Everton will hope that Chelsea’s recent struggles will offer them a chance to inch closer to safety. Chelsea have only won two of their last five matches and are running out of motivation for things to play for in the Premier League as a FA Cup final date looms versus Liverpool on May 14th. The Blues are already eight points clear in securing a Champions League place for next year while third is the highest that they can finish in the table.
Everton on the other hand needs to keep pace with Burnley who defeated Watford 2-1 on Saturday. While the Toffees have played two fewer games than both Burnley and Leeds United, five points separate them from safety. Their -21 goal difference is also six goals worse than Burnley but 13 goals better than Leeds United which could make things interesting between the three sides down the stretch. Frank Lampard did switch things up a little to frustrate Liverpool in Everton’s loss in the Merseyside derby but they’ll need to be stronger in attack to secure a result against Chelsea.
Here’s our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Sunday, May 1 | Time: 9 a.m. ET
- Location: Goodison Park — Liverpool, England
- TV: USA | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
- Odds: Everton +410; Draw +270; Chelsea -140 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | Everton vs. Chelsea
Injury Updates
Everton: Lampard will have a tough time filling out his lineup again as Everton’s injuries mount. Dominic Calvert-Lewin has returned to training and will be available for selection along with Yerry Mina but the list of who is out gets longer and longer. Ben Godfrey will be out for a few weeks after getting injured in the warm-up for the Liverpool match, Tom Davies, Andre Gomes, Donny van de Beek, and Nathan Patterson will also miss the match. It will lead to a similar makeshift lineup like the one that was used against Liverpool but possibly returning to more of a 4-4-2 shape with Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison leading the line.
Chelsea: Mateo Kovacic inches closer to fitness but this match will come too soon for him, offering a chance for Ruben Loftus-Cheek to continue in the starting lineup. Andreas Christensen is dealing with a non Covid related illness that has him set as a late fitness test for the match while Ross Barkley will also be a late fitness test. Outside of the long term injuries that Chelsea have already been dealing with, Thomas Tuchel will have a full roster to choose from as he looks to re-ignite their form.
Prediction
Calvert-Lewin’s return will be enough for Everton to pick up a draw while Chelsea’s focus is elsewhere. Pick: Everton 1, Chelsea 1
KVSP