Everton vs Chelsea

Goodison Park is the venue as Everton and Chelsea go head-to-head in an exciting Premier League showdown.

It’s a new dawn at Goodison Park after the club announced the Friedkin Group’s takeover during midweek. It was the ultimate confidence boost for Everton following a scoreless draw at Arsenal last weekend. Despite only winning once in seven matches (D4, L2), the Toffees commenced this round three points clear of 18th-placed Ipswich Town. Chelsea’s visit bodes well for Sean Dyche’s bid to impress new bosses, considering his men have won five of their last six home league meetings with the Blues (L1), including four without conceding. Further confidence comes from Everton’s five-game unbeaten top-flight run at Goodison (W2, D3). Defensively robust, Dyche’s charges have conceded fewer goals than any other team across Europe’s traditional top-five leagues since the start of October (six).

In the meantime, Chelsea thrashed Shamrock Rovers 5-1 in midweek UEFA Europa League action to cap off a flawless league-phase campaign (W6). It was their eighth consecutive win in all competitions, highlighting the visitors’ sky-high confidence ahead of this trip. Last weekend’s 2-1 home victory against Brentford fired the Blues within a two-point distance from table-topping Liverpool, bolstering their hopes of lifting the Premier League for the first time since 2016/17. Enzo Maresca’s men have excelled away from home this season, amassing a league-high 19 points on the road (W6, D1, L1), including nine from their last three travels (W3). Those victories form part of Chelsea’s formidable form that has seen them pick up more points (49) and score more goals (51) than any other Premier League club since the start of May.