Chelsea v Everton predictions: No end in sight to Potter's winning run

Chelsea v Everton predictions: No end in sight to Potter’s winning run

Posted by Admin March 17, 2023 Sports

Where to watch Chelsea v Everton

Sky Sports Main Event & Premier League, 5.30pm Saturday

Best bet

Chelsea & under 3.5 goals
1pt Evens Boyles

Chelsea v Everton odds

Chelsea 9-20
Everton 7-1
Draw 10-3

Odds correct at time of publish

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Chelsea v Everton team news

Chelsea
Edouard Mendy, Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva and Armando Broja remain out while N’Golo Kante is close to a return. Reece James and Mason Mount should be fit, although Raheem Sterling isn’t ready.

Everton
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is likely to miss out again. Nathan Patterson should be available after overcoming a knock.

Chelsea v Everton predictions

Five months have passed since Graham Potter last enjoyed a winning streak so expect the under-fire Chelsea chief to savour every second of the current triumphant run, which looks set to be extended to four games on Saturday evening.

Wins over Leeds and Leicester in the Premier League, either side of a season-saving success against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, have lifted the gloom around Stamford Bridge in time for an overdue assault on the top six.

They’ve got ground to make up on those above them if they want to get in the mix but back-to-back home games either side of the international break, against first Everton and then Wolves, offer real hope of narrowing the gap.

First up are Everton, a reinvigorated Everton under no-nonsense Sean Dyche, but an inferior side, short of firepower and there to be beaten.

Indeed, neither of these sides score that many goals so Chelsea to win in a low-scoring contest is a suggested punting approach.

The absence of goals is almost the easier bit to predict. Nine of Chelsea’s last ten matches have produced no more than two goals, as have five of Dyche’s seven at Everton.

Potter, for all his spending ambition in January, never really resolved the central striking role and a load of fancy footwork from a string of colourful ball-players evidently doesn’t add up to bundles of goals.

For Everton it’s more simple than that – without Dominic Calvert-Lewin they are seriously impotent.

Last week, for example, they produced nine efforts on goal in the first half of the 1-0 win against Brentford, the most in any first half this season.

That showed a new attacking intent, yet one goal – from Dwight McNeil – was all they had to show for it. Demarai Gray is not an obvious line-leader, especially away from home at a place like Chelsea where the ball will need protecting on the few occasions he sees it. That’s simply not what he does best.

Everton are undeniably better under Dyche than they were under Frank Lampard. He’s more astute, more savvy, and three wins in seven on his watch is clearly an improvement.

Defensively they are far better organised with a really aggressive midfield trio protecting an experienced back four so they won’t be easy to break down.

But Chelsea are feeling good about life at the moment, will dominate the ball and possession and should surely be trusted to score at least one goal, which may well be all it takes.

Key stat

Everton are the joint-lowest scorers in the Premier League with 20 goals.

Probable teams

Chelsea (3-4-3): Kepa; Fofana, Koulibaly, Badiashile; James, Enzo Fernandez, Kovacic, Chilwell; Mudryk, Havertz, Felix
Subs: Cucurella, Chalobah, Chukwuemeka, Gallagher, Loftus-Cheek, Kante, Pulisic, Mount, Aubameyang

Everton (4-5-1): Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Tarkowski, Godfrey; Iwobi, Doucoure, Gueye, Onana, McNeil; Gray
Subs: Coady, Mykolenko, Mina, Holgate, Davies, Simms, Garner, Maupay, Calvert-Lewin