Michael Owen gives his prediction for Chelsea vs Everton game
Former Liverpool and Manchester United striker Michael Owen believes Chelsea will claim a 1-0 victory over Everton on Monday night.
The Blues have gone ten games unbeaten in all competitions since Thomas Tuchel took charge of the club. Their recent run of three wins in their last five Premier League games has seen them jump to fourth place in the points table.
Chelsea will head into their game against Everton on the back of an impressive 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield in midweek. The west London giants will look to continue their rich vein of form against Carlo Ancelotti's side as they aim to improve on their fourth-place finish from last season.
Everton, on the other hand, currently occupy fifth place in the Premier League table, just one point behind Chelsea, with a game in hand. The Toffees have been hot and cold this season but have recently managed to win three games on the bounce in the league.
Michael Owen believes that the match between the two sides will be a cagey affair but has backed Chelsea to come away with all three points. He said on BetVictor:
"Chelsea fans really couldn't have asked for a better start to the Thomas Tuchel era. With Champions League qualification well within their grasp, along with a win at Anfield, the players confidence must be sky-high going into this."
"However, Everton will pose just as difficult a challenge as anyone. The Toffees have been great this season, and if they were just slightly more consistent, who knows where they'd be. "
He added:
"This should be a great game. Tuchel v Ancelotti is a fascinating battle, and I think it's bound to be tight. With that in mind, I think Chelsea will just edge it by the slenderest of margins."
Victory for Chelsea could intensify the race for the Champions League places
A victory for Chelsea would take them four points clear of Everton and West Ham United, who are in fifth and sixth place respectively in the Premier League table. It would also take them to within three points of third-placed Leicester City.
Chelsea have shown vast improvement defensively under Thomas Tuchel. The Blues have kept eight clean sheets in ten games under the management of the German. Their attack, however, continues to be an area of concern, with the likes of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech struggling to find form.