Everton vs Chelsea: Match preview, Betting tips and Predictions

Everton vs Chelsea: Match preview, Betting tips and Predictions - Ancelotti's side face the in form blue test

In the skies! Kurt Zouma rose high to celebrate his header that helped Chelsea past Leeds last weekend. (Photo credit: Premierleague.com)

Everton vs Chelsea

Goodison Park

9:00pm

 

Carlo Ancelloti isn’t a stranger to Frank Lampard or the Blues, he won the league title with Chelsea in 2010, scoring freely with a diamond formation and things aren’t the same anymore ten years on.

 

Chelsea will travel to Goodison Park on Saturday for a late night fixture and will look to continue their fine run in the league. 

Chelsea beat Leeds United last weekend, coming back from a Patrick Bamford strike to leapfrog Spurs to the top of the table until the north London side beat Arsenal later on Sunday.

Everton have been on a downward spiral for a while.

They were rampaging at the start and won their first four games, scoring freely and taking the league by storm.

But they have struggled for points recently and even lost at home to Southampton.

Everton came from behind to earn a point against Burnley last weekend in Sean Dyche’s 200^th game in charge, thanks to a near post sweep by Dominic Calvert Lewin.

They still have the quality to trouble the big six but they need to start converting their chances and stay disciplined through it.

Chelsea are genuine title contenders, they have quality everywhere on the pitch and have been solid in every department.

They even have the luxury of choice with Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud slugging it out for the number 9 role, something that has divided opinions at West London.

How will they line up? 

Chelsea are going to be without Christian Pulisic, that will afford Mason Mount a role upfront with whoever gets the nod between Abraham and Giroud and a likely call for back to fitness Kai Havertz but there won’t be a place for the injured Hakim Ziyech.

Hakim Ziyech has amazing numbers in his short time at Chelsea but he seems to be injury-prone, limping off early in the 3-1 success over Leeds United and now faces a spell on the sidelines.

Everton will rely on the trio of Alan, Doucoure and Andre Gomes; they lost Fabian Delph to a hamstring injury that looks really bad against Burnley.

They will throw James Rodriguez on the right where he is expected to cut inside to his left and wreak havoc.

Whatever happens on Saturday, both teams have the tendencies to score, and there will be lots of corner kicks.

Verdict: Over 7.5 corners