Everton vs Chelsea: Match preview, team news and predicted line-ups
Chelsea travel to the Hill Dickinson Stadium this weekend looking to build on an emphatic 5-1 victory over Bournemouth last Saturday.
Early goals from Jordan Henderson and Morgan Rogers put the Blues in control before João Pedro scored twice after the break, with Henderson adding his second late on.
Xabi Alonso’s side will hope their attacking momentum continues, with Cole Palmer and Rogers providing creativity behind forward João Pedro.
Team News
Chelsea confirmed on Friday morning that captain Reece James had undergone successful minor knee surgery. Manager Xabi Alonso has admitted he does not know how long the defender will be sidelined, with a return after Christmas now a possibility.
Jamie Gittens is out with an ankle injury sustained before the international break, leaving the Blues without one of thier wide attacking options.
Emanuel Emegha is out with a hamstring strain.
Xabi Alonso’s Thoughts
On Reece James injury
“We are all disappointed, especially for him. He wanted to have a good start after the international break. But he picked up an injury. We wanted to be cautious to wait for the tests. Now the surgery has been successful. He will be close to the team.”
On Everton
“We want to compete. We know what it takes to win away in tough stadiums. For sure, the experience for Brentford is not forgotten.”
On Emmanuel Emegha:
“He’s going to be difficult for the defenders when he’s in good shape. Emmanuel’s not yet [fit]. He felt something yesterday, a little thing. He’s going to be training next week. He’s still no 100% fit to be playing in the game. When he is fit, he is very special. He’s 195m, he’s quick, attacks the space.”
On Jamie Gittens:
“Not yet [ready], but still a few weeks.”
The Opposition
David Moyes is monitoring Vitalii Mykolenko’s fitness after the left-back missed Everton’s 2-2 draw with Hull because of an injury sustained while on international duty with Ukraine. He faces a 50-50 chance of being available.
Christian Nørgaard could be included in the squad after making his first appearance for the club in a behind-closed-doors 3-3 draw with Blackburn. However, Moyes may prefer to give the summer signing from Arsenal more time to settle in.
German midfielder Merlin Röhl could also return to contention after suffering an injury before the international break.
Predicted Lineups
Everton: Pickford, Maitland-Niles, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Garner, Armstrong, Johnson, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish, Barry.
Chelsea: Martinez, Acheampong, Lacroix, Colwill, Neto, Caicedo, Henderson, Chavarria, Palmer, Rogers, Joao Pedro.
Recent Form
Everton: D D D W D
11/10/2026: Hull City 2-2 Everton (D, away)
19/9/2026: Everton 1-0 Ipswich Town (W, home)
12/9/2026: Tottenham 0-0 Everton (D, away)
06/9/2026: Everton 2-2 Manchester United (D, home)
29/8/2026: Bournemouth 1-1 Everton (D, away)
Everton have won just one of their last five matches, drawing four times during that run. Their most recent outing ended in a 2-2 draw away to Hull City on 11 October, following a 1-0 home victory over Ipswich Town, a goalless draw at Tottenham, a 2-2 draw with Manchester United and a 1-1 stalemate at Bournemouth.
Chelsea: W L D L W
10/10/20262026-10-10: Chelsea 5-1 Bournemouth (W, home)
18/09/2026: Brentford 3-0 Chelsea (L, away)
12/09/2026: Chelsea 2-2 Hull City (D, home)
06/09/2026 Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea (L, away)
30/08/2026: Chelsea 4-3 Brighton (W, home)
Chelsea, meanwhile, have recorded two wins, one draw and two defeats in their last five games. They returned to winning ways with an emphatic 5-1 victory over Bournemouth on 10 October, having previously lost 3-0 away to Brentford and drawn 2-2 at home against Hull City. Those results followed a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal and a 4-3 home win over Brighton.
Score prediction
Everton have proved difficult opponents for Chelsea away from home. The Blues have won just one of their last nine Premier League visits to the Toffees, losing six times during that run.
Their struggles continued on their first visit to the Hill Dickinson Stadium last season, when they suffered a 3-0 defeat.
Chelsea would ordinarily have European commitments to contend with during this period, but their 10th-place finish last season means they can concentrate fully on domestic competition.
That could prove an advantage as they look to maintain their recent momentum, although Everton’s home advantage and Chelsea’s poor record against the Toffees make this a potentially difficult test.
Everton 2-2 Chelsea
