Following a shock 3-2 defeat by Burnley on the opening day, Antonio Conte’s men responded in ideal fashion by beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 last time out. It was a fantastic result and performance from the Blues, who made life difficult for their London rivals by packing the middle of the pitch and denying Spurs space to operate in central areas. Chelsea’s title credentials had been doubted after that loss to Burnley, with tensions between Conte and the club’s hierarchy seeming to rise in the summer; the west Londoners are now back on track, though, and will be buoyed by such an important victory in a big game against a team who are also likely to contend for the championship crown. Question marks remain about squad depth – something Conte will be hoping to address in the next week or so – but Chelsea suddenly look to be in a decent position heading into the third match of the campaign.
Everton almost made it two wins from two on Monday night, but a late equaliser from Raheem Sterling rescued a point for Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. Ronald Koeman’s charges succeeded in frustrating their illustrious opponents for long periods of the match, although they were ultimately a little too conservative in the second half in an attempt to hold on against 10 men. Nevertheless, there are positive signs for Everton at present; the club have spent big in the summer window as they seek to break into the top six, with Sandro Ramirez, Michael Keane, Jordan Pickford, Davy Klaassen, Cuco Martina and Gylfi Sigurdsson and Wayne Rooney adding depth and quality in different areas of the pitch. Finishing above one of Chelsea, City, Manchester United, Liverpool or Arsenal will be a tough ask this term, but the Toffees have begun the campaign well and should have nothing to fear when they visit Stamford Bridge this weekend – despite the 5-0 thrashing they were handed in this fixture last season.
Chelsea will be unable to call upon the services of Eden Hazard (ankle) and Gary Cahill (suspension), but Pedro Rodriguez could return to the starting XI following a spell on the sidelines. David Luiz is likely to return to the backline following a stint in midfield against Spurs, with Conte set to return to his favoured 3-4-2-1 configuration. Alvaro Morata will lead the line once more, with N’Golo Kante and Tiemoue Bakayoko ready to play alongside one another in a midfield pairing for the first time. At the back, Andreas Christensen could keep his place following an impressive showing at Wembley.
Everton will have to make do without Ross Barkley (hamstring), Sandro (heel), Ramiro Funes Mori (knee), Seamus Coleman (leg) and Yannick Bolasie (knee) for their upcoming trip to the capital. Koeman used a 3-4-3 formation in the first half against Stoke City on the opening day, before moving to a four-man backline after the break; he then opted for a defensive 5-2-2-1 in the opening period at the Etihad, before switching to a 4-2-3-1 shortly after the hour-mark. It is therefore not clear which shape he will employ against Chelsea, although three at the back looks most likely at this stage.
This is a difficult match to call: Chelsea are clearly favourites to triumph, but Everton frustrated City on Monday and could do the same at Stamford Bridge. It may therefore be worth backing a draw on Sunday, with both teams likely to find the back of the net; another market worth considering is the anytime goalscorer one, in which Morata could be an astute choice.
.png)
