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Sixth-placed Premier League side Chelsea will travel to Goodison Park to play Everton on Sunday in a vital clash in the race for Champions League football next season. With Manchester United and Arsenal not playing this week, Maurizio Sarri's men have a golden chance to climb into the Champions League positions.
Everton comes into this game on the back of a narrow 3-2 loss to Newcastle United at Tyneside and will be looking to get a win against Chelsea and get their campaign back on track. However, this looks improbable as the Toffees have not won against the Blues in their last six meeting and last tasted victory against them in March 2016. What is a matter of further embarrassment is that in four of those last six meetings, Everton had failed to score a single goal.
However, a resurgence in the form of Brazilian Richarlison and the ever Dependable Gylfi Sigurdsson could mean that Marco Silva's men prove threatening to Chelsea on Sunday. We pick out three crucial battles which will decide where this game goes.
#3 Richarlison vs Emerson
Brazilian wonderkid Richarlison hit the Premier League running at the start of the season but has hit a loss in form lately. He redeemed himself against Newcastle when he a scored goal from close range and gave some hope to his team. On Sunday, Richarlison will be up against Emerson who has replaced first-choice left-back Marcos Alonso over the last few weeks.
Although he has started only three games so far in the Premier League, Emerson will not give Richarlison space to roam freely and act upon every tiny error made by him. It will be a good contest between the two and stopping him will be Chelsea's biggest task of the day.
#2 Gylfi Sigurdsson vs Jorginho
Iceland's Gylfi Sigurdsson will be up against Italian midfield maestro Jorginho on Sunday in the middle of the park. Although not technically a striker, Sigurdsson plays in the central attacking midfield position and is quite difficult to contain in dangerous areas. Chelsea manager Sarri was given a lot of credit when he brought Jorginho along with him and the latter even proved him right with some fantastic performances at the start of the season.
However, the holding midfielder hasn't had the best of times lately and will be itching to get a good showing against Everton. Jorginho will have the unenviable task of containing Sigurdsson and his runs into the box. On the other hand, Siggurdson will also have to man-mark the former Napoli midfielder and make sure he does not get space on the ball.
#1 Jonjoe Kenny vs Eden Hazard
Everton right-back Jonjoe Kenny, who is filling in for Seamus Coleman will have the most difficult task of the evening; of keeping Belgian wizard Eden Hazard quiert. Hazard will most probably play on his usual postition at the left flank and will come right up against the young 22-year-old Englishman.
A lot of responsibility lies on Hazard in the current Chelsea side. He has 13 goals and 11 assists to his name in the Premier League this year. He will be looking to wreak havoc and remains Chelsea's most dangerous weapon. Kenny will have no roam for error in the Sunday evening clash.
