Everton vs Chelsea: 5 Key Talking Points

Hazard was the best player on the pitch, yet again
Hazard was the best player on the pitch, yet again

Chelsea were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw at Goodison Park by a resurgent Everton side who are currently enjoying life under Sam Allardyce in the Premier League. The Blues dominated the proceedings from the kick-off and were unlucky not to find the back of the net due to the discipline shown by the hosts behind the ball.

Antonio Conte's men applied ample pressure throughout the game but the efforts of Jordan Pickford in goal and a couple of last-ditch clearances from Phil Jagielka ensured that the scoreline remained the same at the end of the first half.

The visitors continued to dominate possession but Everton managed to put bodies behind the ball and made it hard for Chelsea to find an opening. The result means that Everton head into Christmas in great spirits after climbing to 9th position in the table while Chelsea failed to pile the pressure on Manchester United, remaining in the 3rd spot.

Let's take a closer look at the five key talking points from the stalemate at Goodison Park:


#5 Chelsea are victims of their infamous strategy

Everton parked the bus to good effect against Chelsea
Everton parked the bus to good effect against Chelsea

Chelsea are not in the driving seat of the 'bus' anymore under Antonio Conte, but it is a strategy that was implemented by the club in the past, most notably under Jose Mourinho, and they tasted the frustration of being at the receiving end of it against Everton on the night.

The Blues enjoyed 68% of the possession and had as many as 25 attempts in what was a frustrating evening of football for their attackers. Everton were comfortable in sitting back and absorbing the pressure throughout the game and managed to safeguard their interests by putting bodies behind the ball.

The fact that Everton did not register a single shot on target during the game can be used as the best possible explanation for their approach to this fixture against the defending champions, who were once touted to be the masters of the same strategy under their former manager.

#4 Everton can afford to be ambitious now

Big Sam is bringing out the best in his players
Big Sam is bringing out the best in his players

When Everton splashed out over a £100 million in the summer, the ambition of the club was clearly evident. Farhad Moshiri and Bill Kenwright, the owners of the club, backed Ronald Koeman with the funds required to build a team that could possibly challenge for the European places on a regular basis.

However, things did not go according to the script, and Koeman was sacked after Everton's poor start to the season that saw them languish at the bottom end of the table

The Toffees were all over the place and they needed someone who could grab things by the scruff of the neck and their unbelievable turnaround implies that Sam Allardyce was indeed the right choice.

Everton have clawed their way back into the mix and have taken 11 points from a possible 15 in their last five games, unbeaten under Allardyce and only six points away from Burnley at 6th place. With Yannick Bolasie and Ross Barkley returning from injuries, this might well be the right time for Everton to look further up the table and set their ambitions.

#3 Chelsea could do well with some changes

Conte will demand refreshments in January
Conte will demand refreshments in January

Last season witnessed what was probably one of the greatest tactical masterstrokes in the history of the Premier League when Chelsea shifted to 3-4-3 under Antonio Conte. The outcome of the tweak in formation, which came on the back of a 3-0 battering away from home by Arsenal, was quite influential as Chelsea went on to win 13 games on the spin, helping them stroll to the league title.

In fact, the idea was so effective that as many as 17 teams in the top-flight adopted Conte's tried and tested formation at some point in their season. The current season has seen Chelsea lining up in a 3-5-2 setup on numerous occasions and it seems like the gaffer is still unsure of the best combination with respect to the current set of players at his disposal.

Add that to the relatively poor performances from their summer signings and it is quite easy to make out what has been going wrong at Stamford Bridge. Conte had expressed his disappointment with the club's activities in the transfer market earlier in the season and it is being justified at the moment.

The champions have become predictable and they need fresh ideas to find their best form again. Chelsea's road to recovery starts in January, which could prove to be a key transfer window for the club and Conte himself.

#2 Pickford is proving his quality

Pickford is slowly justifying his price tag
Pickford is slowly justifying his price tag

Life at Goodison Park hasn't been very smooth for Jordan Pickford ever since he joined the club from Sunderland in the summer. The Englishman was one of Ronald Koeman's high-profile signings and became the most expensive goal-keeper, a record that was later broken when Manchester City signed Ederson, when he joined Everton.

The Premier League knew everything about his quality from his time at Wearside with Sunderland but Pickford struggled to replicate that form and managed just a single clean sheet in his first 13 appearances in the league for the club. Everton weren't particularly pleasing either during that point of time, thanks to their leaky defence,

However, slowly but steadily, Pickford is proving his quality for Everton and his match-saving performance against Chelsea on the night ensured that he registered a 4th clean sheet in his last six league games for the club.

With England manager Gareth Southgate watching from the stands, Pickford made a strong claim to be in the England World Cup squad that will travel to Russia next summer, courtesy a commanding performance between the sticks for the hosts.

#1 How long until the fax machine calls out for Hazard?

Hazard is undeniably one of the best in the Premier League
Hazard is undeniably one of the best in the Premier League

Eden Hazard has been Chelsea's most influential player for quite a while now and the Belgian is showing no signs of stopping with every passing week. If you set aside that disastrous 2015/16 campaign under Jose Mourinho, Hazard has been dominating opposition defenders at will every time he has stepped out to play.

The 26-year-old is slowly approaching the peak of his career and it will be interesting to see how long Chelsea can keep hold of their star man. With Real Madrid already believed to be in the race for Hazard, it will be in Chelsea's best interests to tie him down to a massive contract and build a formidable side around him.

If recent performances are anything to go by, it is as clear as a crystal that the Los Blancos will step up their pursuit for the winger soon. Chelsea, on the other hand, should focus on providing him with whatever he wants to stay in London, like literally!

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Edited by Arvind Sriram