Everton vs. Chelsea - prediction, team news, lineups

Unbeaten fifth-placed Everton instrumentality to Hill Dickinson Stadium connected Saturday lunchtime, arsenic Chelsea question to Merseyside for matchday 7 enactment successful the Premier League.

Xabi Alonso's sixth-placed broadside returned to winning ways with an emphatic 5-1 triumph implicit Bournemouth past weekend, but they present look a daunting travel to the Toffees, against whom they person not scored successful 3 visits.

Match preview

What a quality an planetary interruption tin make, with Chelsea possibly the biggest beneficiaries of the extended hiatus aft thrashing Bournemouth 5-1 astatine Stamford Bridge to extremity their three-match winless run, which included 2 defeats.

Much of what the superior nine achieved that time was owed to the objective finishing of Joao Pedro and Jordan Henderson, some of whom scored braces, portion Morgan Rogers struck again to registry his 4th league extremity and proceed his beardown commencement since his big-money summertime transfer.

However, the astir important origin was arguably Moises Caicedo's instrumentality from the calf wounded that had constricted the erstwhile Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder during the opening weeks of the season, with his manager's beaming post-match grin peculiarly telling.

Even though the Ecuadorian's instrumentality could not forestall Chelsea from conceding for a 22nd consecutive Premier League match, an unwanted series that began successful mid-January, the London outfit avoided shipping astatine slightest 2 goals for the archetypal clip successful the apical formation nether their Spanish manager.

Now, the free-scoring Blues volition anticipation to physique connected that beardown showing against their antecedently unbeaten opponents, though they volition beryllium alert of their caller setbacks successful the bluish fractional of Merseyside.

Everton caput into Saturday's lunchtime contention knowing that they person dominated the West London nine successful caller meetings astatine their erstwhile location Goodison Park and successful past season's brushwood astatine Hill Dickinson.

The Toffees person defeated Chelsea successful 7 of the past 9 meetings connected Merseyside, wherever the Londoners person failed to people successful 7 visits and suffered six defeats.

Last season's brushwood ended 3-0 successful Everton's favour, inflicting the 2nd decision of a six-match losing series connected the Londoners that yet outgo Liam Rosenior his job.

To widen their beardown tally against the Blues, though, Evertonians volition anticipation for a much assured antiaircraft show than the 1 produced successful Sunday's 2-2 gully with Hull City, a effect that frustrated Moyes aft his broadside had led 2-1.

However, signaling 2 cleanable sheets crossed their 3 location league matches — and 3 successful 4 fixtures crossed each competitions — stands the hosts successful bully stead up of different gathering with a broadside they person fared exceptionally good against implicit the past decade.

Everton Premier League form:

Everton signifier (all competitions):

Chelsea Premier League form:

Chelsea signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Vitaliy Mykolenko missed past week's gully astatine Hull due to the fact that of a knock, and the left-back remains doubtful for this weekend.

As such, Jarrad Branthwaite could proceed to deputise astatine left-back for the location side, with Michael Keane, James Tarkowski and Ainsley Maitland-Niles completing the backmost 4 successful beforehand of Jordan Pickford.

While Tyrique George is improbable to commencement against his erstwhile club, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall — caller from scoring and providing an assistance successful the 2-2 gully astatine Hull — should run arsenic the team's cardinal attacking midfielder down Thierno Barry.

Barry has scored successful 3 of his six Premier League appearances this season, with 2 of those goals coming connected Merseyside, and the guardant volition purpose to find the nett against Alonso's men.

Chelsea undoubtedly person importantly much match-winning prime connected paper, with Joao Pedro, Rogers and Cole Palmer providing the visitors with a beforehand 3 susceptible of striking fearfulness into immoderate opponent.

Alonso whitethorn beryllium tempted to sanction an unchanged broadside pursuing past week's show against Bournemouth, meaning Henderson and Caicedo could proceed their concern successful the mediate of the park.

Reece James and Emmanuel Emegha could miss retired this weekend, with the Blues skipper absent from consecutive matches either broadside of the planetary interruption and Emegha yet to diagnostic successful immoderate capableness since joining from Strasbourg, portion Jamie Gittens (ankle) is decidedly ruled out.

Everton imaginable starting lineup:

Pickford; Maitland-Niles, Tarkowski, Keane, Branthwaite; Garner, Armstrong; Johnson, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Barry

Chelsea imaginable starting lineup:

Martinez; Acheampong, Lacroix, Colwill; Neto, Caicedo, Henderson, Chavarria; Palmer, Rogers; Joao Pedro

We say: Everton 2-1 Chelsea

While Chelsea are undeniably free-scoring, the Blues person demonstrated that they tin travel unstuck, arsenic highlighted by their 3-0 illness astatine Brentford.

Not lone is the past of this fixture implicit the past decennary against them, but an Everton broadside susceptible of shutting down matches and playing with importantly greater strength volition contiguous a sterner situation than Bournemouth.

As such, Moyes's squad are backed to borderline the superior nine again successful Saturday's aboriginal kickoff and widen their beardown location grounds successful this fixture astatine Chelsea's expense.

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