Everton 1-0 Chelsea: Chelsea punished

We never saw enough of Cole getting forward down the wing either? The way we play with our attacking three interchanging positions, it’s important that if possible, our full backs push on up the pitch. I cannot remember Cole doing that often enough. It wasn’t his best game.

John Terry was his normal self. He plays deep enough to sweep up in behind Luiz and did so for the most part. People do not realise just how good his touch is on the ball. Once or twice, it looked like he was being given the ball in dangerous areas with players around him, but he remained calm and composed and played it easily, right or left-footed.

Substituting Juan Mata was a mistake from Jose Mourinho

Now as for David Luiz, the game highlighted everything about the Brazilian for me. For 99% of the game (despite silly fouls and free kicks being given away late on when we were chasing a goal) Luiz was outstanding. His ability to read the game and see what is happening and developing in front of him is different class but he is prone to making a mistake and I am sorry to say he did yesterday and it cost us.

How many times did we see him step in front of the attacker and win the ball? How many times did he step forward and make an interception and come away with the ball to start off another attack? How many times did he pick a pass to someone in attacking areas and find a Chelsea shirt? He was outstanding.

However, for the goal he made the wrong decision to step out from the defensive line on the edge of the box and left Terry and Ivanovic exposed with a man over at the far post. If you watch the goal again from the camera angle behind the goal, as soon as he steps out, Terry realises there are men over behind him but also that he needs to remain in position as he is to close down the space in front of him.

Luiz should have been lined up behind him to enable Ivanovic to make the man on the far post and Luiz to pick up Naismith.

So as soon as the cross comes over, we are in deep trouble and we all saw what happened. Credit to Everton for taking advantage of the situation but it should never have come to that.

A goal down, Chelsea struggled to break Everton down and we needed attacking flair of the likes of Mata, Hazard, De Bruyne or Oscar to interchange and combine but we remained static in our positions as we chased the goal.

Every time Eden Hazard picked the ball up, he was on the left hand side and Everton were doubling up men to deal with him. Why didn’t he change positions with Oscar and spread it out wide right? He may have popped up on that side but would always move back to the left hand side.

The tackle on Oscar looked like a penalty to me but we cannot sit here, moan, and complain about that as we should have been at least 2-1 or even 3-1 up by that stage.

It’s disappointing and so frustrating. Chelsea must do better in front of goal and for me, to unlock the door, Juan Mata needs to remain on the pitch at least until the game is won.