Chelsea 0-0 Everton: 5 Talking Points and Tactical Analysis, Premier League 2018/19

That was some battle!
That was some battle!

Chelsea and Everton played out an enthralling stalemate at Stamford Bridge as Maurizio Sarri became the first manager to go 12 matches unbeaten in his first year at the Premier League. Meanwhile, the Toffees' recent rise in form continued despite a draw - they are now unbeaten in five of their last six league encounters.

The first half lacked intensity, with both managers left with plenty to think about heading into the tunnel. Chelsea dominated the game right from the opening exchanges till the final whistle.

Alvaro Morata had a couple of chances, whilst Marcos Alonso struck the woodwork, but Chelsea just couldn't churn out a 9th league win.

Here are the major talking points from the tough tussle between Chelsea and Everton.


#1 Everton start strong, Chelsea look flat and lackluster

Everton had every blade of grass covered
Everton had every blade of
grass covered

Silva's Everton side started their expedition at the Bridge with a strong statement. They pressed with four-five players high up, thereby making it an arduous task for the hosts to play out from the back with freedom.

They played at a higher tempo, moved it quicker than their opponents and worked their way through a vibrant Chelsea midfield. Be it Theo Walcott's pace, Sigurdsson's craft, Gomes' solidity or Bernard's trickery, the Toffees looked more threatening venturing forward.

Although they surrendered an awful lot of possession to the Blues as one would expect, Coleman and company kept Sarri's side at bay for the entirety of the first 45.

They hardly allowed an inch of space to the Chelsea front three. As a consequence, Morata was often seen dropping deeper in order to set up more passes and open up a sturdy Everton defence. Speaking of Jordan Pickford, he never had his gloves dirtied in this period of play.

Hazard was far from his best. His flicks and no-look passes uncharacteristically lost accuracy. Willian won quite a few balls upfront but he provided minimal cutting edge. Alonso had a few effective passes and crosses, but overall, they went about their business at a pedestrian pace.

Everton's set pieces meanwhile, were absolutely marvelous. Digne took a couple of corners and a free-kick which were all teasing and well-crafted.

#2 The first-half was uninspiring yet hard fought

The first 45 minutes saw way too many tussles and fouls
The first 45 minutes saw way too many tussles and fouls

The fact that it took 40 minutes for the game to see its first shot on target indicates the pace and nature of the contest. Although it was a hard-fought, tactically challenging contest, those first 45 minutes or so turned out to be an absolute snooze fest.

There were a lot of plays broken at the center of the park, with Idrissa Gueye and Andre Gomes being tested almost every minute along with the likes of Jorginho and N'Golo Kante.

The Everton medical staff was called upon more often than many of the men on the pitch. It started with Sigurdsson, followed by Theo Walcott and then Lucas Digne. All of them stumbled and took their own time to get up - something that miserably killed the flow of proceedings.

Yes, Chelsea were moving it slow and there was a lack of creativity in their approach, but huge credit goes to Everton for the extra miles they covered and the spaces they shut down.

In total, there were seven yellow cards shown in the game. Tells the story.

#3 The game sparkles into life after the break

Alonso played a huge role in Chelsea's attempts to score
Alonso played a huge role in Chelsea's attempts to score

Marcos Alonso's venomous volley was all that tested either goalkeeper in the first half, but from the start of the second period, we knew we were in for a cracker of a contest. In the very first play from Chelsea, Hazard whipped in an exquisite cross to Alvaro Morata, who mistimed it but found the target.

Jordan Pickford on that occasion though, was outstanding. Moments later, on the back of an intelligent exchange between Hazard and Willian, Morata failed to connect with a cross from the former.

By then, Chelsea could easily have been two up, had Morata converted both his opportunities. Post the hour mark, Alonso, who was bombarding deliveries and linking up play down the left flank, drilled another strike, beat Pickford but was denied by the frame of the goal.

Sigurdsson set Walcott free with a beautiful switch as well, but the former Arsenal winger's touch was abysmal. Both sides, especially Chelsea, looked far sharper in the second period.

#4 Morata yet again illustrates his 'hot and cold' nature

Morata had a tough outing
Morata had a tough outing

The Blues tried and tried till the dying stages of the game but just couldn't find a way through. The Toffees had the various passing lanes covered with conviction. One man who could be blamed is, not for the first time, Alvaro Morata.

The Spaniard yet again portrayed his hot and cold nature in front of goal. When he starts to score, he looks smooth, sharp and silky. But along with those well-constructed goals, come a lot of spurned chances.

As mentioned in the previous slides, he missed two sitters. On both occasions, he was played in by Hazard remarkably. But he couldn't quite compose himself and sting an effort into the back of the net.

Apart from his missed chances, the 26-year-old repeatedly hit the ground asking for a penalty. None of them technically were fouls. Sorry, but this is the Premier League. One cannot fall down looking for a spot-kick every single time. This is a physically challenging arena, Morata.

#5 Did the trip to Belarus prove costly for Chelsea?

Does Sarri overburden his players?
Does Sarri overburden his players?

These questions might hit the surface during the peak footballing months of January and February - "Does Sarri overburden his players?", "Are Chelsea adversely affected by Europa League's fixtures?", "Is there a lack of rotation?"

Even during his time at Naples, Sarri was seen sticking to a selected 15-16 bunch of players who would regularly appear. After a 2,300 plus mile trip in midweek and less than 72 hours between this fixture and the one versus BATE Borisov, the Pensioners looked a bit sluggish.

Hazard created around three clear-cut chances, but was not at his prolific best if finishing is taken into account. Should Sarri have started Hazard in midweek?

A few others too, were way off the pace. On a collective note, as a unit, Chelsea took quite a while to settle and then inject some speed into proceedings. Clearly, these give an indication of the fatigue caused by a tiresome Europa League fixture list.

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Edited by Arvind Sriram