Royal Blue Mersey - Everton vs Chelsea: Premier League Matchday 31It's a grand old team to supporthttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52544/royal_fav.png2019-03-19T10:00:00+00:00http://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/rss/stream/180348992019-03-19T10:00:00+00:002019-03-19T10:00:00+00:00Everton’s victory over Chelsea proved why Marco Silva deserves a second season
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<img alt="Everton FC v Chelsea FC - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FWeB16zqb00PA-8gjC61MDvDaWk=/0x0:5268x3512/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63260690/1136404110.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Or a second summer transfer window, at the very least</p> <p id="JnzCza">With each passing game, it becomes an increasingly arduous to judge quite where <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> are under Marco Silva’s management. Week on week, the Toffees continue to perplex.</p>
<p id="v1B5ZY">It is difficult to find a more accurate microcosm the Blues’ frustrating campaign than their last three games, a 0-0 derby draw, the 3-2 defeat to <a href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/">Newcastle</a> United, and Sunday’s 2-0 win over <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a>.</p>
<p id="FjwcoI">To negate one of the Premier League’s most potent attacks in <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a>, and to eventually sweep aside Chelsea with relative ease, epitomises the quality in the squad at Silva’s disposal.</p>
<p id="cnasC6">But as heartening as those highlights were, it only makes the capitulation in the North East, when the Blues threw away a 2-0 lead against the fourth-lowest scorers in the league, and the feeble first half against Chelsea more inexplicable. Time and again this term, Everton have been the architects of their own downfall.</p>
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<cite>Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>Everton’s win over Chelsea was their first victory against a top six side since January 2017</figcaption>
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<p id="uhLj6T">Certainly, though, Silva has turned a personal corner. Since the 17-day break in February, following a 1-0 defeat at Watford when the Portuguese manager looked on the brink, he has barely put a foot wrong, barring the introduction of Yerry Mina at St. James’ Park last weekend, perhaps.</p>
<p id="wPHlsj">And rarely will he have derived more pleasure in his tenure at Goodison Park than in the Chelsea victory, with the Blues’ second half performance a huge improvement on a first period in which they resembled a side merely waiting to concede.</p>
<p id="QtV10t"><span>Sam Allardyce</span> may disagree, but while the statistics may suggest Everton’s campaign has been a carbon copy of last season, this was the sort of showing the Blues simply could not produce under his leadership. In that regard, Silva has undoubtedly overseen some form of progression at Goodison.</p>
<p id="0kh6zv">Sunday’s victory finally saw the Blues reach the holy grail of the 40-point mark, arresting any lingering, far-fetched fears of relegation, a notion which seemed inconceivable when Silva’s men looked set for an assault on the top six only three months ago. </p>
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<img alt="Millwall v Everton - FA Cup Fourth Round" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/E7jrfHt8a9yMoLJ1v8I11Mf-gzY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13716366/1089602446.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>Silva has cut a worried figure at times in recent months</figcaption>
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<p id="ve6tXq">And while it has made for infuriating viewing to see the way Everton have imploded this season, the fleeting moments of genuine promise about his side surely merit the boss being spared the sack once this campaign concludes.</p>
<p id="nMtSZY">The ever-improving understanding down the left flank of Lucas Digne and Bernard, the unmatched tenacity of Idrissa Gueye, the flair and unpredictability offered at times by Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurðsson; Evertonians will hope these are all the embryonic signs of a special team forming.</p>
<p id="HrhWfv">On Sunday, all of these qualities came together to produce the Toffees’ best result of Silva’s reign. Unfortunately for the manager, such instances of this have only been sporadic over the course of a turbulent year.</p>
<p id="e2UnQA">Perhaps it is naive to invest such faith in a man who has repeated countless mistakes in recent months. But if Silva can continue to rectify these past errors, combined with the potential and quality in his squad and the almost spotless transfer record by director of football Marcel Brands so far, then Blues fans have good reason to approach the summer with high hopes.</p>
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<img alt="Everton v Huddersfield Town - Premier League" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DFGLEEll0LUGgXVFCdUpjfbyd7g=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13468508/1025792026.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>Brands has made a superb start as Everton director of football</figcaption>
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<p id="ixsKhi">Silva has failed to alleviate the sinking feeling among Evertonians post-January in his first term. But while this season has been yet another endurance test at times, there have been enough signs of encouragement to deserve a show of faith in him from owner Farhad Moshiri.</p>
<p id="jEdWkq">It is imperative that the campaign ends strongly for the Blues, and surpassing last season’s points total of 49 must be a minimum requirement. </p>
<p id="A12OBp">But once the remaining seven games are dealt with, Silva’s focus must immediately turn to planning for his most defining season as a manager yet.</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/19/18271672/everton-victory-chelsea-top-six-marco-silva-deserves-second-season-moshiri-brands-transfer-windowmatthew.chandler2019-03-18T17:07:17+00:002019-03-18T17:07:17+00:00Tactical Analysis: Everton’s bizarre tale of two halves was enough to beat Chelsea
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<img alt="Newcastle United v Everton FC - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BSsbuA0e-EFDFqm6yeWqhk8sVX0=/1x0:1380x919/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63257423/1134709522.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>It’s hard to explain the events of Sunday’s match at Goodison Park</p> <p id="5EArgF">Normally, when I sit down each week to put together my post-match thoughts on <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a>, Marco Silva, and his tactical approach, I like to draw attention to things RBM readers might have missed at first glance or add a new perspective to some of the match’s most notable moments.</p>
<p id="Oj628V">This week, that’s almost impossible to do, as there was really only one factor of major impact in Everton’s eventual win over <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> — and it was plain to see when comparing the first half and second half.</p>
<p id="EcaL3k">Silva came out with a lineup similar to what we’ve seen for most of the season against top-six clubs — that is, a lineup unchanged from how he approaches matches against equal or inferior opposition.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">⚠️ TEAM NEWS! ⚠️<br><br>2️⃣ changes<br>☘️ Coleman captain<br> Mina starts<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EFCmatchday?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EFCmatchday</a> <a href="https://t.co/ScFTW7rva0">pic.twitter.com/ScFTW7rva0</a></p>— Everton (@Everton) <a href="https://twitter.com/Everton/status/1107303089269288962?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2019</a>
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<p id="NJPJiO">Yerry Mina was forced into action due to Kurt Zouma’s ineligibility against his former club, but outside of that change, the lineup was pretty much standard Silvian fare.</p>
<p id="ZxhK5H">Which is why it was so peculiar when from the opening whistle, Everton sat <em>very</em> deep in its own half, inviting pressure from Chelsea. The Toffees have played <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> twice, <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/">Manchester City</a> twice, <a href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/">Tottenham Hotspur</a> once, <a href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/">Arsenal</a> once, and <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a> once — and never in any of those matches, did Marco Silva resort to an outright Allardycian tactical approach.</p>
<p id="n69PAw">Now, there’s nothing necessarily wrong with adopting such defensive tactics in a match where you feel you may be overrun on talent by the opponent, but it was incredibly bizarre to see Everton play this way from the start of a match — especially a home match against a Chelsea team that’s far from perfect.</p>
<p id="KC4kwi">If you’ve been watching Everton with any regularity this season, you know such tactics would be strange. And if you watched Everton this weekend, you know that it indeed <em>looked </em>uncomfortable for the Toffees straight from the opening whistle.</p>
<p id="bbqJPk">Consider the defensive actions map for the Toffees in the first half of this match.</p>
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<p id="kwl8Xw">There were a few ball recoveries a decent way up the pitch, but the majority of the team’s defensive action took place less than 40 yards from its own goal.</p>
<p id="rADfqi">The only time Everton really strayed from a deep block was when Chelsea had the ball 15-20 yards from its own end-line. When Maurizio Sarri’s team had the ball very deep in its own half, Dominic Calvert-Lewin — and to a less extent, Gylfi Sigurdsson and the wingers — would apply moderate pressure.</p>
<p id="m23zVo">But once Chelsea worked the ball into the middle third, the pressure almost immediately ceased. The wingers dropped deep to help the full-backs handle the wide areas, and Sigurdsson stepped up alongside Calvert-Lewin, forming a pretty basic, deep-lying 4-4-2. </p>
<p id="F8s41F">The result was that David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger had hours of time and acres of space from which to begin building the Chelsea attack. Consider the ease with which the pair facilitated the Chelsea attack in the first half.</p>
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<p id="qUgzGm">It was too easy for Chelsea to get into dangerous areas, and if not for <span>Eden Hazard</span> hitting the post and Gonzalo Higuain failing to convert in the opening six minutes of the match, Everton’s day could have been over well before it started.</p>
<p id="7j4QHu">After the two early Chelsea chances, the Everton defense solidified substantially, and Chelsea didn’t create a ton of real danger for the rest of the half — credit in particular is due to Michael Keane and Yerry Mina, who for the first time this season combined to look like the center-back pairing of Everton’s future.</p>
<p id="vAGPYm">But still, even after winning the ball before Chelsea managed to create dangerous chances, the Toffees still started most of their possessions deep in their own defensive third. Everton was unable to pass through the Chelsea press, resulting in a ton of hopeful long balls.</p>
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<p id="vfOd3R">Chelsea would pick up the aimless long ball, Everton would retreat, Luiz and Rudiger would distribute out of the back with ease, and the process would repeat itself.</p>
<p id="xumUP4">Thus went the majority of the first half — 45 minutes of football about which the best we could say is that Everton didn’t concede during it.</p>
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<p id="k6si6A">Within 30 seconds of the start of the second half, you could easily see that Everton made a major change. </p>
<p id="wPGAmU">They weren’t throwing a suicide high-press at Chelsea, but there was moderate pressure applied by the front four in the middle third of the pitch — which was enough to unsettle Chelsea and force some turnovers and loose passes.</p>
<p id="I9pl1B">It didn’t even take five minutes for Everton to force a corner from that pressure, ultimately ending with Richarlison doing what Richarlison does best — being in the right place and the right time and putting the ball in the back of the net with <strong>authority</strong>.</p>
<p id="WcVh9x">It was the same story when the Brazilian drew a penalty 25 minutes into the second half. The Toffees weren’t doing anything exotic, just applying enough pressure to Chelsea to win the ball higher up the pitch, then quickly playing toward goal.</p>
<p id="56oYiW">Having the opportunity to break toward goal quickly with a shortened field put Chelsea defense under pressure, and Everton has attacking players good enough to make opponents pay for such mistakes. Sigurdsson missed his penalty, but slotted home the rebound — doubling Everton’s advantage in a match that looked doomed for failure throughout the opening 45 minutes.</p>
<p id="TYKM0P">Allow me to elucidate the change in pressure and its effects on the match. First, let’s compare the Everton defensive map for the first half and second half.</p>
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<p id="pe486y">Everton did nick the ball off Chelsea in the attacking third once or twice in the first half, but in the second half, the Toffees brought much more consistent middle-third pressure. Whereas in the first half, Luiz and Rudiger had all day to pick out targets, in the second half, they found themselves having to work much quicker — reducing the danger of their passes and forcing some mistakes.</p>
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<p id="6xykRi">Note the higher ratio of incomplete passes — but more importantly the direction and length of the completed ones. Everton significantly limited the center-backs’ ability to play forward in the central channel to Jorginho and <span>Ross Barkley</span>, keeping Chelsea primarily to the outside.</p>
<p id="Eodh1a">That meant less ground between the Toffees and Chelsea’s goal upon winning the ball, and more space to operate as Sarri’s men spread themselves to try to maintain possession and forward momentum. </p>
<p id="7NcVzw">This had a significant impact on Everton’s ability to create in the second half compared to the first.</p>
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<p id="UdgGIP">The Toffees were quite direct in both halves — and Silva is probably right to have had no real interest in passing through Chelsea pressure. But by adopting a higher defensive starting position, Everton was able to connect a few key passes that put the forwards in attacking position.</p>
<p id="ihSGkm">In one instance, it led to a corner that opened the scoring. In another, Richarlison’s dangerous run into the box drew the penalty that ultimately sealed the match.</p>
<p id="xtSY2o">If you’re like me, you might be wondering why there was such a stark dichotomy between Everton’s approach in the first half and the second half. Unfortunately, I’m just as stumped as everyone else.</p>
<p id="GlNcSK">Post-match, <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/17/18269823/everton-chelsea-2-0-reaction-recap-marco-silva-comments-halftime-dressing-room">Silva said that he told his players during halftime</a> that they needed to change everything they were doing, and that the way the players performed in the second half was the way they had practiced all week.</p>
<p id="OPWqCS">I don’t know the extent to which I believe all that, but either way I must give Silva credit for pushing the right buttons at halftime, regardless of whatever transpired to create the first-half performance. </p>
<p id="5d7WRz">With matches against Arsenal, Manchester United, and Tottenham still to come, this match could provide a blueprint for how the Toffees could steal a few more points against the top six.</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/18/18270842/everton-tactical-analysis-marco-silva-chelsea-premier-league-bunker-counter-press-richarlisonAdam.Braun2019-03-18T13:00:00+00:002019-03-18T13:00:00+00:00Is Dominic Calvert-Lewin the answer to Everton’s striking problem?
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<img alt="Everton FC v Chelsea FC - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8Yjm1YhqqdfOZcw5nG5C7A_26nU=/0x0:4054x2703/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63255616/1136406637.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The young forward has made great strides this season and is a prime example of how first-team football aids a youngster’s development</p> <p id="xFg829">One of <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a>’s biggest mistakes in recent years (and there a few to choose from) was the failure to adequately replace <span>Romelu Lukaku</span>.</p>
<p id="ZKaWF6">When it emerged that Lukaku had rejected a new contract in March 2017, Everton should have begun the hunt for a successor straight away.</p>
<p id="nKibGo">Instead the club’s muddled transfer policy under Steve Walsh and <span>Ronald Koeman</span> resulted in an unbalanced side packed with no.10s but no frontline striker to play in front of them.</p>
<p id="5qyRBy">We all know what happened next of course, but looking back the one bright spot amidst all the chaos was the opportunity presented to Dominic Calvert-Lewin.</p>
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<cite>Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="OF9Ry3">The then 20-year-old had only made six starts for the club going into the 2017-18 season but was thrust into the spotlight during the opening weeks of the campaign.</p>
<p id="0EGfKY">He scored the only goal in the Europa League qualifying second leg win over Ruzomberok before being bizarrely deployed as right wing-back in the Premier League opener against Stoke.</p>
<p id="24274q">That versatility and willingness to play anywhere proved both a blessing and a curse, as it afforded him plenty of opportunities but also saw him played all over the place as Koeman scrambled to find a formation that clicked.</p>
<aside id="5qrETY"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Everton 2-0 Chelsea: Three Thoughts | Sensational second half gives Toffees important victory","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/18/18270102/everton-2-0-chelsea-recap-sensational-second-half-richarlison-sigurdsson"}]}'></div></aside><p id="pt3IKN">As the team’s form nosedived, Goodison became an increasingly fractious place to play football. At times like that you need senior players to step up, but such leaders were conspicuous by their absence during the autumn of 2017.</p>
<p id="2kMnnb">I felt that placed an unfair burden on young players such as Calvert-Lewin, who never looked to hide on the field despite the team’s problems.</p>
<p id="0j2BHg">But, in hindsight, that exposure to first-team football, playing against grizzled, hardened defenders in a team struggling for form, was the best thing that could have happened for Calvert-Lewin’s career.</p>
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<img alt="Cardiff City v Everton FC - Premier League" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gpPolFI4Ldz-Udp1zMvcC7mEtb4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15969158/1127629422.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="3GqAhR">Too many young players in the Premier League struggle for senior football between the ages of 18 and 22, stifling their development.</p>
<p id="KidDrl">You only have to look across the park and Dominic Solanke, who played alongside Calvert-Lewin in the U20 <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/fifa-world-cup">World Cup</a> final in June 2017, claiming the Golden Ball award for the tournament’s best player in the process.</p>
<p id="UL0cIA">Solanke had made 32 appearances since that game, mainly from the bench, whilst Calvert-Lewin has played 76. </p>
<p id="U1tch2">That experience has clearly reaped dividends, resulting in arguably Calvert-Lewin’s finest performance in an Everton shirt to date against <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> on Sunday.</p>
<aside id="tqFBrt"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"What did Marco Silva say to the Everton players at halftime?","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/17/18269823/everton-chelsea-2-0-reaction-recap-marco-silva-comments-halftime-dressing-room"},{"title":"Everton vs Chelsea: Players and Manager Grades Poll ","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/17/18267783/everton-chelsea-2-0-recap-reaction-player-grades-poll-man-of-the-match-manager-ratings"}]}'></div></aside><p id="aV6CdJ">Yes, he didn’t score, but his all-round game was excellent. The versatility that saw him played all over the pitch in his early career is helping him to develop into a modern striker, capable of both holding to ball up to bring others in to play as well as running the channels to create space for teammates in the middle.</p>
<p id="Q0tU2y">This was backed up by some stats published in an article on the <a href="https://www.premierleague.com/news/1106026">Premier League’s official website last week</a>. it showed that Calvert-Lewin ranked third in the division for top speed, fifth for distance covered per 90 minutes and sixth for aerial duels won.</p>
<p id="nultIo">Prior to the Chelsea game he also had the best minutes-per-goal ratio at the club, averaging one goal every 194 minutes.</p>
<p id="lpbMzN">I think it would be naive to suggest that Calvert-Lewin’s progress means Everton do not need to sign a striker this summer, but at the same time denying him first-team football next season could stunt his development at a crucial stage in his career.</p>
<p id="ImtFHH">Instead, any new signing could be brought in to compliment the Sheffield-born striker rather than replace him. Whilst the next few months until the end of the season is the ideal opportunity for Calvert-Lewin to cement that number nine spot as his own.</p>
<p id="7jEnwi">If that’s the case then Calvert-Lewin could develop into a far more accomplished player than we thought even just a few months ago.</p>
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https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/18/18270696/everton-chelsea-reaction-dominic-calvert-lewin-marco-silva-steve-walsh-romelu-lukakuTom Mallows2019-03-18T11:00:00+00:002019-03-18T11:00:00+00:005 Telling Stats from Everton’s Surprise 2-0 Win Over Chelsea
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<img alt="Everton FC v Chelsea FC - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2cYhMTCE8ZPVlJwp74M-cb_fv2Q=/0x212:1960x1519/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63254720/1136421690.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Blue perk up with stunning second half performance</p> <p id="M2ZQRl"><a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> looked on for a thumping early doors, but a second half resurrection saw the Blues seize control of the game.</p>
<p id="zkMWT3">Here are five telling stats from Everton’s 2-0 win over <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a>.</p>
<h2 id="cbiAkQ">A Game of Two Halves</h2>
<p id="fwuFt0"><em><strong>Everton spring into life in second half</strong></em></p>
<p id="3lL73V">10 minutes in and it looked like it was set to be a long old afternoon for Everton. Chelsea looked a class above and it seemed inevitable that they would soon go in front.</p>
<p id="ciOr0U">But despite Chelsea dominating the entire half, Everton did just enough to hold on in there. </p>
<p id="9gjVba">In the second half, though, it was Everton who came out all guns blazing. Playing the high-intensity, positive football that was a feature in the early months of Marco Silva’s reign.</p>
<p id="V48ot5">In the first half, Chelsea had 10 shots to Everton’s three and dominated the ball with 66% of possession. Everton responded in the second half with no less than 12 further shots (seven of which were on target).</p>
<h2 id="v5b5Gk">Gueye the Destroyer</h2>
<p id="HdoFzL"><em><strong>5 interceptions for Senegal international</strong></em></p>
<p id="De2pwn">Once again, Idrissa Gana Gueye was stunning for Everton. He made five interceptions – which were key in breaking up Chelsea’s rhythm in the final third.</p>
<p id="H6VdBG">Gueye has been Everton’s best player this campaign and the Blues may struggle to keep hold of him come the summer.</p>
<h2 id="7Ed0UX">Richarlison Returns</h2>
<p id="NKIDZH"><em><strong>Great all-round second half performance</strong></em></p>
<p id="4eiK7K">Keeping his position out on the right-wing, Richarlison was a man on a mission in the second half, putting in a performance that was more reminiscent of the form he enjoyed when he first moved to the Blues.</p>
<p id="EdMqnt">The Brazilian scored a header and won the penalty, but his defensive work also impressed as he put in four successful tackles and two key interceptions.</p>
<aside id="7vIOGe"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Everton vs Chelsea: Instant Reaction | Inconsistent Toffees win 2-0","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/17/18269653/everton-chelsea-2-0-recap-reaction-who-are-this-team-richarlison-goal-sigurdsson-penalty-rebound"},{"title":"Everton vs Chelsea: Players and Manager Grades Poll ","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/17/18267783/everton-chelsea-2-0-recap-reaction-player-grades-poll-man-of-the-match-manager-ratings"}]}'></div></aside><h2 id="Eqgpd5">Sig Off Pens?</h2>
<p id="cbtRul"><em><strong>Icelandic international has missed three of last five</strong></em></p>
<p id="pqFfRm">Gylfi Sigurdsson may have a wand of a right peg, but he didn’t ooze confidence as he stood waiting to take Everton’s penalty. </p>
<p id="i3Ask7">He did turn in the rebound after seeing his shot saved by Kepa the keeper, but he was visibly frustrated to have missed his third penalty of the season.</p>
<p id="0NxBxR">Indeed, with a success rate of just 40% from the spot this campaign, it must be time to consider other takes. May be we’ll see Lucas Digne or Richarlison stepping up next.</p>
<h2 id="2C75NH">First Win Over Top 6 in Two Years</h2>
<p id="nktefL"><em><strong>Finally beat quality opposition</strong></em></p>
<p id="Atvjl5">Prior to this game, the only top 10 opposition Everton have beaten this season was <a href="https://fosseposse.sbnation.com/">Leicester City</a> – and they only moved into the top 10 on Saturday.</p>
<p id="ZNUCZf">Even more disappointing has been Everton’s form against the top six. With the Blues last win over any of these sides coming way back in January 2017 with the 4-0 hammering of City at Goodison Park, 25 whole games ago. </p>
<p id="j4UbTO">Despite weathering a storm in the first half, Blues can take a lot of positives from the second 45. However, this second half performance from Everton needs to become the norm, not the exception.</p>
<p id="Iayo4O"></p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/18/18269781/everton-2-0-chelsea-recap-stats-two-halves-gueye-richarlison-sigurdsson-penalty-win-over-top-sixPete Reynolds2019-03-18T10:56:10+00:002019-03-18T10:56:10+00:00‘We cannot allow that to happen again’ - Marco Silva makes Everton pledge
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<img alt="Everton FC v Chelsea FC - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CkwWWidwWLfRS611MPyOX1BZx-U=/1x0:3603x2401/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63255484/1136404503.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Toffees had to wait more than two years to record a victory over a top six side</p> <p id="bZ9o0z">Marco Silva has vowed that <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> will not have to wait so long for a win over a top six side after Sunday’s victory over <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> broke a duck stretching back more than two years.</p>
<p id="2yg6ig">January 2017 was the last time the Toffees overcame a member of the established top six, that 4-0 thrashing of Pep Guardiola’s <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/">Manchester City</a>.</p>
<p id="Oac4uW">They have drawn seven and lost 18 since, an unacceptable record for a side that has ambitions of trying to muscle in on those elite clubs in the near future.</p>
<aside id="2v3MxH"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Everton 2-0 Chelsea: Three Thoughts | Sensational second half gives Toffees important victory","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/18/18270102/everton-2-0-chelsea-recap-sensational-second-half-richarlison-sigurdsson"},{"title":"Everton vs Chelsea: Players and Manager Grades Poll ","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/17/18267783/everton-chelsea-2-0-recap-reaction-player-grades-poll-man-of-the-match-manager-ratings"},{"title":"What did Marco Silva say to the Everton players at halftime?","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/17/18269823/everton-chelsea-2-0-reaction-recap-marco-silva-comments-halftime-dressing-room"}]}'></div></aside><p id="dKM6Bj">Those were sentiments echoed by Silva when speaking to reporters after the game, as he pledged to build on a much-needed victory - Everton’s first at Goodison Park for two months.</p>
<blockquote>
<p id="TBDaUc">“To be honest with you, I didn’t know these numbers before the match but one of your colleagues asked me this.</p>
<p id="GnxH07">“But the first thing I want to say to you is that this is something that cannot happen again because it is not a normal thing, for a club like us, not to be winning against a strong side.</p>
<p id="NfZbAk">“Of course, I am 100% sure all of the managers and players who were here before did their best to achieve that, like I am doing now, but for our quality as a club and how big we are as a club, we cannot allow that to happen again.</p>
<p id="6zKro7">“It is up to us to work together for it to be more normal for us to beat these strong sides when we play against them.</p>
<p id="wgHO37">“Of course, it is not an easy thing and it’s the first time we have achieved it this season but I am sure we can achieve it more times, even this season, because we have more opportunities in the weeks ahead.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="oPHDb6">Whatever happens between now and the May, Everton’s campaign will be viewed as a relative disappointment after crashing out of both cups early and failing to get remotely close to the top six.</p>
<p id="DMo36U">However, for Silva the next few weeks are crucial if he is to convince the fans - and most probably the board too - that he is the man to take the club forward.</p>
<p id="E8Yw6z">Victories like Sunday will certainly help his cause and he acknowledged its significance after the game. He also praiseD the supporters and again stressed how important their backing is to the team’s success.</p>
<blockquote>
<p id="ZoH1jK">“It’s really important to me, but more important for our players because they have to believe in the quality they have because I don’t have doubts. It is really important for our fans so they can believe in them more.</p>
<p id="2xaNAH">”We had a difficult afternoon and they were behind us – they were the key again – and it is really important to them to have this good feeling and it is up to us to work more and more to give this again in two or three weeks when we play against another strong side at home.</p>
<p id="OTRczw">“We have to make it difficult for all the teams that come here to play at Goodison Park . When you have the crowd behind you and when we play with this desire, we are to win. It is up to me to work more with them for us to achieve that.</p>
<p id="GnuV8F">“But, of course, it is important to me, and when you achieve that is is always important to the manager.</p>
<p id="cuOTDa">“But now it is done, they go to their national teams, and my job is to prepare them to beat West Ham.” </p>
</blockquote>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/18/18270686/everton-chelsea-premier-league-marco-silva-reaction-richarlison-gylfi-sigurdssonTom Mallows2019-03-18T09:00:00+00:002019-03-18T09:00:00+00:00Everton 2-0 Chelsea: Three Thoughts | Sensational second half gives Toffees important victory
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<img alt="Everton FC v Chelsea FC - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lXVY3M2JtTy_bn0K3a1WCdsT9dI=/0x0:2478x1652/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63254732/1136416491.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Three thoughts from the Everton win over Chelsea</p> <h1 id="yCBWqq">Nervy Defense for <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a>
</h1>
<p id="G7U46L">Don’t let the clean sheet fool you, this match could have gone very differently for Everton. Had it not been for some good saves, timely tackles and bad luck from <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> we could be talking about yet another loss. </p>
<p id="NqF6cs">Right out of the gate Chelsea went into attack mode. <span>Eden Hazard</span> met little resistance on his runs to the box and the Everton defense looked shaky. This would unfortunately continue for the entirety of the first half. Everton struggled to get the ball into Chelsea’s half as the visitors spent most of the half parked firmly in Everton’s defensive area. </p>
<p id="Zb3m4z">Fortunately for Everton, Chelsea were unable to capitalize on any of their chances in this match. Scoring opportunities were either saved, blocked or drifted just wide. There is an alternate universe in which this match ended up as a 3-0 loss. But luck was on Everton’s side this day.</p>
<h1 id="hDTHp8">Press and counter proves effective</h1>
<p id="JrkMDC">It’s no coincidence that when Everton can press effectively and generate offense from the counter attack they perform well. Their usual front three are speedy players who can feast off of defenders caught on the wrong foot. They often struggle when they are forced to build up from the back slowly and cannot keep the opposition off kilter. </p>
<p id="1XL5il">There was some attempts at pressing Chelsea in the first half, but it was the second half where the strategy really came into play. Everton really seemed to throw Chelsea off of their game and despite losing the possession battle badly, they had more serious scoring chances throughout the match. </p>
<p id="YmIJwP">Obviously this strategy can fail badly when playing against patient teams brimming with talent. But at the moment it seems to be the best way for Everton to succeed and they should really run with the counter on a more regular basis. </p>
<aside id="Z6VrsT"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"What did Marco Silva say to the Everton players at halftime?","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/17/18269823/everton-chelsea-2-0-reaction-recap-marco-silva-comments-halftime-dressing-room"},{"title":"Everton vs Chelsea: Players and Manager Grades Poll ","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/17/18267783/everton-chelsea-2-0-recap-reaction-player-grades-poll-man-of-the-match-manager-ratings"}]}'></div></aside><h1 id="l5gNTs">Pickford improves after inconsistent run</h1>
<p id="tKdHLk"><span>Jordan Pickford</span> is undoubtedly a great talent, but he has been plagued with inconsistency this season. While the up and down performance of his defense shares some blame, the young goalkeeper has not done himself any favors. A lack of commutation with his center backs and a tendency to put himself in no man’s land have been huge issues. </p>
<p id="zfFAii">But in this win against Chelsea, Pickford seemed to get himself back on track. His five saves were massive for Everton and he was easily the best defensive performer in this match. His man of the match level performance was not without hiccups, namely a near collision with Yerry Mina in the first half. But Pickford’s display in this match is one we’ve come to expect from him. </p>
<h1 id="ZPpwtN"></h1>
<p id="SAc8e2"></p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/18/18270102/everton-2-0-chelsea-recap-sensational-second-half-richarlison-sigurdssonmralbaugh2019-03-18T04:36:00+00:002019-03-18T04:36:00+00:00Everton vs Chelsea: Players and Manager Grades Poll
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<img alt="Everton FC v Chelsea FC - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Z0DqRKxD_fCvkRh772MfXXIOn8c=/0x0:4203x2802/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63252530/1136424152.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Grade the Everton players and manager on their performance today </p> <p id="RkJ5qL">Who was your <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> Man of the Match in today’s game against <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a>? Vote to grade the players and manager on how they did.</p>
<p id="Qm0i1Q"><em>If this poll is not showing up on your screen, please </em><a href="https://goo.gl/forms/VKltzdh9fgdKzyqg1"><em><strong>click here</strong></em></a><em> to go and grade the players - we apologize for the inconvenience.</em></p>
<div id="bCgDxA"><iframe src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdf3Jn_Nb1dJ023iiAo3cZ0zlkKKqE6f4a9GxfS_mH8lwIVkg/viewform?embedded=true" width="100%" height="800" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">Loading...</iframe></div>
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https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/17/18267783/everton-chelsea-2-0-recap-reaction-player-grades-poll-man-of-the-match-manager-ratingsCalvin2019-03-17T19:21:57+00:002019-03-17T19:21:57+00:00What did Marco Silva say to the Everton players at halftime?
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<img alt="Everton FC v Chelsea FC - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sZrmZDUyO9WNYtKXBHk7ubWsVJk=/0x0:5472x3648/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63252640/1136404098.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Marco Silva has a cunning plan | Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Whatever it was, it worked!</p> <p id="Rflsoq"><a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> looked like a damp dishcloth in the first half today against <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a>, as they folded meekly time and again letting the visitors run them ragged. <span>Jordan Pickford</span> and his left post kept the Blues in the game though, and somehow Everton stayed in the game 0-0 at halftime. </p>
<p id="cB3iFp">The fans were disappointed as Everton allowed Chelsea to walk all over them, and the initial euphoria to start the game wore off quick. However, it appears manager Marco Silva said something to the players at the break, and it worked. Here’s is quotes to the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47512141">BBC</a> - </p>
<blockquote>
<p id="faNx1T">“It would be easier for me just to speak about the second half. The first half I didn’t like it at all, we were not there from the first minute. What we did in the second half was everything we planned during the week. </p>
<p id="pWPmd6">“I didn’t like the first half and told our players at half time that they have to do everything different. And they did. They showed great attitude, character and personality second half but we have to do it from the first minute. </p>
</blockquote>
<aside id="79QQ9x"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Everton vs Chelsea: Instant Reaction | Inconsistent Toffees win 2-0","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/17/18269653/everton-chelsea-2-0-recap-reaction-who-are-this-team-richarlison-goal-sigurdsson-penalty-rebound"},{"title":"Everton vs Chelsea: Players and Manager Grades Poll ","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/17/18267783/everton-chelsea-2-0-recap-reaction-player-grades-poll-man-of-the-match-manager-ratings"}]}'></div></aside><blockquote><p id="g629yh">“Desire is a strong word. We weren’t without desire. They work really hard every day, I can’t say anything about their attitude. But maybe we weren’t focused on our role. What I saw in the second half is what we do every day in training.”</p></blockquote>
<p id="kSbkOK"><a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/17/18267757/everton-chelsea-live-blog-hazard-post-richarlison-sigurdsson-penalty-goal-highlights-barkley-return">Watch the Everton goals here on the live blog. </a></p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Marco Silva on half-time team talk: "I said to our players, 'you have to do everything different if we want to win the game'"</p>— Phil Kirkbride (@philkecho) <a href="https://twitter.com/philkecho/status/1107358080432521216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2019</a>
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<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2019/3/17/18269823/everton-chelsea-2-0-reaction-recap-marco-silva-comments-halftime-dressing-roomCalvin