It’s not just about three points

Everton vs. Chelsea kicks off the round of the beloved Premier League, and I don’t think it will be a typical match for either team—especially for Chelsea.

For Xabi Alonso’s team, this game is about more than just three points; it’s about building momentum and maintaining a winning streak, since the upcoming schedule and matches won’t be easy.

Everyone knows that Chelsea’s defense is the worst in the league, but the game against Bournemouth showed a slight improvement—there were no silly mistakes that cost them goals or points. The defense wasn’t rock-solid, but at least it looked better. That’s the path they need to follow against Everton. Perhaps it was Moisés Caicedo’s presence in midfield that gave the defenders more confidence.

In midfield, they should stick with the Caicedo-Henderson pairing just to build chemistry between the players—plus, Henderson has shown that he’s still performing at a high level despite his age.

As for the attack, I don’t think there’s much to say, since Chelsea’s offensive firepower is remarkable. Palmer, Joao Pedro, and Morgan Rogers have so many ways to hurt opponents that it’s undeniable at this point, although I do see some fans out there trying to downplay Pedro’s contributions.



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But here’s what worries me about this game: Everton has won six of its last nine home games against Chelsea. And the Blues haven’t scored in seven of those games—which I think is an impressive streak, but one that needs to be broken this Saturday. I mentioned their offensive firepower—Chelsea has to go out there with the mindset of scoring as many goals as possible. They can’t hesitate against Everton, because the Toffees are very strong at home and their defense becomes impenetrable, so they need to stay focused the entire game.

When I say “focused for the entire match,” I really mean it—Chelsea holds the league record for scoring six goals in the first seven minutes. The team comes out with full energy in the opening minutes but often struggles as the match goes on; they need to stay focused for the full 90 minutes.

In my opinion, we should stick with the same lineup that beat Bournemouth; I think we saw a defensive solidity that we hadn't seen this season. I think Josh Acheampong has earned a spot in the starting lineup—he seems to me to be our best defender so far. I wouldn't change a single player in the starting lineup for the match against Everton.

Tottenham, Liverpool, Man United, and Sunderland are Chelsea’s next opponents, so the team needs to build confidence to tackle those upcoming matches, which will undoubtedly be very difficult. I hope they can put together a good winning streak.
C’mon Blues.