Rafael Benitez returns to Chelsea this week while leading out-of-form Everton in the Premier League. The match is scheduled for Thursday at Stamford Bridge with a kickoff at 10:45 pm.
A last-minute penalty ensured that Thomas Tuchel did not drop any points last time against Leeds United. On the other hand, Everton fell for a 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace last time out.
Chelsea survived a late Leeds comeback to win a thrilling game 3-2. However, tensions boiled over after the game when Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger won his second penalty of the day.
Jorginho converted to hand the Blues a dramatic 3-2 win before tensions boiled over after the final whistle.
Although Liverpool and Manchester City also won their games by one-goal margins at the weekend, it’s still the same story at the top of the table, with Chelsea a point behind Liverpool and two behind Manchester City.
The Blues conceded twice to West Ham, so they’ve failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last four Premier League games, which might be concerning for coach Thomas Tuchel.
Six days after beating Arsenal, Everton faced a stiffer test at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace, and the Toffees were no match for this London side.
Conor Gallagher stole the show with two goals while James Tomkins also got in on the act, and Salomon Rondon’s effort proved to be nothing more than a consolation for the Toffees.
Chelsea vs Everton Head to Head
Both sides have 37 games against each other, with hosts taking 17 wins while visitors with 10 wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Chelsea 3-2 Leeds United
- Zenit St. Petersburg 3-3 Chelsea
- West Ham 3-2 Chelsea
- Watford 1-2 Chelsea
- Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United
Away
- Crystal Palace 3-1 Everton
- Everton 2-1 Arsenal
- Everton 1-4 Liverpool
- Brentford 1-0 Everton
- Manchester City 3-0 Everton
Chelsea Team News
Chelsea will be without long-term injury victim Ben Chilwell and the COVID-positive Mateo Kovacic, while it remains to be seen if Trevoh Chalobah and N’Golo Kante will play.
Kante is due to rejoin team training before the game but will likely only be considered for the EFL Cup game with Brentford on December 22.
Everton Team News
For Everton, Richarlison and Allan both sat out their midweek defeat to Palace due to minor injuries. Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Tom Davies are also still sidelined, as are Yerry Mina and Lucas Digne.
Prediction and Odds
The visitor’s inconsistency will come and haunt them, especially against the in-form champions.
- Chelsea Win
- Goals Under 3.5
- No Score: Away
