Chelsea travelled to Everton for MW 1 of the Premier League season on Saturday evening. The Blues had not won at Goodison Park for around six years so a win was far from a given. Lampard went with a 5-3-2 formation, very much setup to play on the counter. Tuchel went with the usual 3-4-3. Mendy started in goal with a back three of Azpilicueta, Silva, and Koulibaly. James and Chilwell started as the wing-backs with Jorginho and Kante in midfield and a front three of Sterling, Havertz, and Mount. A good lineup on paper but the game displayed some interesting things.
The first half was quite good from Chelsea but the finishing issues persisted and only towards the end did the players find a breakthrough. Chilwell was brought down in the box and Jorginho converted the penalty to give Chelsea the game winning goal. The second half was played at a slower pace and while Everton dominated the ball and created half chances none of them really bothered Mendy. At this early stage of the season all that mattered was that the team got three points.
Chelsea Team Review
Goalkeeper
A clean sheet for Mendy in his first game. A more composed performance from the goalkeeper and he made some brilliant saves as well. Getting a clean sheet in the first game will do him a world of good.
Defenders
Azpilicueta was decent and had to play multiple roles as the game went on. Silva was again one of the best players on the pitch and at 37 it is a massive accomplishment. The Brazilian did suffer from cramp towards the end of the game but pulled through. Koulibaly was also very good as he made his debut for the club, solid and commanding at the back he did come off towards the end due to cramp. Reece James was decent but he looked leggy and probably needs to get up to speed. Chilwell looked better than he did during pre-season and he got the penalty as well. Still not at his top level but good steps forward. Cucurella came on the second half and had a brilliant 20 minute cameo. He almost got an assist for Sterling and he was quick with his passes and pressing. Instant impact. A clean sheet was achieved and that was all that mattered.
Midfielders
Kante and Jorginho had decent games but were far from their dominant selves. It is clear that they are regressing at this stage and while they can still have brilliant games, they more consistently have average ones. Mount did not have a great game which is weird because he thrived in multiple roles during pre-season. Loftus-Cheek came on and played as a wing-back and looked decent. Gallagher came on to make his debut during the final few minutes but will be itching to play more. The midfield needs to clearly be addressed and if that means bringing in Frenkie de Jong then so be it. Too many a times especially during the second half were the defence and attack not linked. Problem area.
Forwards
Sterling was brilliant throughout the game. He used his dribbling and ball retention abilities to cause problems and nearly got a goal in the end of the game. Havertz like Mount did not have a good game and like Mount he needs to pick up because Broja is waiting. Broja came on during the second half and he had a better impact. He was lively in the press and added some physicality. Pulisic also did the same and had good impact off the bench. Holisitcally the finishing was still lacking and work needs to be done.
Manager
Tuchel post match said that the team need to stay humble, quiet and just keep working and that should be clubs mantra for this season. There is clearly alot of work to do and new signings will continue to come in while sales also occur. It will be some time before this team is consistently dishing out top performances and for now the points are what matters.
Having not won at Goodison Park for so long meant that yesterday’s three points were massive. Chelsea sit eighth in the league on goal difference and alphabetical order. It should be another intense week of transfer ins and out with Timo Werner and Marcos Alonso nearing permanent sales. Hudson-Odoi is also rumoured to be leaving on loan. Next game is against Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge, COME ON CHELSEA!!!