Everton vs Chelsea: Predicted Line-Up | A New Era Begins

Yesterday at 05:20 PM

How will the Blues line up in front of the new owners?

Everton's recent form can be framed in one of two ways, depending on your statistical leaning:

a) a team with a watertight defence that has kept six clean sheets from their last nine games and has lost just twice in that period.

b) a team that has scored in just one of their last six games.

Despite being at the club for nearly two years, it's fair to say that Sean Dyche's trial has just started, with the new owners now watching carefully.

If the next week or so goes badly, the Friedkins may even move quickly to bring their own manager in with the January window set to open.

So Dyche is suddenly under real pressure and he has (up to) five months to show that he can create a team that is capable of something more than just defending.

With that in mind, will that impact his tactical thinking for the coming games?

Who's Out?

The injury list is nice and light at the moment, with just Tim Iroegbunam and James Garner the longer-term absentees although both are now "back on the grass", as Dyche likes to say.

Other than that, just Dwight McNeil is a doubt as he still hasn't shaken off the issue that saw him miss the Arsenal game last week.

Broja is unavailable as he can't face his parent club.

EVERTON SQUAD AVAILABLE VS CHESLEA

Goalkeepers: Pickford, Virginia, Begovic

Defenders: Keane, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, O'Brien, Mykolenko, Coleman, Patterson, Young, Dixon

Midfielders: Doucoure, Gueye, Garner (INJURED), Iroegbuman (INJURED), Mangala, Armstrong

Wingers: McNeil (DOUBT), Harrison, Ndiaye, Lindstrom

Attackers: Calvert-Lewin, Beto, Chermiti, Broja

Tactics and Formation

Assuming McNeil isn't available, I'm not expecting any changes to the side that drew with Arsenal last week.

The defence definitely won't change, while it's hard to see what would be changed in midfield.

Had we not been facing Chelsea, I might have fancied Broja to get a start, but he can't face his parent club.

Therefore the only change that might happen is Lindstrom for Harrison, but I'd still lean to Harrison here.

Chermiti should take Broja's place on the bench.

Starters (likelihood of starting rated out of 10)

Jordan Pickford – 9/10

Ashley Young – 9/10

Jarrad Branthwaite – 9/10

James Tarkowski – 9/10

Vitaliy Mykolenko – 9/10

Idrissa Gana Gueye – 9/10

Orel Mangala – 8/10

Abdoulaye Doucoure - 8/10

Jack Harrison – 6/10

Iliman Ndiaye – 9/10

Dominic Calvert-Lewin – 7/10

Bench

Joao Virginia

Nathan Patterson

Seamus Coleman

Jake O'Brien

Michael Keane

Jesper Lindstrøm

Harrison Armstrong

Beto

Youssef Chermiti