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Chelsea traveled to relegation-threatened Everton for their Premier League matchday 34 fixture on Sunday afternoon (1 May). The Blues were eager to return to winning ways following their 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Thursday (28 April).
Sadly for Thomas Tuchel’s side, the hosts brought their A-game and condemned the reigning European champions to a 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park. Richarlison scored the only goal of the game in the 46th minute to boost the Toffees' survival hopes.
Following the hard-fought win over his former team, Frank Lampard sees his Everton sit in 18th place, two points behind 17th-placed Leeds United. Fortunately, the Merseysiders have a game in hand over the Whites, who were thrashed 4-0 by Manchester City on Saturday afternoon (30 May).
Everton started the game on the front foot and won a free kick just outside the penalty box inside the opening minute. Unfortunately, Anthony Gordon’s effort was well wide of the target. Ten minutes later, Yerry Mina appealed for a penalty after a clash with Cesar Azpilicueta. The referee thought it was too soft and shot down the appeal. Chelsea failed to create any clear cut opportunities in the first half, which ended goalless.
Within a minute after the restart, Richarlison fired the Toffees ahead, courtesy of his perseverance and Chelsea’s shaky defending. Minutes later, Vitalii Mykolenko had the opportunity to put the game to bed. But the Everton full-back was closed down swiftly by keeper Edouard Mendy. The Blues came close to finding the equalizer in the 59th minute, but Mason Mount’s volley drifted wide and rattled against the post.
Antonio Rudiger, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Mateo Kovacic had decent openings in the second half but saw their efforts convincingly saved by Everton custodian Jordan Pickford.
It was a deserving win for Everton, leaving them in a decent position ahead of the final stretch of the season. Tuchel's team, meanwhile, remained in third spot with 66 points frrom 34 games, just three ahead of fifth-placed Arsenal.
On that note, here are five Chelsea players who failed to live up to their billing at Goodison Park on Sunday:
#5 Reece James
Given the rich vein of form he has been in, Reece James was expected to produce a solid performance at Goodison Park.
Sadly for the traveling fans, the Englishman could not replicate his recent displays and cut a frustrating figure in the 1-0 loss to Everton.
The right-back often overdid things, which cost him possession quite a few times (17 in total) over the course of the 90 minutes at Goodison Park.
His crosses were also wayward, with all five of them being intercepted by opposition defenders.
James also committed two fouls, lost three duels and had no effort on target.
#4 Timo Werner
Timo Werner’s recent run of fine form won him a place in the starting XI ahead of former Everton star Romelu Lukaku.
The German international, as usual, contributed to the press, made some encouraging runs, and popped up in dangerous areas.
Unfortunately, he could not find it in himself to trouble Everton keeper Pickford as much as he should have.
He only had one shot on target, did not play even a single key pass, and only managed 10 accurate passes.
Additionally, he lost possession eight times, was beaten in two ground duels, and didn’t attempt a single cross or long ball.
He was replaced by Hakim Ziyech in the 68th minute, bringing an end to his disappointing outing on Merseyside.
#3 Jorginho
The Blues’ dependable midfielder Jorginho produced a painfully bland performance on Sunday afternoon.
The Italian international rarely attempted to get into the final third and was happy to pass the ball around in areas that posed no threat.
His passing accuracy was brilliant at 92 percent, but it ultimately counted for naught as it did not hurt Everton.
The former Napoli midfielder also attempted only a single cross, which failed to reach its intended destination.
Jorginho also lost five duels, ceded possession five times, and committed a foul.
He was understandably replaced by Mateo Kovacic at half-time.
#2 Kai Havertz
'Premier League Player of the Month' for March contender Kai Havertz once again cut a frustrating figure at the top of Chelsea’s attack.
He tried his best to sneak behind the opposition lines but was not successful. The former Bayer Leverkusen star could not trouble the keeper even once and was easily beaten in duels.
Against Everton, the German international lost eight of his 12 duels, ceded possession 15 times, and committed five fouls.
He also received a yellow card for shoving Everton defender Yerry Mina out of frustration in the 83rd minute.
#1 Cesar Azpilicueta
Chelsea skipper Cesar Azpilicueta has been a rock at the back for the Blues this season. Unfortunately, the Spaniard failed to cover himself in glory in front of a packed Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon.
He was caught napping in possession and was responsible for the only goal Everton scored as the Blues had to return to London empty-handed.
Right on the edge of the box, he got his pocket picked by Richarlison, who found Demarai Gray in space. Gray fed the ball back to Richarlison, allowing him to find the back of the net with ease.
The Spanish international could not manage to make amends for his costly mistake and was subbed off in the 68th minute, with Christian Pulisic replacing him
At Goodison Park, Azpilicueta lost three duels, ceded possession seven times, and was booked for a fight with Everton full-back Seamus Coleman in the 38th minute.
A night to forget for the Chelsea stalwart.
