Everton vs Chelsea

But we fight what is in front of us. On the pitch. Off the pitch.

A meet-up with my brother and a decent-timed kick-off. Early start but I'll get home early-ish having run the double gauntlet of Chelsea supporters.

We are the famous EFC.

As it stands.

Nottm Forest

16 -11 14

17

Everton

15 -2 10

18

Burnley

16 -17 10

19

Luton

15 -14 9

20

Sheff Utd

16 -29 8

https://www.turnmillnyc.com/location/tummill/

I hope either Garner or Onana are fit because Doucouré and Gueye did a lot of running on Thursday night and we're bound to be chasing the ball for long periods.

I also wouldn't mind Beto starting and not just because of his goal. I think Calvert-Lewin knowing he has genuine competition for his place will, hopefully, spur him on. He's had a lot of chances in the last 2 home games and failed to take any of them!

A point would be decent given our last 2 games, but we definitely need to win next week at Burnley.

The Turnmill is an Everton pub and it's fantastic.

Plus points; the work Dom gets through is phenomenal, you can forgive the glaring miss. The workrate is also phenomenal, they were pressing well into injury time.

Negative points: the passing is truly appalling and serious work is needed on the training pitch.

In the 1st half, Dom was shaping up for a header and Trippier pushed him and to me that was a stonewall penalty. If someone can get touched and go down and everyone screams penalty, what's the difference?

Onto tomorrow's game; they are terrible at defending headers and we should have a field day if we get the ball to Dom and make our corners count, This is the first time in years I've gone into a game with Chelsea, believing we'll win.

In such an environment, unfortunately we have no chance reaching the heights we once reached. After today, it's definitely RIP Premier League.

In all the fun, I'd forgotten the Trippier push. Definitely a penalty. We need to complain much, much more.

At around 5pm last Saturday, we were 5 points from safety, we've played two matches since then, and find ourselves tonight, a point ahead of the Bottom 3.

Luton host Man City tomorrow, we are at home to a difficult side, but could, given the rub of the green, get the points. Not to mention the totally unfair deduction of 10 points, which if it was overturned immediately would see Everton fairly comfortable in mid-table.

I know you're a "glass half-full" sort of bloke, but sometimes I do wonder if you even own a glass at all.

I will try to get there tomorrow morning. Hopefully, I can catch it with some Blues.

Whoever is responsible for Goodison PA, let's have a bit of Chumbawamba's Tubthumping prior to kick-off to fire us up for a third victory in a week.

COYBs!!!!

Lyndon, I really hoped you haven't jinxed us with that typo.

Now, now, Barry, no need to revert to the old personal digs. You don't know me from Adam and, as far as I know, I'm as much entitled to an opinion as you are.

So we get battered by Chelsea, what's your take up on that? "Oh the lads tried, but it's okay, we ain't good enough."

Have you seen our fixtures coming up? Let me wallow in the mire of not expecting anything and I'll let you, the eternal bloody optimus prime, shout from the roof tops that all is rosey in the Everton garden.

I bet you still look out of the window Christmas morning expecting a pony.

Man Utd are no great shakes, and I am still scratching my head as to how we lost, despite playing better than them, but yesterday, who would have had Bournemouth down to beat them 0-3 at Old Trafford?

I do believe, if we play like we did against Newcastle, we can get all 3 points here, which hopefully will also exemplify that extravagant forays in the transfer market (Chavs) doesn't guarantee success!

COYB 🤔💙💙👍

I believe Gana is off to Afcon next month. I don't read he's done a Doucoure and prioritised us. So we play him as much as we can beforehand, till he drops, then bring back some fresh legs.

We don't have enough midfield cover to do anything else.

Onwards and upwards from now on.

My son and I are on a pilgrimage. First ever visit to the city, though a supporter for 34 years. Any tips on a good pub also appreciated.

Which Chelsea turns up tomorrow? More Importantly — Which Everton?

As a regular, but not today, through illness, I'm not sure about the Team Bus time arrival exactly, but no doubt someone will, I do know it stops in Goodison Road near the VIP's Entrance.

As for Pubs, they all get rammed on a matchday, but I prefer The Harlech Castle, on County Road opposite KFC. It doesn't tend to get as busy (early doors) as many others and you can get served fairly easily. Remember most only take cash for quickness, and a possible bo-diddle (?).

The other good thing about the Harlech, when leaving, Nimrod Street is directly opposite, which comes out by the Ground and the Holy Trinity Statue, handy for Main Stand, Gwladys Street, and even Bullens Road !

Enjoy mate ! Hope you and your lad are good luck mascots, and you witness both a 'Rocking Old Lady' and a good win. Be sure to come on after the game and relay your experience(s) with us too !💙💙👍

That said, the club finding form currently is hopefully us and, if we continue to play as we have recently, there's no reason we can't be looking up rather than down. Though a thin squad tempers my optimism and we're only an injury or two away from seeing the likes of Keane and Gomes in the starting XI.

I expect Xmas game congestion to bite worse at weak squads like ours and we've been unusually fortunate with injuries so far this season. Let's make hay while the sun still shines and bag the 3 points today please.

No Gomes and no Alli, but they'd be bench at best.

What we have benefitted from is a settled team that pretty much picks itself. The back 4 look good, with Coleman being the obvious starter. The midfield of Onana, Garner and Doucoure looks best. With McNeil on the left, Calvert-Lewin up top, and at the moment Harrison on the right.

Bar Harrison, the rest have looked good and fit.

Chelsea's stats for conceding from crosses are not good, Calvert-Lewincan take advantage, maybe Tarkowski or Branthwaite from a set piece. It will be tight but we can grab a hard-fought win.

Prediction: Everton 1 - 0 Chelsea (red card)

We have won the last two games without conceding a goal… and without Onana. Gana Gueye has had two excellent performances in those games — but you want to leave him out?

I'd have a good think about that.

Ian, I thought Harrison had one of his best games for us last Thursday, he played a more central position and saw a lot more of the ball, even turning up on the left wing to create Doucouré's goal.

Maybe his energy is better used centrally?

Going to be an awesome day. COYB.

I agree with you about Harrison, but I thought he had a great game against the Skunks, even if it was in a slightly different role. Confidence is everything and last week's game will have done him no harm at all.

There will be more injuries, suspensions and international absentees, so it's important to keep putting points on the board.

Derek @27,

Better late than never, mate. Good to know you and your boy will be on parade today.

Enjoy and Savour.

Since October, we've had a very settled team with none of the starters missing more than 2 games in a row (except Onana currently).

I can't recall that happening too often over the last few seasons, mainly due to Calvert-Lewin being out so often. I hope it continues.

Whilst that still matters, the big issue is taking chances. I think that will start to come as the self-belief in the squad is getting better. COYB

As for us. Well, another fighting performance it has to be. Chelsea might turn up. Leave the side as is. If that is doable.

Dyche has the team extremely fit. Ashley Young chasing down the keeper in injury time is something I wouldn't expect to see.

Garner and Onana at least will be rested but I just have a nagging hard luck story about this one.

Having said that, I still expect that we will take something from the game.

3 points a must today and next week

2-0 COYB!

PS it would please the Premier League if their PGMOL puppets could at least show enough cards today to ensure we're missing two or three players against Burnley to help achieve their relegate Everton plan, so we can expect some even more dubious decisions than usual.

He certainly had no issues sliding on his knees in front of the horse punchers, or dancing in front of the Street End at full time.

He may have an issue with his best friend refereeing us today though.

For those who haven't seen the pictures/wotsapp screenshots, give Mr Oliver a quick Google.

Onward Evertonians. 💙

I have sympathy with the refs because the game is littered with cheating, but VAR, and the way it is currently being used makes me feel absolutely sick. They are ruining the game imo, and one of my biggest gripes is that the bigger picture is constantly getting overlooked, for the freeze-frame.

Controversy over skill, might be working for the EPL, and the television companies at present, but I'm not sure it's going to help the game in the long run, but maybe I've just become an arl bastard, who doesn't want to move with the times.

Hopefully today's game is allowed to flow and pass off without any real controversy.

I think Young at right-back is a liability. He picks up cards playing there because he mistimes tackles trying to stop young, quick wide players getting past him. Plus he doesn't get forward often enough to help the attackers. As was shown on Thursday he's better as a wide-right forward player.

If Dyche wants to bring back Garner then he should bench Young and put Harrison wide right, Doucoure behind Calvert-Lewin and Patterson or Coleman at right-back.

Have to say all teams have suffered or benefitted even Everton.

Anyway we hope there is no controversy today which affects us.

I think we are getting very little of those attributes from all three above and it is spoiling every game in the sport all fans used to enjoy with many losing their interest in the game.

Will they change it ? I hope so for the sake of the game we all love, but at the same time very much doubt it. As Jay @45 said today's Ref is Michael Oliver a ' Cow's Melt ' even on a good day, so expect no favours or fair decisions should they be required for us !

The GP Atmosphere will see us get this over the line !

met my BIL yesterday who is a big Chelsea fan. he is not expecting anything from the game and that is not like him.

2-0 to us both from corners as they defend them as well as we did under Roberto

I'm enjoying this team, and although the score line suggests we won quite convincingly against Newcastle, we could have also ended up losing the game. The same/ reverse happened in the Man Utd game, which tells us how important it is that Everton score the first goal.

Maybe there will be a couple of changes to help try and keep us fresh? But I honestly won't be worrying about tiredness because I'm certain there will be a much better rest and recovery system in place now.

The worry is that our small squad lacks talent, once you go past the starting eleven, but the final pass and the goal came from our two subs the other night, and we were also missing Garner and Onana, so hopefully we have got enough to get over the line today?

Just keep working hard and fighting for every single ball and leave it up te crowd to do the rest🤞

I've seen so many teams on short rest play sub-par.

Let's hope Dyche's levels of fitness overcome surely inevitable tired legs.