Adrian Clarke looks at key tactical points and players who can be influential in Matchweek 33.
Team analysis – Chelsea
Chelsea are unbeaten in seven Premier League matches, but they still have plenty to improve on for Everton’s visit to Stamford Bridge.
Since earning a deserved 1-1 draw at Manchester City, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have experienced a notable downturn in terms of defensive discipline and desire.
Weak in their duels, vulnerable in the air and unable to show the same appetite they produced at the Etihad Stadium, Chelsea have conceded two or more goals in each of their last five matches.
Many of those strikes were avoidable goals, so Everton, who are desperate for points in their bid to stay up, may smell blood on Monday night.
Poor tracking out wide
Chelsea’s issue is that they are not doing the basics well enough without the ball.
For example, you can pin three goals leaked across the last five matches on lethargic tracking back in wide areas.
Last time out, Conor Gallagher, usually so reliable, switched off to let Jayden Bogle run beyond him to score from Gustavo Hamer’s nutmeg pass on Moises Caicedo.
Left-back Marc Cucurella was caught ball-watching too, but did not appear to receive any communication from Gallagher.
Two other costly goals could have been avoided if Blues players had run back towards their own goal with greater enthusiasm.
Winger Mykhailo Mudryk (circled in red) did not sense danger when allowing Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes to wander towards the far post to score from Diogo Dalot’s cross.
And in the west London derby at Brentford, Levi Colwill was equally slow to react when Mads Roerslev ran off him to score in a 2-2 draw.
Everton may use their muscle
Sean Dyche’s side can be abrasive in their approach, but Chelsea’s recent displays may provide added encouragement for Everton to be aggressive.
Pochettino’s players have had a habit of being tentative in key moments defending their own penalty box, sometimes paying a price for failing to win those critical duels.
In their last three outings, the Blues have been inferior to their opponents in duels, dipping below a 50 per cent success rate in each encounter.
Chelsea duels won last three matches
| Opponent | Duels won |
|---|---|
| Sheff Utd (A) | 45.63% |
| Man Utd (H) | 48.75% |
| Burnley (H) | 47.56% |
We saw above how Caicedo lost a 50-50 inside his own box before Roerslev despatched an emphatic finish at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Since then, similar errors have occurred, such as when Benoit Badiashile’s loose touch took him into a 50-50 that he lost against Man Utd.
From the turnover attack Malo Gusto, on the other side, was too slow to sense the danger from Alejandro Garnacho, who ran off him to convert Antony’s cross.
Chelsea dropped two points at Sheff Utd last Sunday by letting in a scruffy late goal from Oli McBurnie.
This time, Mudryk lost an aerial duel with Hamer on the edge of the area, and then Trevoh Chalobah was second-best in the air moments later.
Losing the physical battle close to their own goal has been an unwanted pattern in recent weeks and Pochettino will be urging his players to change that against Everton.
If Chelsea are weak in these situations, players such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, if available, and Abdoulaye Doucoure are strong enough to punish them again.
Not all doom and gloom
On the plus side, Chelsea have been full of goals in recent months, finding the back of the net in 14 successive matches.
Indeed, the last time they drew a blank was in the reverse fixture, a 2-0 defeat at Goodison Park in December.
Netting 13 goals in their last five outings, Chelsea can take heart from the promise they are showing inside the final third.
Two young players at the heart of their success are Cole Palmer and Gusto, who have made Chelsea’s right-hand side extremely productive.
Chelsea’s last five matches
| 2023/24 | Cole Palmer | Malo Gusto |
|---|---|---|
| Mins played | 440 | 342 |
| Shots | 29 | 3 |
| Key passes | 20 | 12 |
| Goals | 6 | 0 |
| Assists | 3 | 1 |
Palmer’s form across this period has been sensational. He has averaged 5.8 shots and four key passes per match, as well producing nine direct involvements.
Gusto has also been terrific from an attacking right-back berth, supplying a steady stream of chances.
Strikingly, 10 of the last 13 goals scored by Chelsea have involved either Palmer or Gusto providing the assist or finish.
Even if Pochettino’s side do falter out of possession both Palmer and Gusto have the talent to help the Blues pick up points.
Everton must find a way to contain them.
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