, as they’ve taken four points from their opening two. They came close to winning at Manchester City, but the Toffees had to settle for a 1-1 draw at the Etihad. Having beaten Stoke on the opening day, Koeman’s team have also been progressing well in Europe. They’ve managed to keep things tight so far in all their games, while they do have a few concerns up front. Wayne Rooney has two goals in two, but is he really enough up front to be effective for the season? Unless they add another forward the Toffees could be short on goals this term.

Everton’s European ambitions could hamper them here, following their game in Croatia on Thursday night. That’s not much of a window to return back and prepare for this game, so we might see a more undercooked Everton this time around. Antonio Conte knows how key it is to have a week to build up to big games, having enjoyed a season with next to no midweek commitments last term.

Chelsea vs Everton Head to Head

Chelsea were big winners home and away against Everton last year. Their 5-0 win at the Bridge continued a strong record over the Toffees, as the Blues have now won five of the last six meetings at home. Can they carry that on this week and make it two wins from two? Having seen how Ronald Koeman set up at City, it’s certainly going to be a tough test for Conte and co.

• Everton 0-3 Chelsea, Apr 2017
• Chelsea 5-0 Everton, Nov 2016
• Everton 2-0 Chelsea, Mar 2016
• Chelsea 3-3 Everton, Jan 2016
• Everton 3-1 Chelsea, Sept 2015

Betting Tips

• Both teams to score – 11/10 with Betfred
• Pedro to score – 7/4 with Ladbrokes

Chelsea are huge favourites coming into this one, with Coral making them just 2/5 to take the three points. Given how the Blues started the campaign, that price does feel a little short. After all, it’s hard to see a heavy victory for the hosts, as Everton have been pretty solid so far. That doesn’t mean the visitors won’t be an attacking threat here, as they’ve scored in every competitive game they’ve played this season. This does seem like a tricky tie for the hosts, as this is easily the best Everton side to visit Stamford Bridge in recent years. Will the Toffees’ take something away from this clash?

We can at least see a goal for the away side here. Everton do have counter attacking talent, especially if Sandro Ramirez is fit enough to start alongside Rooney. Not only that, but the Blues have an awful defensive record in 2017, having kept just two home league clean sheets. They’ve managed a single clean sheet in their last nine at home in the league, and we think that will continue here. A Chelsea goal is widely expected, as they’ve looked great going forwards in both games so far. That’s why we’re backing both teams to score here, which is priced at 11/10 with Betfred.

We expect Conte to go with a more attacking set up in this one, and Pedro is one man who could benefit from that. The Spaniard was key for much of last season, and he showed that across two meetings with Everton. Having scored home and away against the Toffees last season, we can see the former Barcelona man making an impact this weekend. He’s priced at 7/4 with Ladbrokes to find the net at any time, which feels like great value for a key attacking player of his standing. With Chelsea expected to grab at least one goal, Pedro should be one of their main threats, and we predict he’ll get on the scoresheet.

After seeing off Southampton on Tuesday night, the Blues head to Merseyside on Sunday as they continue their Premier League title push. The Blues made it back to back 4-2 wins after beating the Saints, which was another step towards sealing the title. However, they’re facing possibly the toughest of their remaining games, as they make their penultimate away trip of the league season. Could former Blue Romelu Lukaku cause problems here, and get in the way of the leaders’ title push? With a £100 million price tag and rumours linking him with a return to Stamford Bridge, he’ll surly be out to impress.

Ronald Koeman had his Everton side on the verge of the Champions League fight, but they seem good for a top seven place at least. They could yet move into the top six in the final stages of the campaign, repeating the finish that the Dutchman achieved with Southampton last term. Of course, the Toffees will still remember the thumping defeat they suffered in their trip to west London earlier this season. Just how will that loss play on their minds ahead of a crucial game for both sides?

Team News: Eight goals in a week gives Conte a headache

It’s been a brilliant week for the Blues ahead of this game, booking a FA Cup final spot and claiming another Premier League win. Eight goals have propelled the league leaders towards the double, but it’s left Antonio Conte with some questions to answer. Having started four players in the two attacking midfield spots, he now has to decide who has earned a place. After how Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas played together, they could keep their place in the side.

With Diego Costa scoring again we can’t see too many changes from the side which beat Southampton, although that’s quite harsh on Pedro and Willian, who were both very effective at Wembley last weekend. With no injury worries, Conte has plenty of room to make changes, something the opposition manager wishes he had.

Everton have a considerable injury list ahead of this clash, with Irish duo Seamus Coleman and James McCarthy still out. Ramiro Funes Mori and Yannick Bolasie both miss out this weekend, while Aaron Lennon is another who is set for the sidelines. That leaves Koeman with limited options, but they’re expected to continue with their usual 4-3-3 set up, which looks to involve Lukaku as much as possible.

That’s a distinct change from Chelsea’s former policy for the Belgian, who will be looking to show his former side exactly what they’ve missed out on this weekend. Both he and Ross Barkley are set to start in attack, with both players making noises about potential moves to Champions League sides in the summer.

Everton Form

Everton have been strong in the Premier League overall, they’re certainly much improved from their dismal campaign under Roberto Martinez. The Toffees are on course for European football, which was probably the minimum aim as their new owner is promising to take the club to new heights. They were in the mix for the Champions League spots, which would certainly have been a new height for the club, but recent form has seen them fall away from the top four.

The Toffees have managed just two wins in their last five, which has left them six points shy of fourth, despite having played two more games than the team around them. However, they are impressive at Goodison Park, having won their last six outings at their own ground. Can that run continue when Chelsea come to town?

Everton v Chelsea Head to Head

Chelsea were in the midst of a poor run against Everton, but their brilliant form in late 2016 brought that to an end in impressive style. A 5-0 win for the Blues followed up three meetings without a win. Can Conte guide his side to another success over the Toffees on Sunday? After two defeats at Goodison last season, each under a different manager, the Italian has his work cut out.

• Chelsea 5-0 Everton, Nov 2016
• Everton 2-0 Chelsea, Mar 2016
• Chelsea 3-3 Everton, Jan 2016
• Everton 3-1 Chelsea, Sept 2015
• Chelsea 1-0 Everton, Feb 2015

Betting Tips

• Both teams to score – 7/10 with Bet365
• Eden Hazard to score – 29/20 with BetVictor

Chelsea come into this game priced as favourites, but they’re still 21/20 with Betfred to secure the points. Meanwhile, the draw is priced at 5/2 with Sky Bet while Everton are 12/5 with Ladbrokes to claim a victory. There’s certainly value in backing the leaders to take the win, but as this is the toughest match in the run-in, we’ve looked elsewhere for our betting tips on this clash. The Toffees are strong opposition at home, as shown in recent meetings with the Blues, and we don’t expect things to be anywhere near as easy as that 5-0 win at Stamford Bridge earlier this season.

After conceding another two goals on Tuesday night, the Blues’ defensive woes continue to bug them. With a trip to Everton this weekend, we can’t see their run getting any better. As we mentioned, Everton have six straight home victories ahead of this meeting. The leaders have now conceded in 11 straight league games, which is an awful run for a side of their stature. We can’t see things getting better any time soon, so we’re backing both teams to score at 7/10 with Bet365.

Our final tip for this game is another goal from Eden Hazard. We’re expecting Chelsea to grab a goal on Merseyside, and the Belgian’s form should see him cause problems. Having opened the scoring against Southampton, after hitting a vital third goal against Tottenham, we Hazard will play a key role this weekend. After all, he has scored the title winning goal in the last two seasons, so he’s coming into form at the right time. The winger is 29/20 with BetVictor to score any time on Sunday.

Everton are the visitors to Stamford Bridge this weekend, as they look to build on their win last weekend. The Toffees saw off West Ham on Sunday, which moved them up to sixth in the table. Can they climb even further with a shock win at the Bridge? They do have a pretty strong record against the Blues of late, but the home side are in great form.

These two last met in the FA Cup back in March, when Everton ended Chelsea’s last hopes of a trophy and chances of qualifying for Europe. That was a bitter blow in a tough season, especially going down to Roberto Martinez, who ended up losing his job at the end of the campaign. Ronald Koeman is now looking to improve this side and get them competing for a place in Europe. He’ll be hoping for a result against the team who currently round off the top four.

Team News: Conte selection consistency paying off

Antonio Conte has named the same team for three consecutive league games, and he’s likely to do the same here. While he made plenty of changes for the West Ham match in the EFL Cup, he’s settled on a regular starting 11 in this 3-4-3 formation. John Terry should sit out once again, as this system would leave him pretty exposed. Kurt Zouma is still awaiting a return, while Cesc Fabregas is injured, he’s doubtful to appear on the bench.

The only potential change we could see is Willian coming in to play off Diego Costa. The Brazilian lost his place after heading home following the death of his mother. Since then, Pedro has kicked on and put in a few impressive displays. He seems to have a real understanding with Eden Hazard. While last season’s player of the year deserves a chance, it’s easy to see Conte sticking with the side who have won the last three league games.

Everton head into this game with a considerable injury list. Idrissa Gueye, often compared with N’Golo Kante, is suspended. His most likely replacements, Muhammed Besic and James McCarthy, are both injured. Goalkeeper Martin Stekelenburg is a doubt, and he’s been in inspired form for the Toffees this term. The visitors don’t have the biggest squad to work with, so they could be a little bit thin here. They do have former Blue Romelu Lukaku leading the line, which could prove significant.

Everton form

Everton started the season in brilliant form, drawing their opener and then winning four in a row. That run put them just behind City, and it sparked talk of a Champions League push. However, since then they’ve won just once in five, and crashed out of the EFL Cup to Championship side Norwich. Having been second after five games, they’re now sixth after 10. That makes Koeman’s reign difficult to judge. So far, he has a lot of support, even during a poor run of form.

Everton did get themselves a win last weekend, as they beat West Ham 2-0 on Sunday. That was a much-needed triumph, travelling here without a win in five would have been tough. The Toffees have had a little morale boost, and they’ll be hoping to claim a big scalp this weekend to aid their European push. They did claim a 1-1 draw at Manchester City recently, but they were helped by City’s awful run of form and Champions League distractions.

Chelsea v Everton Head to Head

Chelsea have won none of their last three against Everton, all of which came last season. The Toffees saw off the Blues at Goodison twice last term, while these two drew 3-3 in this fixture. The visitors were 2-0 up at one stage in that game, so it ended up being a good result for the Blues. Can Conte take the team back to their title winning form of 2014/15, when they won home and away against this weekend’s opponents?

• Everton 2-0 Chelsea, Mar 2016
• Chelsea 3-3 Everton, Jan 2016
• Everton 3-1 Chelsea, Sep 2015
• Chelsea 1-0 Everton, Feb 2015
• Everton 3-6 Chelsea, Aug 2014

Betting Tips

• Diego Costa to score – 19/20 with Betfair
• Chelsea to win to nil – 19/10 with BetVictor

The head to head form between these two may throw you off the scent a little, but Chelsea are firm favourites for this game. Coral make them 8/13, and that’s the biggest price you can get on a home win here. Meanwhile, Everton are 9/2 outsiders for an away victory. That’s hardly surprising, seeing as the Toffees have won twice in their last 11 away league games.

We’re backing Diego Costa to find the net again on Saturday. The forward is the Premier League’s top scorer, finding the net eight times in his 10 matches this term. He’s back to the form from the Blues’ title winning season, and he’s on course to better his total of 20 goals from that season. We’re backing him to grab his ninth of the season in this clash. The Spain international has four goals in four games against Everton since joining the Blues. He’s priced at 19/20 with Betfair to score any time this weekend.

Our second bet is Chelsea to win to nil, after Conte’s side kept their fourth consecutive clean sheet against Southampton. The Blues have looked incredibly solid since switching to the 3-4-3. They adopted the new formation at Arsenal while 3-0 down, and they’ve not yet conceded a goal with three at the back.

This set up needs to face pacey, intelligent wingers to have problems, and that’s not something Everton have in their side. Their wide threat isn’t great, Yannick Bolasie and Kevin Mirallas both tend to drift inside. We can’t see Lukaku getting the service he needs, and we expect the back three to marshal him well. That’s why we’re backing another win and clean sheet, which is priced at 19/10 with BetVictor.