Match Report

Everton suffered their heaviest defeat in 19 years and saw their goal-difference advantage over relegation rivals Nottingham Forest wiped out on a horrifying and potentially damaging evening at Stamford Bridge against erratic Chelsea.

The defensive solidity for which Sean Dyche teams are known evaporated amid both his decision to deploy a suicidally high line and disgracefully half-hearted defending by his players against a highly talented side and Cole Palmer ripped the Blues apart on his way to a four-goal haul that inflicted on their increasingly hapless manager the worst loss of his coaching career.

Against a team that has now only won once in 15 Premier League games and which has scored just nine goals since the turn of the year, the game was essentially won for the Londoners before 20 minutes had elapsed when Palmer stole in untracked to nod in his second and make it 2-0 to the hosts.

He added a third in the 29th minute when Jordan Pickford senselessly gave it straight to him with an ill-advised pass looking for Amadou Onana and was comfortably lobbed from 25 yards before the on-fire striker wrestled the ball off two team-mates to stroke home his fourth from the penalty spot in the second half.

That made it 5-0 and Alfie Gilchrist came off the bench late on to lash home a sixth and leave Everton and Dyche, who lost Jarrad Branthwaite and Nathan Patterson to injury, to make the long trip back to Merseyside contemplating the club’s future ahead of a massive game against Forest at Goodison Park on Sunday.

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Idrissa Gueye missing with a tight hamstring and calf respectively, Dyche restored Beto and Amadou Onana to the starting XI, the latter alongside James Garner, but neither central midfielder made it past half-time.

Everton’s mid-section was overrun in the first period; their defence just as porous as Branthwaite was nutmegged by Palmer who collected a lay-off from Nicholas Jackson before curling the ball around Pickford to open the floodgates in the 13th minute.

Ironically, it was Everton who might have scored first when Seamus Coleman fizzed a ball across the six-yard box at the end of a move of rare quality from the Toffees but it flew off Beto’s shin and over the crossbar from close range.

The willing but fundamentally limited Portuguese would have the lion’s share of what few opportunities Everton created on the night but the chasm in quality between the two outfits was embarrassing at times, exemplified by Palmer to whom the visitors could find no answer.

He almost doubled his tally in the 15th minute when Noni Madueke took Conor Gallagher’s pass to the byline and clipped it across the face of Everton’s goal but it was slightly behind the 21-year-old forward who couldn’t readjust his body to bundle it home.

Three minutes after that, though, he did find the net when Gallagher got to the byline as easily as his team-mate had and cut it back for Jackson. Pickford parried the resulting shot but only into the path of Palmer who had continued his run between three statuesque salmon-pink defenders.

Garner’s sloppy giveaway on a what was a torrid evening almost gifted Jackson the third but he sliced his shot narrowly wide before being booked for tripping Palmer but Pickford’s unforgivable sloppiness handed Palmer his hat-trick on a gilded platter.

Despite already being in a desperately deep hole, Everton rallied a bit in the final 15 minutes of the half and had the ball in the net through Beto but he was at least a yard offside when Ashley Young swept the ball in from the right flank.

Beto was in the right place to almost meet James Tarkowski’s volleyed cross off a trademark set-piece but Marc Cucurella shanked it behind before the awkward Blues striker was played in by Dwight McNeil and forced a save from Djordje Petrovic in the 44th minute.

Almost immediately, though, it was 4-0 to Chelsea. Everton’s offside trap was easily sprung and when Cucurella’s cross found Jackson in the area, he took a touch before swivelling home a tidy finish inside the post.

With damage-limitation no doubt on his mind, Dyche withdrew Onana, Garner and Coleman at the break and threw on André Gomes, Patterson and Jack Harrison and Branthwaite had a chance five minutes after the restart but, like Onana just before half-time, couldn’t put his header from a corner on target at the back post.

Palmer went very close to making it 5-0 when Mykhailo Mudryk slipped him in between the centre-halves but Pickford denied him with a smart save with his foot while the England keeper’s failure to grab a low cross from the right almost ended with the ball ricocheting into the net off Patterson a few minutes later.

But things would get worse for Everton, first when Branthwaite limped off to be replaced by Michael Keane and then when Abdoulaye Doucouré clumsily felled Palmer in his own box and referee Paul Tierney awarded a penalty that the Chelsea star converted with aplomb.

Beto seized on a loose ball and belted a right-foot shot off target from just inside the box at one end and Mudryk wasted an opening by side-footing tamely at the keeper at the other but as the game entered stoppage time, Mauricio Pochettino’s men completed their demolition job.

Ben Chilwell ranked a shot goal-wards from the angle that Pickford pushed away to the other side of his area but Gilchrist was there to rap the ball home to make it 6-0.

Patterson was helped off in the aftermath having pulled his hamstring chasing back to try and defend the attack and was replaced by Ben Godfrey. Beto had one last chance at a consolation goal repelled by Petrovic before Tierney put Everton out of their misery following seven minutes of added time.

In the context of what has been a horrendous run of form since that brief flurry of results in December that saw the Toffees win four on the bounce, this implosion plumbed new depths for a team that is getting demonstrably worse under another failing managerial tenure.

As was the case following what was another dreadful showing at Bournemouth at the end of last month, it would be hard to see how Dyche could survive in his post were it not for the void of leadership at the top of the club with Farhad Moshiri having one foot out the door since September.

Curiously enough, the “absentee landlord” was in attendance at Stamford Bridge alongside 777 Partners representative Joshua Dreyfus, watching where three quarters of a billion pounds has got him and even he must be alarmed at the danger the Club is now in with just two points separating it from the relegation zone.

Demotion to the Championship would be catastrophic and something urgently needs to change before the weekend. Everton are in no financial position to sack and appoint another manager, as much as this display and run of results might demand it, so that means a different tactical approach and, certainly, a radical shift in mentality.

Whether the latest busted flush in the head-coaching role at Everton can achieve it remains to be seen but the club’s very survival may depend on it. Pray this sickening and disgraceful showing is the nadir, Blues; these players owe us a performance on Sunday.

Lyndon Lloyd

Matchday Updates

Everton were expected to be tight and make it hard for a poor mid-table Chelsea side to score. But Cole Palmer had other ideas in what was a horrendously embarrassing first half for a sad and sorry looking Everton side.

Everton were without Dominic Calvert-Lewin for tonight's clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge as the striker is sidelined following a recurrence of his hamstring niggle.

Idrissa Gana Gueye is also missing from the squad but Arnaut Danjuma returns after playing a full game for the Under-21s on Friday following an extended period of recovery from an ankle injury sustained at Fulham nearly 3 months ago. 

Dele Alli, who hasn't played for Everton at all this season, and is presumably still recovering from groin surgery back in January, makes an appearance as a guest pundit for Sky Sports. 

The home side kicked off with Everton in lurid salmon pink. Onana giving away an early free-kick for Chelsea, overhit behind.  Everton won an advanced  free-kick that Tarkowski headed toward Beto but he was crowded out

Tarkowski was next to be penalized despite what looked like a foul on Ashley Young. Madueke drove forward to force a corner for Chelsea that Palmer delivered but Everton cleared.

Chelsea attacked again and got very close to the Everton goal before Madueke was stalled. Everton pressed Chelsea high but Doucorure got himself offside with the entire back line to look along. But Everton then won a corner from a Chelsea mistake, Branthwaite needing a glancing header at the near post but getting too much on it. 

Some tremendous work saw Coleman fire in a cross that Beto had to bury but could only scoop over the Chelsea bar off his knee from 4 yards out! Everton continued to press high but were called offside again. 

Everton stifled another Chelsea attack to surge upfield again, but Chelsea resisted and moved the ball up efficiently to find Palmer who made no mistake after nutmegging Branthwaite and picking the bottom corner past a despairing Pickford drive.

Everton got another advanced free-kick and just wasted it, overhit, and how Chelsea did not score on the counter will remain a mystery as the rock-solid Everton defence was, er, rocking. 

Chelsea got a free-kick wide left that was eventually worked inside, Pickford parrying out Jackson's shot only for Palmer to nod it back past him as easy as you like. A shocking start for Everton.

Everton won another corner but Garner's delivery was too strong. Everton tried to get some control but shocking turnovers by Beto and Garner spoilt that plan. and just put them on the back foot again.

Garner tried to get the ball back from Palmer but could only catch him late him for the first yellow card. Then the dismal display got 1,000 times worse as Pickford gifted the ball to Palmer who simply lobbed it over the Everton keeper for his hat-trick, probably in record time. 

McNeil did well to beat his man and get in a cross but it was easily cleared. A lovely cross from Young was headed in very well by Beto but he had got himself offside yet again.  

Young then tripped Gallagher and he got a yellow card. Caicedo then wiggled his way through and fired well wide. Chelsea could easily have been given a penalty when Branthwaite pushed Jackson over but Paul Tierney said no and it was not reviewed.

Coleman was caught by Mydruk who was booked and From the free-kick, Tarkwoski's low cross was just touched away from Beto and behind by Chalobah. A couple of corners followed with plenty of pushing and shoving that led to nothing. 

Beto worked his way in but just could not hit his shot with any power whatsoever. While at the other end, a bobbling ball fell for Jackson who controlled it well, turned and fired just inside the near post, beating Pickford for a shocking 4th goal. 

Young put in another good cross that won an Everton corner, headed wide by Onana to bring an absolutely disastrous half to an end. 

Sean Dyche made three changes at the break. Gomes tried to release Beto with a decent forward ball but the big man went to ground: no foul.  Gomes then got forward himself thanks to Patterson's good work but his shot was deflected wide. The corner was headed just wide by Branthwaite. 

Everton got forward again but Patterson's cross was poorly overhit. Tarkowski made the most ridiculous late challenge on Jackson and was lucky it was only a yellow card.

Everton were getting more possession but Patterson lost it high up the field and Chelsea countered through Mudryuk feeding Palmer but this time Pickford saved well with his feet. Worryingly, Branthwaite was withdrawn with some problem, Keane replacing him. 

Chelsea came forward and a dangerous cross in was pushed out bizarrely by Pickford onto Jackson then off Tarkowski and just the right side of the post, could so easily have been another goal conceded. A series of Chelsea corners were repelled but first Docucore catching Palmer's heel and then Madueke fouled, Tarkowski taking ball and man as Paul Tierney had been playing advantage before signalling the spot-kick. 

The Chelsea players had a right ding-dong over who would take it, Palmer eventually rolling it in. Keane had to take out Jackson on the counter for an obvious yellow, could have also been a red. 

Beto somehow got forward and lashed his shot over the angle. Everton tried to play forward but were pushed back again with the ball worked to Mudryuk but Pickford saved easily. 

Gomes had brought back a lot of composure to Everton's play but his supporting players just lacked the quality to profit from his presence. Everton won a couple more corners but nothing came of them.

Everton were holding their own until some final subs by Chelsea that saw Gilchrist lash in another awful parry by Pickford in added time. Patterson then went off with an injury, Godfrey replacing him. 

And 7 minutes of added time, despite a Beto shot that needed saving,  only helped to consolidate the huge embarrassment of this dreadful loss.

Chelsea: Petrovic, Gusto, Chalobah, Silva, Cucurella, Caicedo (89' Gilchrist) , Gallagher, Mudryk [Y:40'] (70' Chilwell), Palmer (80' Casadei), Madueke (72' Chukwuemeka), Jackson (89' Deivid Washington).

Subs not Used: Bettinelli, Badiashile, Dyer, George.

Everton: Pickford, Coleman (46' Patterson (90+3' Godfrey)), Tarkowski [Y:53'], Branthwaite (57' Keane [Y:65']), Mykolenko, Garner [Y:28'] (46' Harrison), Onana (46' Gomes), Young [Y:36'], McNeil, Doucouré, Beto.

Subs not Used: Virginia, Danjuma, Chermiti, Warrington.

Michael Kenrick

Match Preview

Everton head to the Capital for the first time since the end of January seeking to end a 30-year wait for victory at Stamford Bridge and their first away win of 2024.

The Toffees go into the Monday night game against Chelsea still sitting in 16th thanks to the fact that Nottingham Forest were held by Wolves and Luton were hammered 5-1 at Manchester City and they will know that anything they can get from this game would be a boost to their hopes of avoiding the drop this season.

So often a scene of painful defeat, this part of West London has also seen Everton pick up their share of creditable points down the years, not least the 3-3 draw under Roberto Martinez when they came as close as ever to beating Chelsea on their own patch for the first time since 1994, and the 1-1 and 2-2 ties on their last two visits.

Sean Dyche and his men would, no doubt, grab a point with both hands if offered it before kick-off, particularly in view of how poorly they have been playing of late, but if they can recapture the spirit, tenacity and attacking threat they showed against the likes of Tottenham before Christmas, they stand a chance of getting something against erratic opponents.

Mauricio Pochettino has struggled for much of the season to get a sufficient tune out of the expensively-assembled squad he inherited to keep them in the top half of the season but he has started to show in recent weeks that, at home at least, he is finding the right formula.

Chelsea's only away win of the calendar year so far might only have been against Crystal Palace and they were held last time out by Sheffield United at Bramall Lane but, at Stamford Bridge, they've beaten promotion-chasing Leeds and Leicester in the FA Cup and overcome Champions League hopefuls Newcastle and Manchester United, scoring seven goals in those two Premier League fixtures alone.

They were also held by ten-man Burnley a fortnight ago, however, which suggests an ongoing fallibility that, hopefully, an Everton side energised by their victory over the Clarets can exploit.

The Blues will have to deal with the in-form Cole Palmer, though, who has scored in each of the Londoners' last three home games, including a hat-trick against Man Utd. He didn't finish the draw against the Blades after being withdrawn with a quarter of an hour to go because of fatigue but he has been passed fit for Monday night, as has Malo Gusto.

Raheem Sterling and Enzo Hernandez are doubts, however, due to illness, Ben Chilwell faces a late fitness test but Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia, Lesley Ugochukwu, Reece James, Christopher Nkunku and Levi Colwill are ruled out.

Dyche, though, is hoping to include Arnaut Danjuma in the squad for the first time since the end of January after he turned out for the Under-21s on Friday evening, while Idrissa Gueye and Amadou Onana will be available after missing the Burnley game.

The manager is hoping that the second points deduction handed down to them in the same season can add clarity to the Club's situation vis-a-vis the relegation battle and provide a catalyst in the same way last November's 10-point deduction eventually did.

“I’ve spoken to the players and staff to remind them of the truth of the moment, which is to focus on the games in hand.

“[The deduction] is unexpected in the sense we thought it had been dealt with but it obviously hasn't been, and [there is] time to possibly appeal, so the Club is looking into that but the last response was, 'what's done is done'.

“The last time we got a knock everyone pulled together. The fans were terrific in a new reality and it rounded the wagons for us. Everyone said: ‘Hang on, the badge is more important than anything’ and I still feel the same. Myself, the players, the fans all pulling together and making sure we look after the club.

“Front foot mentality is an important factor.”

Gueye was of a similar mind with comments he made this week, stressing that the Blues have what they need in their ranks to get out of trouble.

“We need to get back to what we can do best and get wins on the board, always giving everything for the club,” the Senegal international said.

“Yes, we fought to survive, but the idea of ​​Everton being in anything other than the elite is unthinkable. We have quality and we have shown what we are capable of. You have to give everything, it’s as simple as that."

Kick-off: 8pm, Monday 15 April 2024
Referee: Paul Tierney
VAR: Michael Salisbury
Last Time: Chelsea 2 - 2 Everton

Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Gueye, Garner, Young, McNeil, Doucouré, Calvert-Lewin

Lyndon Lloyd

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