Everton vs Chelsea Prediction: ‘LinkedIn Liam’ looks to circle back

Chelsea look to bounce back from their Champions League humiliation as they travel to the Hill Dickinson Stadium to meet Everton in the Premier League (17:30 GMT, Sky Sports Main Event/Premier League). The Blues lost 8-3 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain in their round-of-16 tie in Europe. Can Liam Rosenior dig a result against Everton out of his briefcase?

Read on for my Everton vs Chelsea predictions, coming correct with the latest team news and match odds for you lucky sods.

Team News

Everton boss David Moyes has defensive worries, with Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski both missing last Friday’s trip to Arsenal due to undisclosed injuries. Branthwaite is expected to return but it is understood that Tarkowski will be sidelined.

The Toffees are also without long-term miss Charly Alcaraz. The attacking midfielder has been limited to just 13 Premier League appearances in an injury-ravaged season on Merseyside. 

Moyes also can’t count on the services of Jack Grealish, the on-loan Manchester City star who is out with a foot fracture. 

Chelsea have their own busy treatment room to contend with. Trevoh Chalobah has been a stalwart at the back for the Blues, but he pulled up in the 3-0 loss to PSG with an ankle injury. The England defender joins Filip Jorgensen (groin), Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (hamstring), Levi Colwill (ACL) and Reece James (Hamstring).

Football Odds

Everton vs Chelsea Odds

The home side are priced at 12/5 to secure the upset win over a bruised Chelsea. Rosenior’s regiment are 11/10 to get it done while the stalemate is 13/5.

Cole Palmer tops the goalscorers market, priced at 9/2 to bag first or last. An anytime goal from the ex-City star is 6/4.

Everton to win @ 12/5

The ‘LinkedIn Liam’ jabs at the studious, McKenzie-ish Chelsea head coach Rosenior have got ever louder. Whether it’s making his players circle a ref for a misfiring pre-match huddle or looking like he wants to ‘circle back by EOP today’, the 41-year-old’s neuroses have seen him become a figure of fun.

The nadir was Rosenior excitedly scribbling down his plans and giving them to a disinterested Alejandro Garnacho as his team sought to overturn a six-goal deficit after 84 minutes against PSG. The manager put pen to paper with the gusto of an oversugared infant asking for whatever shite it is today’s kids get for Christmas instead of the Tamagotchis and Megazords our iconic generation grew up with.

Does the fact he carries himself like Josh Widdicombe playing Steven Bartlett in a made-for-TV biopic preclude him from being a good football manager? Of course not. But during a turbulent time in the season, particularly having taken just two of the 10 goals on offer in 180 minutes of football with PSG, the foibles come to the fore.

Everton are reliable and solid, which isn’t something they’ve been able to say for a few years. The David Moyes era is evoking memories of…well, the first David Moyes era. I reckon the resolute Scot takes a massive step towards European qualification with a mildly-surprising win here.

Team with most booking points - Chelsea @ 8/5

While they aren’t noted for a particularly tough streak, Chelsea actually top the Premier League disciplinary table. Seven red cards see them in contention for the dubious title, with a further 67 yellow cards on top.

Everton are no angels, but they are better behaved to the tune of 28 booking points. That shakes out at eight less yellow cards and three less reds. Let’s just say the ref might have a bookmark on the Chelsea page in his notepad.

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