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#3 Chelsea’s resolute defence shines again
Chelsea were unbeaten in ten games they had played under Thomas Tuchel going into their clash with Everton. Impressively, they had managed to keep clean sheets in eight of those games as the German manager has overseen an impressive defensive overhaul at the club.
Tuchel’s decision to switch to a back three and play with wingbacks seems to have had a positive impact on his side’s defensive performances, as Chelsea are yet to concede a goal at Stamford Bridge under his tutelage.
Interestingly, their opponents on the night also came into the game boasting an in-from defence, matching Chelsea’s three straight clean sheets with three consecutive shut-outs of their own.
However, it was Tuchel’s Chelsea who came out on top on the night, not just by keeping the Everton attack at bay but also finding a way past the stingy opposition defence with excellent attacking play of their own.
#4 Everton struggle for goals continues
The 2020-21 Premier League campaign started with a flurry of goals for Everton and Dominic Calvert-Lewin in particular, as the centre-forward’s goals propelled the Toffees to the top of the league table in the opening few weeks.
However, Calvert-Lewin has been unable to keep up his attacking output consistently over the course of the season, which has, in turn, resulted in Everton slowly dropping down the league standings.
Even though Richarlison has taken up the goal-scoring responsibilities in recent times, a Gylfi Sigurdsson penalty is Everton’s only league goal not scored by the Brazilian since the first week of February.
The regular absence due to injury of James Rodriguez has had an impact on Everton going forward. But Carlo Ancelotti will hope for the rest of his squad to step up and contribute with goals if the Toffees are to finish the season on a high.
#5 Chelsea move into the Champions League places
Even though the Premier League’s most eye-catching action is traditionally reserved for consumption over the weekend, this Monday night fixture saw fourth meet fifth with a potential Champions League spot up for grabs.
While Tuchel has overseen Chelsea’s rise to fourth in the table since his arrival, Ancelotti has presided over a similarly successful campaign for Everton and has seen his side in genuine contention to play European football next season.
And, with Liverpool losing and West Ham yet to play, this was a great opportunity for either side to stake a claim for a top-four spot. In fact, Everton, who still have a game in hand over those closest to them in the table, could have leapfrogged Chelsea into fourth with a win.
However, it was the London outfit that emerged victorious on the night, opening up a four-point gap over the Toffees with a win ahead of West Ham’s clash with Leeds later on in the day.
