Chelsea legend Frank Lampard will see his former club travel to meet his current employers as Everton host Chelsea on the Premier League’s opening weekend.
Lampard took the reins at Goodison Park in January whilst the club were engaged in a relegation battle, eventually keeping them up after recording important wins against the likes of Newcastle United, Leicester City and Chelsea themselves.
Despite often having European aspirations, Everton fans might be content with the mere avoidance of another relegation battle this season as they attempt to rebuild their squad. This rebuild will have to be done without the man that many would credit for keeping them up last season, however, as Richarlison has left the club to join Tottenham Hotspur. The Toffees have replaced the Brazilian with Dwight McNeil, as well as adding James Tarkowski and the loan signing of Ruben Vinagre to their ranks, but there remains a feeling of discontent towards their summer business amongst their fans.
Chelsea’s summer has not been without its own turmoil. The club has recently undertaken new ownership as a result of the sanctions placed on Roman Abramovich amidst the Russia-Ukraine political conflict. Last summer’s big signing Romelu Lukaku has returned to Inter Milan on loan, and the club has only recently started to make significant steps towards bolstering their squad.
Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly have been the marquee signings, with the latter being of great importance following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen in defence. The club have also signed highly rated Aston Villa youngster Carney Chukwuemeka this week, but question marks remain over the strength of their defence.
Everton have not lost their opening Premier League match since a 1-0 loss at home to Queens Park Rangers in 2011/12. They have not lost at home to Chelsea since 2017, and have lost just two of the last nine meetings between the two sides in the league (winning four and drawing three). Chelsea have won their last two opening weekend fixtures, but lost 4-0 to Manchester United at the beginning of the 2019/20 season.
Team News
The big news in the Everton camp is that Dominic Calvert-Lewin has again sustained an injury. The striker’s inability to stay fit was a significant factor in the club’s struggles last season, and with Salomon Rondon suspended there is a lack of proven strikers available to Lampard for Saturday.
Andros Townsend remains out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. In his pre-match press conference, Lampard confirmed that Tom Davies and Andre Gomes will also be unavailable for the Chelsea match.
Seamus Coleman is fit, but will be appearing for the under-21s prior to Saturday in search of match minutes. Allan is also fit but lacking match minutes. Asmir Begovic is available, but Jordan Pickford is likely to be preferred in goal regardless. Yerry Mina is fit and ready to feature.
Chelsea
Chelsea are without any significant injuries in their squad.
Despite not having conducted as much transfer business as they might have liked so far, the Chelsea squad has been bolstered by a number of returning loan players. Conor Gallagher remains at Chelsea following his impressive season at Crystal Palace, Armando Broja has returned from a semi-successful spell at Southampton and the likes of Ethan Ampadu and Emerson Palmieri have also featured for the club in pre-season.
With the possible exception of Broja, who has been carrying a knock recently, these players will be available for the Everton trip should Thomas Tuchel choose to use them. It is also rumoured that a number of Premier League clubs - including Everton - are chasing Broja, so while it is likely that he will be a Chelsea player for Saturday, he could be on his way out the door at Stamford Bridge soon.
It is rumoured that Chelsea are close to completing a deal for Brighton full-back Marc Cucurella. Many sources reported confirmation of the deal on Wednesday night, but Brighton quashed these reports with an official statement on Twitter. If the deal does go through in time for Saturday’s match, it is unlikely that he will be selected to feature.
Predicted Line-ups
Everton
GK – Jordan Pickford
CB – Yerry Mina
CB – James Tarkowski
CB – Ben Godfrey
RWB – Nathan Patterson
LWB – Vitalii Mykolenko
CM – Abdoulaye Doucoure
CM – Alex Iwobi
RW – Anthony Gordon
LW – Dwight McNeil
ST – Dele Alli
Lampard has used three centre backs regularly in pre-season and he had a penchant for doing the same at Chelsea, so it is reasonable to expect a back five on Saturday. With this in mind, the spine of his defence in Pickford, Mina, Tarkowski and Ben Godfrey almost picks itself, although there could be a case for Michael Keane or Mason Holgate if there are any lingering doubts over Mina’s full fitness.
January signing Vitalii Mykolenko started to put some form together towards the end of last season, so he is the expected pick over recent signing Ruben Vinagre at left wing-back. Nathan Patterson is likely to line up on the opposite flank, having featured more regularly in pre-season than Seamus Coleman.
In midfield, the partnership of Abdoulaye Doucoure and Alex Iwobi has been seen in pre-season, with the pairing offering a slightly more dynamic option than Allan, particularly with the Brazilian’s fitness concerns. Allan does offer slightly more defensive responsibility, however, so it would not be unreasonable to expect him to feature at some point against a stronger side in Chelsea.
Anthony Gordon on one wing is somewhat of a no-brainer, and after bagging a brace in the Dynamo Kyiv friendly last week it is possible that Dwight McNeil will make a full debut on his preferred left wing.
With Calvert-Lewin injured, Rondon suspended and Richarlison departed, there is a distinct lack of experienced options up top for Everton this weekend. The decision is between Dele Alli and Demarai Gray, neither of whom are out-and-out strikers. Alli has been a key player in pre-season and Lampard has discussed the possibility of him starting at striker, so he could well get the nod.
Chelsea
GK – Edouard Mendy
CB – Nathaniel Chalobah
CB – Thiago Silva
CB – Kalidou Koulibaly
RWB – Reece James
LWB – Ben Chilwell
CM – N’Golo Kante
CM – Jorginho
RW – Kai Havertz
LW – Mason Mount
ST – Raheem Sterling
Both the formation and starting eleven is more difficult to predict for Chelsea than it is for Everton, largely due to a greater number of available players. Edouard Mendy and Reece James are perhaps two nailed on starters in the squad, however.
It is likely that Tuchel will opt to play a back five, having done so on most occasions in pre-season. Thiago Silva and Nathaniel Chalobah are expected to make up two of the three centre back spots, with Koulibaly possibly taking the third as a result of a lack of options, despite being relatively fresh to the squad. Malang Sarr is another potential option.
Ben Chilwell represents just one of a number of options at left wing-back for Chelsea, with Marcos Alonso and Emerson also featuring regularly in pre-season. Chilwell is probably the preferred option in a fully fit squad though, so he could well start on Saturday.
N’Golo Kante and Jorginho started together in the first of Chelsea’s two recent friendlies against Udinese. It is for this reason that they could be the partnership again on Saturday. Conor Gallagher has had plenty of pre-season minutes and Mateo Kovacic is always a strong midfield option, so it would not be a surprise to see either of them feature.
The attack is perhaps the biggest question mark in this Chelsea side ahead of the weekend. Mason Mount will probably start, but whether it is on the predicted left wing or as an extension of the midfield is tough to predict. Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling also have strong cases to start, but none of these potential attacking players are really considered strikers.
If this is the line-up, expect to see a dynamic Chelsea attack, without a recognisable number nine. Should the Blues see the need to utilise a number nine, Armando Broja is currently their only real option following Lukaku’s departure.
Key Players
Dele Alli
Alli has enjoyed a successful pre-season and it looks like he will feature more regularly for Everton than he did last season. He could end up appearing in midfield, on the wing or up front. If he can recapture the form that he once showed for Spurs and England, he could be a difference-maker for Lampard’s men.
In an uncertain Chelsea back line, the ability and experience of Thiago Silva could prove invaluable to Tuchel in bringing some organisation to proceedings. With the Chelsea attack lacking a focal point, this game could well be won for them in defence.
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
Goodison Park, Liverpool.
What time is kick-off?
17:30, Saturday August 6th.
How can I watch?
The match will be broadcasted on Sky Sports Main Event in the UK.