Comments and predictions for Everton vs Chelsea: An exciting match

Latest Everton vs Chelsea squad information

Everton will be without Armando Broja as he is ineligible to play against parent club Chelsea, so Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be expected to continue his role, hoping to end an 11-game goal drought that has lasted since mid-September.

Dwight McNeil remains a doubt after a knee injury forced him out of last weekend's game against Arsenal. If he doesn't recover in time, Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom will compete for a starting spot.

Jarrad Branthwaite was excellent in stopping Arsenal at the Emirates. Despite feeling a little unwell after the draw, the centre-back has been involved in all training sessions this week and is likely to be fit to play.

For Chelsea, Marc Cucurella will miss out due to suspension following the win over Brentford. Although Renato Veiga is considered the most likely candidate to replace him, his start on Thursday suggests that coach Enzo Maresca may have other options.

Benoit Badiashile picked up an unspecified injury ahead of the Brentford game, giving Tosin Adarabioyo, who impressed against Brentford and is expected to continue to feature due to his absence from the European tie.

Wesley Fofana and Reece James remain sidelined with hamstring injuries, while Mykhaylo Mudryk is set for a long-term absence after being charged with doping last week.

Latest expected lineup for Everton vs Chelsea

Everton:

Pickford; Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Harrison, Gueye, Mangala, Doucoure, Ndiaye; Calvert-Lewin

Chelsea:

Sanchez; Caicedo, Tosin, Colwill, Gusto; Lavia, Enzo; Pedro Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson

Latest Everton vs Chelsea football commentary

Chelsea became the first team to win five consecutive Premier League games this season after securing a 2-1 victory over Brentford at Stamford Bridge last weekend.

It is worth noting that Chelsea did not need Cole Palmer to score or assist to get all three points, demonstrating the team's remarkable progress from last season, when they relied heavily on their stars to create breakthroughs in attack.

Combined with three comfortable wins in Europe, Chelsea have now won all eight of their games since returning from international break in November. This is their best run of form since winning the title under Antonio Conte in 2016-17.

With another Italian coach in charge, Chelsea are back in the title race, just two points behind Liverpool. The Merseyside club dropped points last weekend after their game at Goodison was postponed.

Manager Enzo Maresca had the chance to rotate his squad in midweek as Chelsea thrashed Shamrock Rovers 5-1 at Stamford Bridge to finish the Conference League group stage with a perfect record.

However, Chelsea will need to be prepared for a trip to Goodison, where they have had a poor record in recent years, with five defeats in their last six visits to Everton, and even in their prime they have often struggled there.

Two of Chelsea's four rare victories at Goodison since 2008 have come in title-winning seasons under Conte and Mourinho, and if Maresca can win this time it will be a strong statement in the title race.

Everton are being boosted by news of the club's takeover by Friedkin Group, ending eight years of gloom under Farhad Moshiri.

The good news comes just days after Sean Dyche's side impressively held Arsenal to a 0-0 draw at the Emirates, with the English tactician displaying a solid defensive display in true style.

Despite only managing one shot in the opening six minutes, Everton did the job, moving up to 15 points, three points clear of the relegation zone and with a game in hand on Liverpool.

Since 1 November, no team in Europe’s top five leagues has kept more clean sheets than Everton (six). However, their biggest problem remains in attack. Everton have scored the fewest goals from open play in the last two seasons, and have failed to score eight times this season – the most in the league.

In the last 10 rounds, Everton have only allowed opponents to create an average of 0.9 xG per game, but have only achieved 0.8 xG in attack - the biggest difference between defense and attack in the entire tournament.

With four 0-0 draws since the start of the season, they need just one more to equal their record under David Moyes in 2008-09.

Everton vs Chelsea score prediction

Based on the above football comments, we and the world's leading football sites have given the results of the match.Everton vs Chelseaas follows:

• Sportsmole:Everton 1-1 Chelsea

• WhoScore:Everton 1-2 Chelsea
• Our newspaper predicts:Everton 1-1 Chelsea

When and where to watch Everton vs Chelsea live?

To watch live the Everton vs Chelsea match in the Premier League taking place at 9:00 p.m. on December 22, viewers can watch onK+ Sport,K+PMor online sports channels. Wish you have fun watching football.