Eleven goals conceded in five league games. Chelsea can’t hide from that number, and Xabi Alonso knows it. Everton wait on Saturday at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, kick-off at 11:30 UTC, and the Spaniard has a few decisions to make before then.
A month of wild swings
Look at the recent results, and you’ll spot a side that never sits still. Arsenal edged them 2-1, Brentford battered them 3-0, and Hull snatched a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge. Then the goals arrived in bunches, with a 6-3 shootout against Leeds and a 5-1 hammering of Bournemouth. Fun to watch, sure, but it gives a coach sleepless nights.
Who’s missing for Alonso?
Reece James has a knee problem and won’t return before late October. Jamie Gittens turned his ankle and is listed for a mid-October comeback. Emanuel Emegha has a hamstring issue and sits firmly in the doubtful pile. Alonso loses a wing-back, a winger and a striker option in one hit.
Chelsea predicted XI against Everton
Here’s what I expect, in a 3-4-2-1. Emiliano Martínez starts in goal. Josh Acheampong, Maxence Lacroix and Levi Colwill form the back three. Pedro Neto and Pep Chavarría patrol the flanks, with Moisés Caicedo and Jordan Henderson in the middle. Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers sit behind João Pedro up front.
Will Alonso’s back three finally stop Chelsea leaking goals?
I think it will, though not overnight. Three centre-backs give Chelsea an extra body in the box, and Lacroix brings the aerial strength that Brentford and Arsenal exposed. Colwill reads danger early. Acheampong gets a big stage, and that’s a risk worth taking with James unavailable on the right.
Henderson matters most. He’s the veteran who sits in front of the defence, screens the passes and slows the tempo when games turn frantic, which happened a lot against Leeds. Caicedo then hunts the ball beside him, so Everton won’t find much space between the lines.
Going forward, Palmer and Rogers can swap spots freely, and João Pedro doesn’t need many chances. Chelsea will score. That was never the problem.
Everton will fancy their chances on set pieces and quick counters, so the wing-backs mustn’t bomb forward together. If Neto and Chavarría stay disciplined, I can see a narrow away win. If they don’t, expect another goal-fest, and nobody in blue wants that.
Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Emiliano Martínez – Josh Acheampong, Maxence Lacroix, Levi Colwill – Pedro Neto, Moisés Caicedo, Jordan Henderson, Pep Chavarría – Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers – João Pedro.
