In the Premier League clash between Everton and Chelsea, both sides showcased their strengths and resilience. The fixture highlighted the growing potential of Chelsea as a developing team, while Everton’s defensive strategy posed a challenging obstacle. The game was a testament to the competitive spirit that defines matches in the Premier League.
Both teams entered the game with solid recent results, setting the stage for a competitive matchup:
Everton’s results in first column, and Chelsea in second:
Everton – Chelsea in Premier League on 22/12/2024
Everton’s tactical approach aimed to challenge Chelsea in key areas. How did Chelsea respond? Could they have handled the central combinations more effectively, even against Everton’s defensive block?
Everton vs Chelsea: Tactical Analysis
Chelsea’s approach in possession featured the usual 3-2-5 structure, with Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo forming the pivot. Malo Gusto often advanced into a left central midfield role, while Axel Disasi operated as the right-sided center-back, Tosin Adarabioyo took the central position, and Levi Colwill covered the left.
Enzo occasionally drifted slightly outside the pivot, with Caicedo maintaining a higher position, pinning one of Everton’s midfielders. This dynamic was mirrored in the second half when Enzo pushed higher, Caicedo dropped deeper, and Gusto took up the pinning role. This positional fluidity allowed Enzo to record 113 touches—the most he’s had in a game this season—making effective use of his involvement to influence the match.
Everton’s defensive shape was clear: both wingers tucked in, and there was minimal pressure on Chelsea’s first line. Their main priority was blocking central areas, forcing Chelsea into limited options:
- Play a long ball
- Move the ball to a wide center-back, leading to a pass out to the winger
This compact central block made it difficult for Chelsea to progress through the middle and restricted creative combinations.
Everton’s pressing strategy allowed Chelsea to counter quickly with enough players if they won the ball in midfield. Their initial press left gaps centrally (as shown in earlier images), but their passive zonal marking could easily switch to an aggressive zonal or man-to-man press.
Chelsea anticipated this, using clever tactics to bait Everton into pressing:
- Caicedo, positioned with his back to Doucouré, pinned him and acted as a potential offensive trap if he received the ball.
- Enzo, operating just outside the pivot but not fully as an LCB, aimed to draw in his marker.
Despite these ploys, Everton remained disciplined and resisted falling into Chelsea’s traps. Their defensive composure kept them solid against Chelsea’s attempts to exploit the press.
Everton – Chelsea in Premier League on 22/12/2024
Long balls became a recurring theme in the game, with Everton forcing Chelsea to go long so frequently it almost seemed like part of the plan. However, despite the pressure, Chelsea did manage to exploit their press effectively at times by finding the wingers in 1v1 situations or playing into the channels on a decent number of occasions.
A key tactic was to pin Everton on one flank before switching play to the opposite side, aiming to create 1v1 opportunities for the winger and deliver crosses to a crowded back post. While Everton defended this approach well, Chelsea looked dangerous on the occasions it came off successfully.
Could Chelsea Have Done More on Central Progressions?
Chelsea didn’t quite get enough through the middle. Everton sat deep, but Chelsea should have been more of a threat. Some good moments, but Chelsea need to be more consistent. Chelsea is a new team, still figuring things out.
Everton press was man-to-man and in midblock, so need to be smarter. It’s all about positioning. Needs to be sharper.
Up-Back-Through – Exploit the Width
First thing you notice, their full-backs are wide. We didn’t exploit that enough. Get those 8s higher, stretch them, and you create space in the middle.
Sancho’s Rotation – A Missed Opportunity
Sancho swaps with Gusto, dropping to get a pass from Enzo, but Enzo misses the cue. Sancho has loads of space if he gets that pass, and he can easily pick out a runner.
Chelsea need to improve on reading these cues. These gaps are prime opportunities when a team defends like Everton did.
Caicedo is an offensive trap for Everton. A Doucoure was always aggressive when the ball was heading to Caicedo. We could’ve trusted Caicedo to receive and take a touch there. Draw Doucoure in and exploit the space behind.
Caicedo receives and protects, then makes a small run between Disasi and Tosin, releasing to one of them to use the space created by Caicedo.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the 0-0 draw between Everton and Chelsea on December 22, 2024, was a fair result, reflecting the struggles and progress of both teams. Chelsea, still in a developmental phase, showed their need for improvement in breaking down well-organized opposition, particularly against Everton’s solid midblock that successfully disrupted their central build-up.
While it wasn’t the worst outcome for Chelsea, given Everton’s challenging nature even for the league’s top teams, it serves as another reminder that the Blues are still evolving. As the season progresses, Chelsea will need to find more creative solutions to unlock defensive systems like Everton’s and build on these experiences for the future.
Here are 5 key takeaways from Chelsea’s 0-0 draw with Everton:
- Chelsea earned their first clean sheet in six games, despite missing key players.
- Malo Gusto struggled in the inverted fullback role, highlighting a tactical issue.
- Enzo Maresca made poor use of substitutions, missing opportunities to change the game.
- There was a controversial decision to only add two minutes of injury time.
- The draw was a missed chance for Chelsea to cement their second-place spot in the league.
