Read Jacob Steinberg’s match report:
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Now, do join Simon Burnton for the Manchester derby:
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Some Chelsea reaction from Billy Gilmour, who was ruddy brilliant in midfield on his league debut. “It was amazing, a dream come true to make my full debut in the Premier League on my debut. I found out I was playing this morning in the team meeting.” Giroud adds: “He’s done very well again today, he’s got a great maturity and he’s got a nice future in front of him if he stays like that.”
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After making so many positive strides in recent weeks, this afternoon Everton were absolutely atrocious from start to finish. In the end the scoreline almost flattered Everton, but try telling that to Carlo Ancelotti, who has just suffered his joint-heaviest league defeat as a manager, with this equalling a 4-0 defeat against Atlético Madrid as Real Madrid manager in February 2015.
Full-time: Chelsea 4-0 Everton
Kevin Friend finally puts Everton out of their misery. A resounding victory for Chelsea, with Mount, Pedro, Willian and then Giroud on the scoresheet. Ross Barkley was brilliant against his former club, while Billy Gilmour again belied his years with a masterful, mature performance in midfield. The 18-year-old oozes class. Chelsea remain fourth, within a point of third-placed Leicester.
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90+2 min: ... Michael Keane heads clear Reece James’s free-kick.
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90+1 min: Holgate is booked for something of a reducer on the teenage substitute Broja. Chelsea get another opportunity to whip the ball into the box ...
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90 min: There will be three added minutes. Chelsea are knocking the ball around for fun, the home crowd very much lapping it up. Everton? Not so much.
88 min: Chelsea are coasting.
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86 min: Olivier Giroud is withdrawn to a standing ovation and receives a warm embrace from his manager, Frank Lampard. On in Giroud’s place is the 18-year-old forward Armando Broja, who enters for his Premier League debut.
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84 min: Pickford, who has been horribly exposed by some dreadful Everton defending, pulls off another save, this time to prevent César Azpilicueta from getting in on the act. Again, it was Barkley at the heart of things, with the midfielder stroking the ball across to the Chelsea skipper, who arrowed a shot towards a crevice of Pickford’s goal. But the Everton goalkeeper was alert and pushed the ball to safety. Pickford’s goal has been peppered.
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81 min: Chelsea should have added a fifth, but Djibril Sidibé intervenes in the nick of time, just as Tino Anjorin was about to pull the trigger. Anjorin was slid in by the brilliant Billy Gilmour, who has been masterful in midfield. Anjorin is clean through on goal but dallied a little and that allowed the Everton defender to steal in. Gilmour had easily brushed a tired André Gomes aside.
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78 min: Kepa smothers after Everton break! Reece James superbly blocks Richarlison’s effort after the ball dropped in the 18-yard box. The ball cannoned to Djibril Sidibé, who played a marvellous through ball into Walcott. The Everton substitute delivered a low cross into the six-yard box but the Chelsea goalkeeper was on hand to gobble it up and take the sting out of a rare attack.
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76 min: Dominic Calvert-Lewin is replaced by 19-year-old Everton academy graduate Anthony Gordon. Calvert-Lewin, like the rest of the Everton side, has had an off day.
72 min: Anjorin wellies one into Row L with his first touch!
71 min: Willian is withdrawn after a decent day’s work; Willian has been directly involved in 10 goals in the Premier League this season (five goals and five assists);, one more than he managed in the whole of last season in the competition. The 18-year-old Tino Anjorin, wearing the No 55, is on for his league debut.
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68 min: Everton supporters jeered Ross Barkley’s every breath at the start of this mismatch, but the Chelsea midfielder has certainly had the last laugh, weighing in with two assists, and he almost helped himself to a goal a moment ago, firing a low drive at Pickford from an acute angle. Barkley, Gilmour and Mount, who has since departed as a precaution, have won the midfield battle 10 times over, totally nullifying Sigurdsson and co.
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65 min: Sigurdsson flashes in a cross , Kepa flaps it and it drops in the six-yard box ... but the assistant referee flags to indicate the ball had gone out of play; replays show the ball flickered out of play. Indeed, so Chelsea launch the subsequent goal-kick upfield.
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62 min: Barkley slips in Gilmour, who darts into a pocket of space unmarked. He tries to pick out Pedro, but Everton clear the ball for a corner. Rüdiger meets it but his header canons into Giroud.
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59 min: Mount is withdrawn after picking up a knock at the start of this second half. He gets a hearty reception, walking off untroubled to be replaced by wing-back Reece James.
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58 min: Kean replaced Tom Davies a moment ago.
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57 min: Pickford denies Pedro! Willian rushes towards the byline, cuts the ball back for Barkley – who appears to be fouled in the box by Sidibé – but it runs kindly for the winger. Pedro lets fly and Pickford requires two hands to palm the ball beyond his right post. It’s a case of damage limitation for Everton at present.
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56 min: Doesn’t look like Walcott’s introduction nor Ancelotti’s half-time team-talk has had the desired effect. Meanwhile, a bit of housekeeping: André Gomes picked up a booking a moment ago for dissent. Ancelotti is readying another change, with 20-year-old Moise Kean stripped and ready for action.
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GOAL! Chelsea 4-0 Everton (Giroud, 54)
Chelsea are having a field day. Giroud applies the finishing touch after eluding Holgate and Sigurdsson at the back post. It stemmed from a well-worked corner, with Willian playing a simple give-and-go with Gilmour. When Willian received possession back, he whipped in a first-time cross towards Giroud, who did the rest.
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53 min: Pedro scoops over after good work by Giroud!
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GOAL! Chelsea 3-0 Everton (Willian, 51)
A rocket from distance by Willian. Barkley nudges the ball across to the Brazilian, who is beckoned to shoot by Digne and Holgate, neither of whom charge him down. Invited to take aim, Willian wellies it into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
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47 min: A touch of class from Mason Mount, who toys with Djibril Sidibé and Tom Davies before coolly laying the ball off. Mount jinked past the latter with ease. Everton are seeing a bit more of the ball but, other than that, Chelsea are still very much in pole position. Walcott is yet to have a whiff.
46 min: Theo Walcott replaces Bernard at the break.
Half-time: Chelsea 2-0 Everton
Goals by Mason Mount and Pedro give a commanding Chelsea a deserved lead. Everton have been very accommodating, lukewarm at best. Food for thought for Ancelotti but Frank Lampard will be delighted by his team’s bossy performance. Billy Gilmour, Ross Barkley and Mount have been running midfield. “Something I’m noticing about Gilmour is that he drops so deep to get the ball,” emails Adam Kline-Schoder. “The de Jong-esque dynamism of that movement seems to be dragging one Everton midfielder forward and out of position, thus leaving Mount and Barkley to team up on the remaining one to dominate and link play through the midfield. There’s a lot of promising balance in that midfield ... although Everton have, as you’ve said, made it awfully easy for them.”
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45 min: There will be one added minute for Everton to endure.
44 min: Right on cue, Willian gifts the ball to Calvert-Lewin, leading to a sea of groans around Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea survive. Willian quickly raises his right hand to apologise. He knows he almost landed his team in the muck.
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41 min: Sidibé is not having his best game in an Everton shirt. Giroud wins a header to flick the ball on, allowing Willian to pile pressure on the Everton defender. Sidibé seems to have the upper hand but then the Brazilian gets across the right-back to make life difficult, blocking his pass upfield. Clever play by Giroud and fine defensive work by Willian, who normally wreaks havoc in the opposite direction. Ancelotti and co just want half-time now.
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39 min: ... Everton clear their lines, but from the subsequent goal-kick André Gomes gets off the hook after dawdling on the ball 25 yards from his own goal. Giroud was sniffing around and the striker nicked possession from the Everton midfielder, but the referee Kevin Friend deemed his challenge a little overzealous. That sums up Everton’s toils this half, in truth.
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37 min: Pedro crosses for Giroud, but the striker ends up on the turf, adamant that Mason Holgate hauled him to the floor. It looked a little clumsy by the Everton defender, who was at play with the dark arts. Moments before that, Giroud had a tame shot saved by Pickford. Everton have been dire, and now they have a corner to defend after Holgate clears Pedro’s cross from the left ...
34 min: Moments before Chelsea wasted that free-kick, Ancelotti pulled Tom Davies over for a quick word. The Italian seemed to be signalling for a change of system. To say Everton have been overrun in midfield would be an understatement. Gilmour, Barkley and Mount have been finding acres of space. Something has to change – and fast – for the visitors.
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32 min: Sidibé gives away a cheap free-kick after a clumsy foul on Pedro. Mount has a chance to swing it in from the left flank, 25 yards out ... but it is too high, too deep and Pickford gathers.
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30 min: “This is an enjoyable start to the game,” says Lee Madden, via email. “Chelsea’s central midfield is relatively inexperienced but bring a lot of intensity and attacking mindset to compliment the experience up front. That said, it looks like Chelsea’s front three today won’t be here next season, which gives the whole team a very much ‘work in progress’ feel.” Keep them coming ...
28 min: Back to Willian for a moment. The Chelsea winger is in a bit of a contract stand-off with his club, who are reluctant to offer the Brazilian any kind of lengthy deal at this stage of his career. But the way the 31-year-old sped past Holgate a little earlier suggests Willian, for now at least, still very much possesses that lightning pace. He has been electric in the opening stages here.
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26 min: Calvert-Lewin fluffs his lines! Richarlison pickpockets Zouma, who foolishly tries to dribble upfield. Zouma gets caught out on halfway and Richarlison drives forward before laying the ball on for Calvert-Lewin. The striker bears down on Kepa but scoops it painfully wide; he got his angles all wrong. Everton pass up a golden goalscoring opportunity at Stamford Bridge.
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24 min: Ancelotti has put the hood up on his raincoat but he could do with a blindfold; Everton have been atrocious. Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin anonymous. Barkley is running midfield.
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GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Everton (Pedro, 22)
Pedro rattles in another – and it’s another brilliant Chelsea move. Gilmour springs a pass into Giroud, who nudges the ball into Barkley’s path. Barkley then slides a wonderfully weighted first-time pass in behind Keane and Sidibé for Pedro to latch on to. The finish was effortless. Everton are all over the shop.
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19 min: Pickford denies Willian! Barkley releases the Brazilian into the right channel, where Willian has a ponderous Mason Holgate on toast. Willian arrows his shot across goal but Pickford gets a strong hand to it. Barkley gathered an aimless header by Michael Keane and effortlessly lifted the ball into Willian’s path. And the Chelsea winger did well to test Pickford from such a tight angle.
18 min: That’s Mount’s first goal since December.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Everton (Mount, 14)
It had been coming. A wonderful drilled finish to round off a beautiful Chelsea move. Billy Gilmour rolls the ball into Mount on halfway, Mount drives forward with it before spraying it wide to Pedro, who cuts inside Djibril Sidibé before handing back possession to Mount. Then Mount instinctively swivels and drives the ball home, with his low strike squeezing just inside Pickford’s right post. On the touchline, Ancelotti has his hands in his pockets. Everton have been sluggish at best, carved open far too easily.
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11 min: Calvert-Lewin fouls Antonio Rüdiger on halfway. Mount wallops it towards the back post, where Rüdiger is lurking, but the move breaks down. Everton get a chance to compose themselves.
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9 min: Pedro has a go at goal, but it’s tame and Keane snuffs it out. Everton are yet to really get going, with Chelsea very much in the ascendency. Now, for some more Giroud talk. “I have always been a Giroud sceptic,” begins Mary Waltz. “But his response to demotion has been pitch perfect. No whiny leaks to the press, bided his time, quality performance when given a chance. Class act.”
7 min: Pickford superbly denies Mount! Giroud nods the ball into the path of Willian, who gallops towards the byline before supplying a neat cross for the onrushing Mason Mount. The Chelsea midfielder gets plenty of power on his strike – but Pickford gets his body behind it and keeps it out. Nice move.
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5 min: Keane’s flailing arm inadvertently catches Giroud and the Chelsea man is briefly grounded, but he’s fine to carry on. On the subject of Giroud, Charles Littleton declares his love for the striker. “Yes, I am a proud supporter of the Giroud fan club AND I am a Gunner no less,” he emails. “When he was with us, he always seemed to be popping up with last minute goals that salvaged games – we drew 3-3 with Bournemouth at the last minute thanks to him. I always thought he was underappreciated at Arsenal and then for some reason we sold him to our rivals, just when we were hitting the skids. I don’t want to blame our present malaise just on that, though. Many, many other things to complain about.”
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2 min: Gilmour rolls the ball back to Kepa as Tom Davies lets the Chelsea teenager know he is on the beat. Willian then darts beyond Sigurdsson to the byline but Everton manage to shepherd away possession. Chelsea throw-in on the right flank.
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1 min: Barkley takes hold of the ball on halfway and is immediately jeered by the travelling Everton supporters. Lovely stuff.
Peeeeeeeeeeeeeep!
Sigurdsson, in Everton’s salmon strip, gets us under way at Stamford Bridge. Before kick-off, a warm embrace between Ancelotti and Lampard, who resisted the handshake.
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The Liquidator rings out as the teams trudge out on to the pitch ...
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A gentle reminder Ancelotti will be on the touchline:
Believe it or not, it has taken almost 54 minutes for this afternoon’s first mention of coronavirus. “For all the talk of preventing Covid-19 spreading, it’s rather bemusing watching 40k cram into Stamford Bridge and 50k in Hamburg last night, while watching the Danish league play to empty stadiums,” Kaspar Larsen says, getting in touch on Twitter. says. Do get in touch on Twitter or email.
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Anyone else a massive Olivier Giroud fan? The 33-year-old has started Chelsea’s past four matches and, as much as injuries have afforded the Frenchman more game-time, he seems to Lampard’s flavour of the month. “I just spoke with the manager and I believed what he said, that I would get my chance and he has given me my chance. I have basically tried to give his confidence back on the pitch. My confidence is getting higher and higher because I am playing more games. I don’t know how long Tammy [Abraham] will be out for. When he comes back, I will need him to be ready and then we can have a good competition again.”
Roy Keane, for one, has been waxing lyrical about Billy Gilmour:
I was sitting at home with a cup of tea and a bit of chocolate in front of me and I didn’t have the volume on. As the game started, I got out of my seat and I thought: ‘Who is this kid in midfield?’ He was fantastic, he looked like a world-class player. There are certain traits you want from a midfielder: quality on the ball, intelligence, composure – he had everything – it was one of the best performances I’ve seen in a long, long time. The downside for the kid now is he’s got to back it up. Everything he did throughout the game had quality written all over it.
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This is likely to turn into a bit of a Billy Gilmour love-in so, with that in mind, here’s a wondrous stat, courtesy of Opta: Billy Gilmour is the first Scottish outfield player to start a Premier League match for Chelsea since Steve Clarke in May 1998, with that match taking place more than three years before Gilmour was born. As for Everton’s revival under Carlo Ancelotti, things are looking pretty rosy; since the Italian’s first game in charge on Boxing Day, only Liverpool (30) and Manchester City (19) have won more Premier League points than Everton.
Lampard reckons former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti is in for a warm welcome, and, frankly, why wouldn’t he? “He’s very well respected in-house and by the fans,” Lampard said. “He is a gentleman, a great man-manager. On a personal level, he’s great at striking up relationships. He’s good tactically and has a great manner. I keep in touch with him now and again.”
As expected, Billy Gilmour makes his first Premier League start. The Scottish teenager helped Chelsea dump Liverpool out of the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge in midweek and is rewarded for his performance with another outing. “His family were here for the game,” said Lampard. “Knowing Billy, even at a young age he’s a very determined young lad, he’s very smart. He’ll understand it was a very good game for him but that the hard work starts now. I think he should quite rightly enjoy the moment, and I’m delighted for him. But in terms of how I’ve seen him around the place, it’s the same attitude, training, ethics, quality; so all good.”
Team news news: so ... Kepa Arrizabalaga and Billy Gilmour stay put from the Chelsea starting lineup against Liverpool on Tuesday, with Willian also in from the off after passing a late fitness test. Armando Broja, an 18-year-old forward who joined Chelsea as an under-nine, is in a matchday squad in the Premier League for the first time, alongside another teenager, midfielder Tino Anjorin. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who continues to step up his return to fitness, and Christian Pulisic, are both absent despite Lampard hinting they could play a part. As for Everton, three changes from their 1-1 draw with Manchester United, with Lucas Digne, Djibril Sidibé and Bernard back in Carlo Ancelotti’s starting XI.
The teams!
Chelsea (4-3-3): Kepa; Azpilicueta, Rüdiger, Zouma, Alonso; Barkley, Gilmour, Mount; Willian, Giroud, Pedro
Subs: Caballero, Christensen, Tomori, James, Broja, Anjorin, Batshuayi
Everton (4-4-2): Pickford; Sidibé, Holgate, Keane, Digne; Sigurdsson, Gomes, Davies, Bernard; Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison
Subs: Stekelenburg, Baines, Mina, Iwobi, Walcott, Kean, Gordon
Referee: Kevin Friend
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Preamble
Welcome to the Carlo Ancelotti/Ross Barkley derby, though it is Billy Gilmour who graces the front cover of the Chelsea programme. Coupled with Jorginho’s two-match ban and Mateo Kovacic’s achilles issue, Gilmour’s star turn in the FA Cup victory over Liverpool in midweek has accelerated 18-year-old Glaswegian’s first Premier League start. Ancelotti says it will be an emotional return to Stamford Bridge, which he called home for two years – “I have fantastic memories of the period I was there, I’m really excited to come back” – but now the Italian, who twice won the Champions League with Milan and helped Chelsea to the league title 10 years ago, is making hay with Everton, who quietly fancy a push for Europe. There is little margin for error as the race for fourth and fifth hots up, with Sheffield United, Wolves, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and even 10th-placed Burnley among those jostling for European berths. Chelsea have won just one of their past six matches and were unconvincing at Bournemouth last weekend, when Lampard lamented Marcos Alonso again proving the saviour but they will surely be beaming with confidence after Barkley helped them to turnover the best team in the country on Tuesday.
Kick-off: 2pm (GMT)
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