16 December 2021, 16:39 | 28 August 2021, 15:29
Having bagged a 3-2 victory over Leeds United, thanks to a questionable penalty deep inside stoppage time, the Blues are back for this mid-week fixture against the Toffees hoping to reclaim top spot. Chelsea FC vs. Everton FC kicks off at 20:45 (GMT+1) on Thursday, December 16, at Stamford Bridge.
Preview Chelsea Premier League, Dec 16, 2021
Preview Three penalties over the course of ninety minutes saw the topsy-turvy five-goal thriller between the Peacocks and Blues swing from one end to another. A Jorginho-styled penalty from Jorginho (58' P. & 90'+4 P.) eventually divided both sides, deep into stoppage-time. Another Jorginho-styled penalty by Raphinha (28’ P.), had put Leeds United in front in the first half. A melee followed after the final whistle, with players squaring up as Antonio Rüdiger found himself at the eye of the storm, having won the final controversial penalty, his second of the day. With the plague of dubious penalties seen in several fixtures on Matchday 16 over, the Blues may not be getting any help when the Toffees come knocking at the Bridge. The narrow victory over Leeds leaves Chelsea with 2 points-per-match over the last five games (10/15), WDWLW. The Blues remain in 3rd place, a point behind 2nd-placed Liverpool and two points behind 1st-placed Manchester City, while having 36 points from 11W, 3D, and 2L. After losing to West Ham [3-2] and picking up a draw against FC Zenit [3-3], Thomas Tuchel switched to three at the front, by changing the 3—4—1—2 formation to its variant, the 3—4—3. The 48-year-old is expected to stick with the latter for this game against Everton. Lukaku could return to the starting lineup, forcing Timo Werner to the bench while Hakim Ziyech comes in on the right.
Preview Everton Premier League, Dec 16, 2021
Preview Everton suffered a 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace on Match week 16 when both sides met at Selhurst Park over the weekend. The defeat saw the club drop two spots off the Premier League table, moving from 12th to 14th place, while leaving the Toffees with 18 points from 5W, 3D, & 8L. With only 3 points out of a possible 15 from their last five Premier League matches, LLLWL, 0.6 points-per-match, and with Chelsea up ahead, the axe should not be too far from Rafael Benítez. Coupled with an apparent fallout with the Everton fans, having won just one of the last ten league fixtures, all signs appear to be pointing to the exit for Benítez. The Evertonian-Benítez saga took another turn in the mud when the substitution of Richarlison [against Palace], who was visibly disappointed after coming off, was met with anti-Benitez chants, forcing the Spaniard to offer an explanation after the game. An unlikely win against Chelsea could see Rafael Benítez win back lost souls on Thursday when he lays out the 4—3—3 with Salomón Rondón in the middle of attack.