Premier League: Who’ll Leave Stamford Bridge Feeling Blue Between Chelsea and Everton?

Chelsea vs Everton

The upcoming matchup between Chelsea and Everton is one of the top Premier League games on matchday 33 because it pits together two teams that are in dire need of points.

For the hosts, they are trying to make a late push for Europe. Chelsea are ninth in the standings with 44 points. However, they only trail by five points against the sixth-seeded Manchester United, and they have a game in hand after hosting Everton.

For the visitors, they’re pulling out all the stops to avoid relegation. Everton are 16^th with 27 points, but with another points deduction looming, they might find themselves back in the drop zone if they lose.

With the 2023-24 campaign winding down, every point gets expensive for both of these teams, so SBOTOP football fans can expect an intense atmosphere at Stamford Bridge on Monday.

Talking Points

Injuries continue to mount for Chelsea

Fitness issues never seem to end for the Blues, as they now have at least 11 players on their injury list ahead of this upcoming game, with Enzo Fernandez and Axel Disasi being the newest additions, according to the Premier League 2024 updates.

Fernandez and Disasi have joined Raheem Sterling, Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Reece James, Romeo Lavia, Robert Sanchez, Christopher Nkunku, Ben Chilwell, and Lesley Ugochukwu on the list.

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino is hopeful that Fernandez and Disasi will make it to Monday because they have been key players in their ongoing unbeaten run, with the former pulling the strings in midfield and the latter being a big presence at the back.

If Fernandez and Disasi are going to be available, then Benoit Badiashile and Carney Chukwuemeka will get more playing time.

With their FA Cup semi-final match against Manchester City just around the corner, Chelsea will be keen on gaining more momentum by beating Everton.

As always, they will rely heavily on their top scorer, Cole Palmer, their top scorer this season with 19 goals and 13 assists, including five goals in his last three league appearances.

Everton need Calvert-Lewin to kick on

While the points deductions certainly didn’t help, much of Everton’s woes this season can be attributed to their inability to consistently find the back of the net.

The Toffees only have 32 league goals this season, which is level with Burnley for the second-lowest total thus far. Only Sheffield United have scored less, with only 30 goals this campaign.

Sean Dyche continues to rummage through his roster to find consistent production. And lately, it has been Dominic Calvert-Lewin who has stepped up, as the Englishman scored two goals against Newcastle United and Burnley last week.

It has been a season to forget for Calvert-Lewin because he has only scored six times for Everton. And unlike in previous years, he can no longer blame injuries.

But the hope for the Toffees is that Calvert-Lewin can build on his recent performances with a few more games left to play to boost their chances of survival.

History

Everton recorded a 2-0 win over Chelsea in their reverse fixture last December, as Abdoulaye Doucoure and Lewis Dobbin scored two goals in the second half. If Everton defeat Chelsea again on Monday, it will be their first league double over them since 1978-79.

However, getting a victory at Stamford Bridge is going to be a daunting task for the Toffees since the Blues are undefeated in their last 28 Premier League home matches against them (W15, D13) since a 1-0 loss in November 1994, their longest unbeaten home run against a single team in their English top-flight history.

Chelsea also have the edge in terms of recent form because they’ve been unbeaten in their last seven Premier League matches (W3, D4), although it’s worth noting that they haven’t kept a clean sheet during that period.

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2024 odds are biased toward the hosts. Chelsea are priced to win at 1.72, while Everton are at 4.01 odds, and a draw is installed at 3.71 in the 1X2 market.

However, it’s hard to go all-in for Chelsea, even if they’re playing at home, because their gigantic injury list is hard to ignore. At the same time, Sean Dyche’s men are not going down without a fight, as they’ve shown so far this season.

So instead, we’re looking for this to be a relatively high-scoring affair, with our recommended bet being the safest choice. Over 2.75 at 1.72 and Over 3.00 at 1.91 should be considered too.

 

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