Premier League: Can Chelsea Bounce Back from Euro Embarrassment?

Everton vs Chelsea

Saturday teatime’s Premier League clash takes us to the Dickinson Hill Stadium for eighth versus sixth.

If you had asked the respective fans at the start of the campaign, Everton supporters would probably have been content with the position they currently find themselves in.

It would have been a very different answer for big-spending Chelsea, however, and the onus is very much on them and their new boss Liam Rosenior this weekend.

Talking Points

Let’s face it, Chelsea may well be feeling vulnerable after the way they were comprehensively taken apart by European and world champions Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in midweek.

An 8-2 defeat was as embarrassing as it was record-breaking as they conceded the most goals over two Champions League legs in the club’s European history.

The boys from West London now need to bounce back quickly to keep alive their hope of returning to Europe’s top tier next term.

I said at the start of the season that despite lifting silverware last term, I doubted their ability to challenge for both the Premier League and Champions League.

Sure, last term they went on to win the Europa Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup but, given their financial outlay, this SBOTOP author felt it was a pretty mediocre return.

After all, the summer tournament in America only involved a selection of Europe’s top teams, while the Conference third-tier competition is really aimed at providing some of the lesser clubs with a chance of gaining European football.

While their squad depth is mightily impressive and Everton’s is not, Saturday teatime’s clash should be close.

Everton are ready to win at home when they welcome Chelsea for another Premier League match — Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saves the ball during their Premier League match against Arsenal

Everton were actually good value for a point at leaders Arsenal last Saturday, until a rare error from goalkeeper Jordan Pickford proved crucial.

It wasn’t just that the Merseysiders frustrated their hosts, they had chances too.

David Moyes’ men have European dreams of their own and currently sit in eighth spot.

Qualifying for any form of European football would represent a titanic turnaround for a club so recently embroiled in points deductions and relegation battles.

Chelsea have had financial news of their own this week and the general consensus is they have largely escaped punishment.

The club was fined £10 million and handed a suspended transfer ban after admitting making £47m in secret payments to unregistered agents and third parties over transfers between 2011 and 2018.

A number of transfers related to the unregistered payments, including those of Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto’o, Willian, Ramires, David Luiz, Andre Schurrle and Nemanja Matic.

The charges occurred under Roman Abramovich’s ownership when the Premier League said “undisclosed payments by third parties associated with the club were made to players, unregistered agents and other third parties” for the “benefit of Chelsea”.

While they appear to have escaped a punishment that fits the crime, and those of an Everton persuasion will argue they received a far harsher penalty for a far less serious misdemeanour two years ago, the focus will be on football, not finance, when this game kicks off.

And whoever creates Premier League 2026 highlights may well be the side which ends up enjoying European football next term.

History

This is a clash which was fairly evenly matched until the turn of the millennium.

Overall, Everton have 60 victories to Chelsea’s 78 with a further 57 draws.

When they met earlier this term, first-half goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto earned the west Londoners a 2-0 home win.

Although this is their first visit to Everton’s new home, they have often struggled when playing on the Toffees’ turf at Goodison Park.

Last season this game was goalless, whereas Everton triumphed two seasons ago when Abdoulaye Doucouré and Lewis Dobbin netted second-half goals in a 2-0 win.

Chelsea have only won once at Everton over the past nine years – that was in 2022 when a Jorginho penalty settled the contest for Thomas Tuchel’s men (the German had gone within weeks after the then new owners opted for their own man).

On saying that, Everton’s record at Chelsea is lousy.

Paul Rideout was the matchwinner back in October 1994, the last time the Toffees won a league game on Chelsea turf.

A game that stands out for me was in May 2022 when Pickford was magnificent.

In between that show of defiance from the England number one, Richarlison scored in the first minute of the second-half to earn Everton what proved to be a crucial home winner in their fight against the drop.

The very first clash came in 1907 in Division One at Stamford Bridge when Chelsea ran out 2-1 winners, thanks to a double from Jimmy Windridge. Tom Booth replied for the Toffees.