The match report from Stamford Bridge:
Summary
Where to start with that? Eden Hazard’s two goals, both scored after trademark solo bursts forward, make him man of the match by a whisker, but Pedro and Diego Costa were equally lethal going forward, while Victor Moses, N’Golo Kanté, Marcos Alonso and Nemanja Matic all deserve a name check for their relentless midfield efforts.
As good as Chelsea were, Everton simply didn’t turn up. The game was up after 20 minutes, and Ronald Koeman’s tactical tweaks had no impact, with Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku cut out of the game completely. They face Swansea after the international break before tests against Southampton and Manchester United.
Chelsea face Middlesbrough (A), Tottenham (H) and Man City (A) next. We’ll have a better idea of their title credentials in a month, but they’re top of the table, with five wins and five clean sheets in a row. They’re 3-1 for the title; would you bet against them? Thanks for joining me. Bye!
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Full time: Chelsea 5-0 Everton
A frightening performance from Chelsea. Everton were outclassed, and should be happy it was only five.
92 mins: Still time for Chelsea to carve Everton open one more time, Moses’ searching cross from the right just evading Costa.
91 mins: The fluidity of this performance is summed up by John Terry popping up on the left wing and finding Costa with his cross. The striker is just offside.
90 mins: Three more minutes for Koeman and his team to endure.
89 mins: Stamford Bridge gives Antonio Conte a rousing serenade as Moses, who has matched Kanté for supernatural energy levels, races in from the right and fires a low shot that Stekelenburg saves, and just about holds.
87 mins: Sure enough, Costa takes the ball and powers forward, keeping three defenders at arm’s length before losing control in the area as he waits for a team-mate to catch him up.
86 mins: Everton are passing the ball around with little intent.
84 mins: Has there been a more one-sided game all season?
83 mins: Here comes John Terry, in place of Gary Cahill, who can hand the armband straight to him.
81 mins: Batshuayi is on for Hazard, who gets a rapturous reception. The Chelsea corner comes to David Luiz, unmarked on the right, whose volley into the ground forces an excellent save from Stekelenburg. Too little, too late, really...
79 mins: Oscar lifts a pass with the outside of his foot over the Everton defence and into Costa’s path – but Ashley Williams, who has endured a tough time out there, gets back brilliantly to scramble the ball behind.
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77 mins: Chelsea ping the ball around with impunity, before Hazard and Costa link up, Costa’s eventual snap shot closed down just in time. Chelsea may have dropped the pace, but Everton still can’t get a touch.
75 mins: Hazard is set to come off, in place of Michy Batshuayi. Chelsea have eased off the accelerator in the last few minutes.
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“The defence has been great again” says Mark Turner. I assume he means Chelsea’s. “Conte got a lot of stick for paying up to bring David Luiz back. Critics suddenly silent.”
Another clean sheet on the cards today, but they have had little to do, thanks to Kanté and Matic in front of them. Kanté in particular has a five-yard start on every Everton player; he is simply relentless.
71 mins: Everton get their first shot off target, Mirallas sending a looping header just wide from Barkley’s corner.
69 mins: Oscar is coming on for Pedro, who has been brilliant. The fact he might not be man of the match shows how good the Chelsea front three have been.
“What happened to those two last season?” says Milan Prakash. “Mourinho happened. This game alone should be enough to get Mourinho fired from Manchester United.” I can see his point.
67 mins: Barry, booked for a lunge moments before the goal, has gone off, replaced by Tom Davies – Koeman throwing the youngster in at the deep end.
Chelsea surge forward again, Costa bullying Jagielka off the ball and finding Hazard, whose shot from the left is saved – but Pedro, 10 times quicker than any Everton defender, turns the ball into an empty net. Everton fans are leaving in numbers.
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GOAL! Chelsea 5-0 Everton (Pedro)
I’m starting to think the referee should step in here.
62 mins: Chelsea starting to take the mickey here, Hazard backheeling to Alonso, who scoops the ball to Costa. His scissor kick is saved by Stekelenburg, denying the hosts the best futsal goal you’ve ever seen.
61 mins: Barkley, similarly cut out of the game by Kanté and Matic, enjoys a couple of touches in Chelsea territory – but Everton are so scared of what Chelsea will do to them, they keep six players in their own half, and he runs out of options.
59 mins: Bolasie, whose only involvement was a cheap yellow card, is replaced by Aaron Lennon.
Funes Mori is to defending what Honey G is to gangster rap
— The Football Pink (@TheFootballPink) November 5, 2016
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57 mins: That move was kickstarted by an inch-perfect Pedro backheel into Hazard’s path. What exactly happened to those two last season? Some kind of Space Jam scenario?
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GOAL! Chelsea 4-0 Everton (Hazard)
Outrageous brilliance from Eden Hazard and Chelsea. Hazard exchanges passes with Pedro and hares in from the left, twisting poor Ashley Williams’ blood and firing inside the near post before Stekelenburg can blink. He has been unstoppable today.
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54 mins: Moses collects a cross-field pass and tests Funes Mori, who stands firm to block his shot. It’s not all work rate – the touch from almost every Chelsea player has been flawless. I’m struggling to remember a misplaced pass.
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“The closest John Terry comes to getting in this side is Instagram” says Damien Neva. Terry, Schweinsteiger, Touré – you could make a hell of a 5-a-side team out of players who can’t get a game at the minute.
51 mins: After that brief flurry from Everton, Chelsea resume their position inside Everton’s half. Pedro’s diagonal pass to Costa is almost perfect – but Stekelenburg is off his line smartly to smother the ball.
49 mins: Chelsea break with intent, and Hazard finds Matic, who barrels past Williams and slides a pass through to Costa – who is offside.
47 mins: Everton began the second half in direct fashion, with David Luiz getting his head to two long balls in quick succession. The visitors force a corner, but it’s scrambled away. David Luiz then faffs on the ball, and is almost caught out by Mirallas, but the Belgian concedes a free-kick.
Peep!
We’re back. Another 3-3 is still on, if highly unlikely.
The half-time stats make grim reading for Everton: 39% possession, no shots on or off target. Not even a corner. Their inability to fashion an attacking threat means Alonso and Moses are playing as wingers, allowing Pedro and Hazard to roam infield. Which, in case you haven’t noticed, is bad news.
@niallmcveigh Don't have a dog in this hunt, but looks to me (based on 2 of 3 goals) that BPL refs are ignoring the new FIFA offside rule.
— Derryl Murphy (@derrylm) November 5, 2016
Not sure it’s new, but Fifa rules state that interfering with an opponent means ‘preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision’. For me, that was the case for the third goal, but not the first.
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Chelsea 3-0 Everton
Chelsea have been excellent. Everton have not.
46 mins: Should have been four. Pedro embarrasses Ashley Williams with a turn near the halfway line, then slots a through ball to Costa, who fires wide of the near post, under pressure from Jagielka.
45 mins: Pedro dazzles three Everton defenders with quick feet on the left of the area, but sees his shot deflected behind. From a corner, the ball comes to the Spaniard again, who fires over.
44 mins: Cleverley gets a talking to from Madley after a tetchy tackle. Two added minutes.
42 mins: More complaints from Everton, this time that David Luiz was offside and blocking Stekelenburg’s view. More in that one than the first, perhaps, but if they had bothered marking Costa, they wouldn’t be in this mess.
GOAL! Chelsea 3-0 Everton (Costa)
All 11 Everton players back to defend the corner, but nobody marks Diego Costa, who rifles the ball in from Matic’s near-post flick.
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40 mins: Another free kick for Chelsea on the right leads to Hazard feeding the ball across goal, where Costa fails to control, and Jagielka pumps it into the stands. Corner...
38 mins: Everton have switched to a back four, with Mirallas and Bolasie offering support out wide for Lukaku – in theory, anyway.
36 mins: Mirallas started warming up straight after Alonso’s goal, and finally comes on 20 minutes later, replacing Bryan Oviedo. Everton are lucky not to be further behind.
35 mins: Moses crosses for Diego Costa, who heads over from an awkward angle. Conte likes what he sees so far, applauding the hosts’ latest passing move.
33 mins: Moses hits the post! Chelsea work the ball around stylishly, with Everton chasing shadows, and Alonso finds his fellow wing-back with a pinpoint cross – but Moses, steaming in from the right wing, clatters the upright. Chelsea threatening to make this embarrassing...
32 mins: More defensive jitters for Everton, with an errant back pass forcing Stekelenburg to clear with Hazard in hot pursuit.
30 mins: Early change for Everton, with Oviedo set to be replaced by Mirallas. Hard to see it changing the game dramatically.
28 mins: Not much rhythm out there at the minute, as Chelsea ease off and Everton struggle to adjust their game plan. Phil Jagielka sums up their frustration, tearing upfield and tussling with David Luiz, then giving Madley an earful when he isn’t given a penalty. Madley gives him a yellow card instead.
After the opening goal, Stekelenburg complained that Pedro was offside in front of him. It’s marginal whether a) he actually was, and b) whether he was interfering with play. Would have been harsh to rule it out.
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24 mins: Cahill gives away a cheap foul 30 yards from goal, giving Barkley the chance to loft a cross into the area. It’s a terrific delivery, but Williams, straining to get ahead of his marker, is flagged offside.
22 mins: A first sniff at goal for Everton, as Bolasie’s cross almost finds Lukaku – but Moses is back in his own area to snuff out the danger. He and Alonso have been so impressive recently, and in tricky positions to master, too.
A rough 60 seconds for Maarten Stekelenburg. First, Eden Hazard danced inside from the left after Everton gave away possession in midfield, and shot from an improbable distance and angle – but it squirmed beyond the goalkeeper, and inside the far post. Before Everton can get their heads together, Hazard moves infield and finds Pedro, whose low cross evades Costa – but Alonso’s shot flies through Stekelenburg’s legs!
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GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Everton (Alonso)
So much for Everton’s new-found solidity. Marcos Alonso makes it two!
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Everton (Hazard)
He’s at it again. Another marvellous solo goal from Eden Hazard!
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16 mins: Moses continues to offer an attacking threat down the right, but his low cross is easily collected by Stekelenburg.
15 mins: Pedro’s free kick is ballooned over everybody, and Everton can regroup – but Stekelenburg misjudges a pass, handing a throw-in to Chelsea in a dangerous area.
14 mins: Bolasie goes in late on Moses, stepping on the Chelsea man’s right foot. It’s not his first offence, and he’s going in the book. Free kick for Chelsea, wide on the right...
13 mins: 68% possession for Chelsea so far, with Everton unable to hold the ball upfield at all.
12 mins: Nice try from Bolasie, who hauls Azpilicueta down in order to run into space. He’s spotted by the assistant referee. Diego Costa, back up and running but still miffed, has his arms all over Jagielka as they contest a long ball. One to watch, there.
10 mins: Hazard, a jet-heeled menace down the left already, curls in a cross that Williams clears. Kanté recovers possession and the ball is worked to Moses, who sends in a couple of dangerous crosses. Everton can’t clear their lines, and gets a fortunate handball to ease the pressure.
8 mins: A break in play as Costa, whose shin is bleeding, limps off for treatment, then promptly limps back on.
6 mins: David Luiz starts an attacking move from the centre of defence, before Hazard, coming deep on the left wing, is brought down by Williams. Coleman lunges in on Costa – but Bobby Madley lets play continue. The Everton defender had his studs up – that’s a yellow card, never mind a foul...
4 mins: Bolasie and Lukaku appear to be playing as a front two with Barkley in behind. Bolasie finds space on the right, but can’t pick out either attacking team-mate with his cross. At the other end, Alonso’s low cross is gathered by Stekelenburg.
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“What is that music that Chelsea always walk out to at Stamford Bridge?” asks Milton Brown. It’s this jaunty tune:
2 mins: Everton, in their yellow-and-blue change strip, are closing down as Chelsea hold onto the ball. Bolasie clips Matic with a late challenge, and offers an apologetic hand.
1 min: Chelsea, in blue shirts, blue shorts and white socks, whip the ball around their midfield at pace early on, until Moses is dispossessed by Coleman.
Peep!
We’re off!
This is Chelsea’s final home game before Remembrance Sunday. Two Chelsea pensioners lead the teams out, and join both sets of players for a minute’s silence.
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Fireworks from the Stamford Bridge roof, as the teams head out onto the pitch...
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Costa v Lukaku: let’s look at their (remarkably similar) stats...
Diego Costa v Romelu Lukaku is 🔛!
— Premier League (@premierleague) November 5, 2016
Who will come out on 🔝 at Stamford Bridge?#CHEEVE pic.twitter.com/qb9qzfppda
Ten minutes! Here’s a Bonfire Night classic to pass the time:
Here’s a diplomatic Ronald Koeman:
“We have enough good quality players on the pitch to see a good match today... [playing three at the back] is a tactical change, and the best way to get a result today. We need to play at a high level, to create, but anything is possible.”
As this nifty graphic shows, its been win, win or draw for Chelsea for the last 10 years. Can Everton end the run today? Thoughts welcome.
Here's a look at the last 10 league meetings with Everton at Stamford Bridge... #CHEEVE pic.twitter.com/O1RIBDduW1
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) November 5, 2016
Is a January move to Dundee on the cards?
At Stamford Bridge, John Terry has been presented with his award for the Swiss Chelsea Members' Player of the Year - an actual Toblerone.
— Adam Hurrey (@FootballCliches) November 5, 2016
Middlesbrough’s late, late equaliser at the Etihad is big news for Chelsea. Win, and they will go top of the league.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 11 | 15 | 24 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 10 | 13 | 23 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 10 | 11 | 23 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 10 | 12 | 22 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 10 | 9 | 20 |
Premier League results
Bournemouth 1-2 Sunderland
Burnley 3-2 Crystal Palace
Man City 1-1 Middlesbrough
West Ham 1-1 Stoke
Previous
Everton are unbeaten in three league and Cup games against Chelsea, but it’s been 22 years since they won in 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge. Paul Rideout got the winner, and would repeat the trick against Manchester United in that season’s Cup final. That was Everton’s last major trophy – Chelsea have won 17 since.
Everton did win at Stamford Bridge in 2011 – on penalties, in the FA Cup fourth round. They ended Chelsea’s hopes of an FA Cup hat-trick, and moved onto the last 16. Where they lost. At home. To Reading.
No changes for Chelsea – and why would they, after that faultless win at Southampton? For Everton, Phil Jagielka and Tom Cleverley start in place of Kevin Mirallas and the suspended Idrissa Gueye, while goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg returns from injury.
Chelsea are sticking to their 3-4-3 formation, and we could see the same set-up from Everton – although it may turn out to be a 5-3-2, or a 3-4-2-1, or some other fancy combination of numbers.
Team news!
Chelsea: Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill; Moses, Kanté, Matic, Alonso; Pedro, Costa, Hazard.
Subs: Begovic, Ivanovic, Oscar, Batshuayi, Terry, Chalobah, Aina.
Everton: Stekelenburg; Williams, Jagielka, Funes Mori; Coleman, Barry, Cleverley, Oviedo; Bolasie, Barkley; Lukaku.
Subs: Robles, Deulofeu, Mirallas, Lennon, Valencia, Davies, Holgate.
Referee: Robert Madley (West Yorkshire)
Preamble
When these two sides last met at Stamford Bridge, they served up a madcap 3-3 draw typical of the thrills and spills of 2015-16. Everton took the lead in stoppage time, before snatching a draw from the jaws of victory as John Terry controversially equalised at the death.
It was a lot of fun, but was also symptomatic of both sides’ complete inability to control a game of football, “a chaotic mess of defensive errors” – not my words, Carol, the words of Dominic Fifield. It was a recurring theme as the two teams trudged to mid-table finishes.
Both clubs made a new manager their main pre-season investment, in a bid to regain some solidity. Antonio Conte and Ronald Koeman both arrived early and spent the summer lining their defensive foundations with titanium. Only Spurs have conceded less than Everton (8) and Chelsea (9) so far this season.
It’s not just tenacious D that’s propelled these two into the title race; two of the league’s top three scorers will be on show here, in the form of the rejuvenated Diego Costa, and Romelu Lukaku, the man who nearly replaced him this summer. It’s Bonfire Night – expect FIREWORKS disciplined, effective football from 5.30pm GMT sharp.
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