26 April 2025
Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Chelsea welcomed Everton to Stamford Bridge, with the hosts still in contention for a top five spot this campaign. Thanks to the extra place the Premier League has been awarded for the Champions League, this was still a realistic goal for The Blues despite their wayward form since Christmas. The Toffees have a dreadful record in West London and this seemed a stonewall home win on paper.
Fernandez led the team out with a new hairstyle where he seems to have frosted tips. The Argentine looked like he should be running a bungee jump somewhere or hiring out jet-skis to holidaymakers. The fans were hoping he would look more like a footballer when the game started as nothing but three points would do in this match.
The Blues started positively as Madueke cut inside from the left and looked to get a shot off from the edge of the box. His effort looked to be heading into the bottom corner but Pickford reacted well to get down and get a strong hand to it. You felt, even at this stage, that the Toffees’ keeper would have to be on top form if they were to get anything from this game.
Maresca was banned from the touchline in this game and had opted to take the most bizarre position to watch the game from. As the camera panned on to him, he seemed to be in some steel enclosure looking like he was in solitary in some South American prison. No opting for the luxury of a box in Stamford Bridge it seems. Unleash the beast.
A poor punched clearance from Pickford saw the ball drop to Cucurella in the middle. He struck his volley into the ground, as it went through a sea of players, narrowly missing the far post. It was a poor effort, he had so much time and space he should have been scoring. Sometimes you wonder whether this guy was more suited to Timotei shampoo ads than football.
Chelsea finally broke the deadlock when Fernandez robbed Beto of the ball on the halfway line. They worked it to Jackson, who drilled a shot into the far corner with Pickford unable to get anywhere near it. Stamford Bridge erupted as it nestled into the back of the net. It was no more than The Blues had deserved, they were dominating this game.
The only chance The Toffees managed to create before the interval was when a cross found Doucoure in the middle, completely unmarked. He rose to head it like he was wearing deep-sea diving boots and disappointingly headed wide of the target. Everton could not afford to waste chances in West London if they wanted to get anything from this visit.
After the break, Chelsea continued to apply the pressure. As a corner was whipped into the box by Neto, it fell to Madueke at the near post. He tried to squeeze it past Pickford but the keeper made a good stop with his feet. The Toffees were really struggling to find their groove in this game and you felt Moyes needed to ring the changes to try and do so.
Patterson almost gifted the hosts a second goal when his underhit backpass seemed to set Jackson through. Pickford came racing off his line and made a good block to deny the striker. It almost paid dividends as the visitors came forward and Beto drilled a shot towards the far corner. Sanchez reacted well, having had so little to do in the game, and get a big hand to it to deny him.
The game was starting to open up more and Madueke cut inside from the left wing again. The Chelsea winger looked to pass one into the far corner but was denied by a fingertip save from Pickford. So often this season the England keeper was keeping his side in games that they should be dead and buried in, The Toffees cannot afford to lose him, that is for sure.
Maresca’s side thought they had doubled the lead when Cucurella let fly from outside the box. Pickford parried it but Jackson was on hand to slot home the rebound. Sadly for the hosts it was immediately ruled out for offside. As the replay showed it was very poor from the striker to allow himself to be caught off, his spacial awareness was very questionable.
In the dying moments of the game, The Toffees almost grabbed a point. A cross into the box picked out McNeil who met it on the volley. He cushioned it towards the far corner but once again Sanchez got down well to save. The Blues held on for the win but the performance was summed up by the fact that their keeper was given man of the match.
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