Premier League: Can it Get Bluer than Everton vs Chelsea?

Everton vs Chelsea

Ask any footy fan particularly in England, but pretty much anywhere, to name two Premier League teams who play in a deep blue colour and 99-per cent would pick Everton and Chelsea because these two clubs are iconic Blues.

There are plenty of other blue clad teams, many using the colour for second or third strips, but Everton have forever been the Blue half of Merseyside while Chelsea have the colour in their club song.

Anyway, enough of the fashion guide and onto the football.

Everton fans have no reason to feel blue at the moment as, despite being docked 10 points for financial breaches, the Toffees are in a rich vein of form and have clambered back out of the relegation zone after thumping moneybags Newcastle 3-0 on Thursday.

Manager Sean Dyche has worked wonders with a team which has been perennial relegation strugglers in recent years, and the Premier League 2023 betting odds say Toffees fans have no reason to worry this season.

Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino has plenty on his mind as his team lost 2-1 away to Manchester United on Wednesday, and he has his fair share of injury problems, but the London Blues go into this game as slight favourites.

Talking Points

McNeil is loving life with Dyche

Having spent four seasons as a Burnley player when the team was managed by Dyche, Toffees winger Dwight McNeil switched to Everton when the Clarets were relegated in 2022. He struggled to win over the fans at Goodison Park as he, alongside his teammates, became bogged down in a relegation battle, but this season it is a different story.

Reunited with his old boss, McNeil is back to his best form and has scored crucial goals in the last two games. He bagged the winner in Everton’s victory over Nottingham Forest last week and scored the 79^th minute opener as the Toffees beat Newcastle, seizing on a mistake by Kieran Trippier and finishing impressively.

Abdoulaye Doucoure added a second, and then substitute Beto scored the third deep into injury-time to round off a famous night for the Goodison faithful.

Centre-forward Beto may get a rare start if Dominic Calvert-Lewin is sidelined, and he would benefit from McNeil’s superb wing play.

Nkunku getting closer for Chelsea

While Everton’s Premier League 2023 results have been impressive in recent weeks, Pochettino’s side have been inconsistent, beating Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton, drawing impressively with Manchester City, but then getting thumped by Newcastle and losing to the Red Devils.

Chelsea’s visit to Manchester United exposed the Blues’ stretched squad, and Pochettino said at the final whistle: “Then we need to recover, too many players injured, we need to recover them as soon as possible to be more competitive and have options. That is not an excuse, it’s only that.”

Poch may have some good news this weekend through as marquee summer signing Christopher Nkunku is back in training with the first team squad after recovering for a knee operation, and there is a chance he could play some part against Everton, maybe even making his first Premier League start for Chelsea.

Raheem Sterling has put in a number of good performances in his absence, but Nkunku could make a huge difference and his return would be a major boost to a team in search of consistency.

Chelsea must go for a win at Goodison Park, but they will also need to be vigilant when they are on the back foot as Everton proved against Newcastle that they have more than enough threat to seize on any defencive lapses.

History

Chelsea are ahead in the head-to-head encounters with Everton at 33 wins to 15 and last season they won this fixture 1-0 as Jorginho scored from the penalty spot.

But Everton, with four wins, a draw, and a defeat over the last six games have been in slightly better form than Chelsea, who have three wins a draw and two defeats.

Betting Tip

There’s plenty for Everton fans to be optimistic about, and this will be a real test for Pochettino’s team, which would be below their hosts in the table were it not for the points deduction.

Chelsea are the favourites at SBOTOP odds of 2.16, even though Everton have lost just one in seven, while their hosts are at a price of 2.85 with the draw at 3.15.

Both teams have scored fairly freely in recent weeks, but I think the acute need for a result for both sides could make this a tight affair.

 

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