Chelsea 2-0 Everton: 5 talking points as Blues consolidate top-four spot | Premier League 2020-21
Chelsea continued their unbeaten start to life under Thomas Tuchel, as a comfortable 2-0 league win at home against Everton made it 11 games without defeat under their new manager.
The result ensured that the Blues tightened their grip on fourth place in the 2020-21 Premier League standings.
After a cagey opening half an hour, Chelsea took the lead via an unfortunate own goal. Ben Godfrey got the decisive touch on Kai Havertz’s flick-on from Marcos Alonso’s cross, leaving Jordan Pickford stranded in the Everton net.
Even though their own forward play lacked a cutting edge, Chelsea were deserving of their half-time lead after dominating possession and nullifying Everton’s attacking threat.
The home side kept up the pressure in the second half and were rewarded for their efforts with a penalty in the 64th minute after Pickford upended Havertz in the box; Jorginho duly dispatched the resultant spot-kick to make it 2-0 for Chelsea.
Even after doubling their advantage, it was Chelsea who looked likely to score again, as the visitors struggled to create much in attack in the face of an efficient and hard-working Blues defence.
Chelsea eventually wrapped up the 2-0 win with relative ease, increasing their gap over fifth-placed Everton to four points and racking up yet another clean sheet under Tuchel.
On that note, let’s take a look at the five major talking points from the game.
#1 Thomas Tuchel continues his heavy rotation policy at Chelsea
One of the characteristic features of Thomas Tuchel’s short reign at Chelsea has been his penchant for squad rotation, as he looks to manage workloads and learn more about his players at the same time.
Fresh from a win over Everton’s Merseyside rivals Liverpool, Tuchel once again rang in the changes, making five alterations to his Chelsea side that won at Anfield.
In the opposite dugout, former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti, who has had a much longer time with his Everton squad, was content with just two alterations from the team that beat West Brom last time out.
Ultimately, it was Tuchel’s policy of heavy rotation that won out, as his side outworked the opposition in key areas to seal a vital win.
#2 Everton’s Stamford Bridge hoodoo continues
Stamford Bridge has not been a happy hunting ground for Everton in the Premier League over the years, with the Toffees’ last win at the ground coming more than 25 years ago.
Interestingly, the reverse fixture has favoured Everton much more, with their 1-0 win over Chelsea in December being their third consecutive win over the London outfit on their home turf.
As a result, Ancelotti would have been hoping for more of their home form rather than their away form in this clash as his side went up against the history books as well as Tuchel’s well-drilled Chelsea side. But Everton left London disappointed once again.