Everton meet Chelsea in a huge Premier League battle in the race for European qualification.
Victory will lift Everton up to seventh and two points behind Chelsea, whilst their visitors can go fourth with a win if Liverpool fail to defeat Brighton at lunchtime.
Team News
Tyrique George is ineligible to feature for Everton because he is on loan from his parent club – Chelsea.
Carlos Alcaraz (knock), Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski (both unspecified) face late fitness checks.
Jack Grealish (foot) is still ruled out.
Chelsea could welcome Benoit Badiashile and Malo Gusto back after the defensive duo sat out their midweek Champions League exit against PSG due to illness.
Trevoh Chalobah however is ruled out after he suffered an ankle injury during the 3-0 second-leg defeat.
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (hamstring) could return but Filip Jorgensen (groin), Reece James, Levi Colwill (ACL) and Mykhailo Mudryk (suspension) are still sidelined.
When is Kick-Off?
Everton host Chelsea at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday 21 March at 5:30pm GMT, live on Sky Sports in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Everton have won one of their last seven meetings against Chelsea (W1, D2, L4).
- Chelsea are making their first visit to Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, but have won one of their last eight away games against the Toffees (W1, D2, L5).
- Everton have kept clean sheets in four of their last five home games against Chelsea, except for a 1-0 loss in August 2022.
- Everton have claimed seven points in six home matches against London-based league opposition this season (W2, D1, L3)
- Chelsea have won three of their six away top-flight matches in 2026 (W3, D1, L2).
Prediction
Although defeat at Arsenal was inevitable, Everton can be proud of their defensive effort to keep the Gunners out until the closing minutes but this is a chance now to show their attack more at home as a win would put them up to seventh and potentially control the last European qualification spot into the break.
Chelsea meanwhile are coming into this game off the back of consecutive defeats where they’ve lacked their sharp clinical end product, so I do expect a serious response from a squad packed with quality especially if want to keep pace with their top-four rivals.
Liam Rosenoir’s Blues however have developed a poor away record at Everton but considering that this is their first trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, this is a chance to snap that particular stat but I do think that Everton will have enough guile about them to grind out a point.
Prediction: Everton 1-1 Chelsea
Result: Everton 3-0 Chelsea
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