Royal Blue Mersey - Everton vs Chelsea: Premier League Matchday 3It's a grand old team to supporthttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52544/royal_fav.png2014-09-02T15:37:48+01:00http://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/rss/stream/58499302014-09-02T15:37:48+01:002014-09-02T15:37:48+01:00Everton 3-6 Chelsea: Looking on the Bright Side
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<figcaption>Don't worry Steven, there's still some good news. | Chris Brunskill</figcaption>
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<p>The Toffees played in a tremendously entertaining match over the weekend. Of course, it was too bad that they watched all the best parts.</p> <p>In this week's post match analysis, I've elected to focus on the things that went right against <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a>, rather than what went wrong. This is perhaps part optimism and part naivety, but more than anything else, it is simply the most interesting.</p>
<p>Anyone who watched Saturday's match knows full well what happened-- the defense fell apart early and often. There's little to be said in analyzing defensive errors that are easily preventable, and need to be worked out.</p>
<p>Is it time to see <span>John Stones</span> in the middle? Probably. Did we want to see the team bring in another center-back before the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/transfer-rumors">transfer window</a> closed? Probably.</p>
<p>Put very simply, these problems will be sorted out and the <span>Roberto Martinez</span> will right the ship, or they will not, and the team will be in serious danger.</p>
<p>With that out of the way, let's take a look at the bright side.</p>
<h4>Suddenly, the Toffees have some depth at striker - led by Steven Naismith.</h4>
<p>If you are feeling down about how this season has gone so far, just reread that sentence a few times. Lots of ink, my own included, was spilled on this issue, before and after the signing of <span>Romelu Lukaku</span>.</p>
<p>But <span>Steven Naismith's</span> blistering start to the season helped put that issue to bed, and the encouraging debut of Cameroonian Samuel Eto'o absolutely slammed the door on striker depth worries.</p>
<p>Lukaku, due to injury and a general lack of fitness, has understandably not reached his peak yet this season, but with Eto'o and Naismith playing well, the pressure on the young Belgian has been reduced considerably.</p>
<p>Of course, Naismith's early breakneck pace will slow, but he has proven he can be a consistent contributor when properly utilized. As long as one of the trio of Naismith, Eto'o, and Lukaku is firing, goals will come.</p>
<h4>
<span>Kevin Mirallas</span> looks to be both physically fit and full of confidence - a dangerous combination for opponents.</h4>
<p>The Belgian winger looked in the mood for much of the Chelsea match. He took defenders on, looked to shoot often, and made key runs, such as the one that led to <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton's</a> first goal.</p>
<p>With Aiden McGeady putting in inconsistent performances, <span>Steven Pienaar</span> injured, and Cristian Atsu still finding his role with the club, being able to rely on Mirallas will be crucial to getting contributions from the wings.</p>
<h4>This match will serve as a serious wake-up call.</h4>
<p>The brunt of the issues that Everton had in their first two matches appeared to be defending late in the game. This is not to say the defensive issues weren't there at other times (they most certainly were against Leicester at least), but the focus was on issues with defending leads rather than simply issues defending.</p>
<p>After Saturday, there is no escaping the larger issue. This pounding will force Martinez to consider changes in personnel or tactics that were evidently needed, but could have been swept under the rug for another week if this match turned into a loss with a more reasonable number of goals conceded.</p>
<h4>Even though no new defenders were added on deadline day, there are still options on the bench to fill the gaping hole in central defense.</h4>
<p>There was a point last season during which John Stones was playing so well as a center-half that supporters and pundits alike wondered if club captain <span>Phil Jagielka</span> would get his place back in the starting XI after returning from injury.</p>
<p>The skipper ultimately returned to the starting lineup following the injury, but the whole situation made clear the ability of the 20-year-old Englishman.</p>
<p>Martinez also thinks highly of Bosnian Muhamed Besic, who is capable of playing center-back. Besic will be eager to forget his first competitive touch as an Everton player no doubt, as he is certainly a better player than that incident would indicate.</p>
<p>Antolin Alcaraz, the Paraguayan who played under Martinez at Wigan, is also still available, as is youngster Tyias Browning, who just signed a new contract with the club.</p>
<h4>Everton showed tremendous fortitude throughout the match, even if the defending did not reflect it.</h4>
<p>There were countless moments in this match in which it would have been easy for the Toffees to roll over and die. Rather, they fought back repeatedly, taking that spirit all the way to the final whistle.</p>
<p>Down 2-0 after four minutes, it appeared the match could be completely out of reach imminently. Instead though, Everton started to work their way back into the match, gaining possession and creating chances. When Mirallas struck to cut the deficit in half just before the break, it seemed that the Toffees had all the momentum.</p>
<p>Each time Chelsea brought the lead back to two in the second half, it seemed that the Everton midfielders and attackers put forward even more effort to try to get back in striking distance. Though the effort ultimately proved fruitless, the never-say-die attitude will serve them well going forward.</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2014/9/2/6095459/everton-3-6-chelsea-post-match-analysis-looking-on-the-bright-sideAdam.Braun2014-08-31T15:00:02+01:002014-08-31T15:00:02+01:00Everton 3-6 Chelsea: Player Ratings
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<figcaption>Chris Brunskill</figcaption>
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<p>Sorry defensive display Costa the Toffees dearly</p> <h4><b><span><span>Tim Howard</span> – 5</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Made a great save to <span>Diego Costa</span> but other than that, the American only found himself picking the ball out of his net. Howard was extremely fortunate to stay on the field when he handled outside the area but it went unnoticed by both the referee and assistant referee – typical of both their performances.<p></p></span></p>
<h4><b><span><span>Seamus Coleman</span> – 7</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Nullified Eden Hazard’s threat for most of the afternoon and even his own goal, when Hazard ran through it wasn’t Coleman who the Belgian skipped past with ease. In the first half the full-back was <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a>’s most creative threat and he whipped in a terrific cross for <span>Kevin Mirallas</span>’ goal. <p></p></span></p>
<h4><b><span><span>Phil Jagielka</span> – 3 </span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>A shadow of the resolute, rock-solid defender we all think of when Jagielka is mentioned. Costa gave both centre-halves problems from start to finish. Usually, on the ball, Distin looks the more uncomfortable out of the two but yesterday Jagielka was consistently caught in possession and gave the ball away regularly with stray passes. Despite there being a suspicion of offside for the first goal in real-time, there was no question when on replay it appeared Jagielka tried to push out and lay an offside trap for Costa, failing in the process. <p></p></span></p>
<h4><b><span><span>Sylvain Distin</span> – 4</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>As with Jagielka, Distin was run ragged by Costa throughout the evening. I really don’t want to say that time has caught up with the veteran, so I won’t; I’ll just suggest it. There is time for change though, <span>John Stones</span> is waiting in the wings and it’s time for his inclusion replacing one of the two.<p></p></span></p>
<h4><b><span><span>Leighton Baines</span> – 7</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Like Jagielka for the first goal, Baines looked to push out and play an offside trap for the second, again failing. By Roberto Martinez saying the defence should go ‘back to the basics’, hopefully this failing feature is what he means because even if the offside trap is successful your relying on assistant referees to make the right decision every time, something which the second goal proved not to be the case. Aside from that Baines defended well and was a good option going forward as per usual.<p></p></span></p>
<h4><b><span><span>James McCarthy</span> – 8</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>The only player in a blue shirt who started from the kick-off, after the first 10 minutes his teammates eventually caught up. Having said that, he was one of the few Blues players to press the man on the ball and as always was more than comfortable in keeping possession which helped to start to build up attacks. Without McCarthy, Cesc Fabregas would have had much more domination on the game than he did yesterday. <p></p></span></p>
<h4><b><span><span>Gareth Barry</span> – 6</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Barry kept the ball well but didn’t pressurise the ball enough. To be fair to both Barry and McCarthy, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> didn’t play a number 10 – an excellent tactic in retrospect because it cancelled out both as they were too deep. <p></p></span></p>
<h4><b><span><span>Aiden McGeady</span> – 5</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>An incredibly frustrating performance from the winger especially with the few flashes of brilliance that he showed; his corner for the disallowed goal and assist for <span>Steven Naismith</span>.<p></p></span></p>
<h4><b><span>Steven Naismith – 8</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Speaking of Steven Naismith, what a performance. Disappointingly the result didn’t match Naismith’s excellent display. Up against two tough centre-halves in <span>Gary Cahill</span> and <span>John Terry</span>, and one of the strongest defensive midfielders in world football, the Scot was in for a tough evening but this is a completely different player to twelve months ago. <p></p></span></p>
<h4><b><span>Kevin Mirallas – 8</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>The biggest attacking threat for the Toffees yesterday, with his pace and skill he worried the Chelsea defence every time he had the ball. I can’t recall the Belgian winning too many headers in his Everton career but you wouldn’t have guessed that with his Tim Cahill-esque finish. Much improved from last week and now not only looks up to speed but one of the sharpest in Blue.<p></p></span></p>
<h4><b><span><span>Romelu Lukaku</span> – 6</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Lukaku did have some involvement in Everton’s play but Terry and Cahill defended and marked him extremely well which didn’t allow the Belgian to be on the end of too many chances.<p></p></span></p>
<h4><b><span>Subs</span></b></h4>
<h4><b><span>Samuel Eto’o (Aiden McGeady 70’) – 7</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Disbanded any fears that the three-time Champions League winner is finished, in his first 20 minute spell in an Everton shirt. Took his goal well and hopefully his effort levels won’t deteriorate when it’s not his debut and against his former club; possibly trying to prove to Jose Mourinho he isn’t too old. <p></p></span></p>
<h4><b><span>Muhamed Besic (Romelu Lukaku 89’) – N/A</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Usually for a player who comes on in the 89<sup>th</sup> minute, I’d say ‘it wasn’t enough time for him to have a real impact on the game’ but wow. Not the first touch of the ball in the Premier League that Besic would have wanted and if his nonchalance is anything to go by, there won’t be a dull moment with this lad around.<p></p></span></p>
<h4><b><span>Everton Man of the Match: Steven Naismith</span></b></h4>
<p><span>If ever a performance deserved a goal, it was Steven Naismith’s – actually it deserved to be on the winning side, and if it weren’t for defensive errors it would have been. Naismith has now scored three goals in three games and may long that continue throughout the season. Naismith took his goal well with cool composure – something that he has gained with his new found confidence. Naismith hassled the Chelsea defence and centre midfielders all game by pressurising and gave the seven of them problems when they had the ball and also when</span><span> </span><span>he had it. Mirallas, McCarthy or Baines could have been giving the man of the match but I thought Naismith just edged it through effort and end product. Attacking wise, it was a good performance from Everton and the interplay between the attacking options is promising going forward but what is a concern, uncharacteristically is the defence which will have to be addressed during the international break. The Toffees also showed good character, which Steven Naismith epitomised, because there would have been a completed comeback if not for so many individual errors in defence. </span></p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2014/8/31/6089277/everton-3-6-chelsea-player-ratingsseanferguson2014-08-30T19:43:56+01:002014-08-30T19:43:56+01:00Everton 3 - 6 Chelsea: Match Report
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<figcaption>Laurence Griffiths</figcaption>
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<p>Everton's defensive woes continue in a thriller at Goodison Park</p> <p>Everton suffered from a terrible start as Chelsea showed their class at Goodison Park to win an amazing show of football at Goodison Park.</p>
<p>The Londoners had taken an early lead through goals from Diego Costa and Branislav Ivanovic before Kevin Mirallas brought Everton back in to the game with a header before half time. Samuel Eto'o and Steven Naismith scored for Everton in the second half, but an own goal from Seamus Coleman and then further goals from Nemanja Matic and Diego Costa saw Chelsea get their third win of the season.</p>
<p>The Londoners were ahead inside 30 seconds as Cesc Fabregas played in Diego Costa and he fired powerfully past Tim Howard. They doubled their lead just minutes later as the ball fell to Branislav Ivanovic and he finished past Howard, despite replays showing him to be offside.</p>
<p>Everton thought they had a goal back on 16 minutes though, as Romelu Lukaku thundered a header against the bar and Sylvain Distin turned it home only to discover the assistant referee flagging for offside. The Blues rallied and came at Chelsea, with Steven Naismith having a shot blocked and Eden Hazard lucky not to give away a penalty in the same move.</p>
<p>Chelsea could have been three goals ahead before the break, as Phil Jagielka lost out to Matic and slipped in Costa, but Distin had stepped out and caught the Spaniard offside, with replays showing he was actually onside. It would be Everton to score before the break though, as Seamus Coleman whipped in a cross from the right and Kevin Mirallas rose highest to header superbly past Courtois.</p>
<p>The second half would prove to be as frantic as the first. Everton started brightly, but soon found themselves 3-1 down courtesy of a Coleman own goal. Hazard managed to run past McCarthy and see off Coleman, with his shot taking a wicked deflection and curling inside the goal. Not to be deterred, Everton soon had the score at 2-3 as Aiden McGeady played in Naismith and he took a touch before finishing expertly past the keeper'.</p>
<p>Samuel Eto'o would then replace McGeady, but Chelsea re-opened their two-goal lead as Matic was allowed space 20 yards from goal and he fired at goal, with it taking a deflection to head past Howard. Two minutes later and Everton had it in the net again, and it was debutant Eto'o to grab it, as he headed superbly to pull Everton back in to the game once more.</p>
<p>However, Everton's defence had let them down since the opening day and it would let them down twice again before the game was done. Firstly Costa was not sent off for a dive, before a quick one-two saw Ramires free in the box and he fired in to the far corner to leave the score at 3-5. Martinez soon brought on Muhamed Besic and it was him that ended the game as a contest, as his first touch gave the ball straight to Chelsea who broke and Costa rounded Distin and finished past Howard to leave the final score at 3-6.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A fantastic and somewhat crazy game at Goodison Park, but once again poor defending from Everton costs them the points, despite scoring three at home. They head in to the international break needing serious work on the defence.</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2014/8/30/6087221/everton-3-6-chelsea-match-reportSean_Lunt2014-08-30T19:24:58+01:002014-08-30T19:24:58+01:00Instant Reaction: What the &$^# was that?
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<figcaption>Laurence Griffiths</figcaption>
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<p>Chelsea defeated Everton in game that featured nine goals, no defending, and some shoddy officiating.</p> <p>What occurred between Everton and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> at Goodison Park was one of the weirdest and wildest games I've ever watched.</p>
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<li><span>Well, that's a 'wonderful' start. Cesc Fàbregas slices apart the Everton defense with a wonderful pass and Diego Costa beats <span>Tim Howard</span>. Good lord.</span></li>
<li><span>ANOTHER FUCKING GOAL?!! Three minutes played and it's 2-0. Wow. This is awful. Doesn't help either that Branislav Ivanović was offside.</span></li>
<li><span>Could someone please get the license plate of the giant yellow bus that just ran us over?</span></li>
<li><span>7' - Tim Howard gets a huge break after handling the ball outside the box. Should've been a red card.</span></li>
<li><span>8' - Everton on the break, options to the left and right and <span>Kevin Mirallas</span> kicks it right into a defender. Come on Kev</span></li>
<li><span>Anyone else getting tired of Phil Jagielka's mistakes?</span></li>
<li><span>Everton score but <span>Sylvain Distin</span> offside. It's just gonna be one of those days.</span></li>
<li><span>The positive thing is that Everton are fighting back after the horrific start. No heads down, just playing hard and putting pressure on Chelsea.</span></li>
<li><span>SUPER KEVIN MIRALLAS!!!! 2-1 just before the halftime break. Game on!</span></li>
<li><span>56' - <span>Diego Costa's</span> temper shows up, gotta exploit that.</span></li>
<li><span>Great pressure, building pressure...terrible corner by Mirallas. Ugh.</span></li>
<li><span>And everything positive that Everton has been doing evaporates as <span>Eden Hazard</span> centers a ball from the end line that deflects off <span>Seamus Coleman</span> and fools Tim Howard. Howard follows that up by losing his mind and going after Diego Costa. 'Great' sequence.</span></li>
<li><span>STEVEN NAISMITH!!! GAME BACK ON!!!</span></li>
<li><span>This game is bonkers.</span></li>
<li><span><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton's</a> defense is terrible. 4-2 Chelsea. Nobody closes him down, Jags and Distin just stand there and let Matic dribble and dance in front of them. Pathetic.</span></li>
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<span>THIS GAME IS NOT REAL!!! SAMUEL ETO'O</span><span>'O</span><span>'O</span><span>'O</span><span>'O</span><span>'O AND IT'S 4-3 CHELSEA! GAME BACK ON YET AGAIN!!</span>
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<li><span>NOW PLAY SOME FUCKING DEFENSE!!</span></li>
<li><span>Nope. 5-3 Chelsea. This is the weirdest game I've seen in a long time.</span></li>
<li><span>I really don't understand what is going on in this game. Both teams are so good on the attack and neither defense is handling it well. Jags and Distin are looking OLD today.</span></li>
<li><span>How in the hell did <span>Thibaut Courtois</span> get a finger on that Mirallas shot? Oh yeah, he's the best goalkeeper in the world. That's why.</span></li>
<li><span>I love love love Everton's desire and fight in this game. Despite the terrible defensive performance, I'm just not that demoralized by the result. If David Moyes was still the head coach, Everton would have lost 5-0 and rolled over and shown Chelsea their bellies after the awful start.</span></li>
<li><span>More comical defending at Diego Costa makes it 6-3. Geez. It's like tennis.</span></li>
<li>I just don't know anymore. 10 goals in three games. That's really bad.</li>
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https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2014/8/30/6086737/everton-chelsea-2014-epl-instant-reactionZach Woosley2014-08-30T16:45:02+01:002014-08-30T16:45:02+01:00Everton v Chelsea: Live Gamethread
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<figcaption>Clive Brunskill</figcaption>
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<p>After a frustrating first two games <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> will hope to kick-start their season against <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> at Goodison Park on Saturday night.</p>
<p>The Toffees have a good recent record at home to Chelsea in recent seasons, with four victories in their last five games against the Londoners on Merseyside.</p>
<p>Eleven months ago Everton really got their season started with a hard earned 1-0 win over Chelsea thanks to Steven Naismith's goal. It ended a run of three successive draws and set us up for what became a hugely successful and exciting season. A similar result this time would be most welcome.</p>
<p>However, it will certainly be a tough assignment this evening, with Chelsea boasting an impressive and hugely talented squad and a 100% record in the Premier League so far this season.</p>
<p>They will also be coming up against a couple of familiar faces, with new signing Samuel Eto'o and <span>Romelu Lukaku</span> set to face their old side for the first time.</p>
<p>We will bring all the team news as soon as we have it but in the mean time please send us your comments, thoughts and feelings about the game in the comments section below.</p>
<p>COYB!</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2014/8/30/6085895/everton-v-chelsea-live-gamethreadTom Mallows2014-08-29T21:27:22+01:002014-08-29T21:27:22+01:003 Keys to Everton Victory Over Chelsea
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<figcaption>Scott Heavey</figcaption>
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<p>Defense, Chelsea striker issues, and playing a full 90 are the keys to a win.</p> <p>Jose Mourinho brings his <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> squad to Goodison Park on Saturday to face off against Roberto Martinez's Everton team, the toughest competion they have faced yet. Here are some keys to a win for Everton in the "Battle of the Blues".</p>
<p><b>Fix the defensive problems.</b></p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p>Chelsea are one of the favorites to win the Premier League, thanks in large part to reinforcements in attack, especially with the acquisitions of striker <span>Diego Costa</span> and midfielder Cesc Fabregas. Everton has struggled on defense in the first two matches, and will need to find a solution if they want to walk off the pitch with a positive result.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton's</a> center-back tandem of <span>Phil Jagielka</span> and <span>Sylvain Distin</span> both played well in the first half of last week's game, but both were at fault for <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/">Arsenal's</a> goals. Martinez will have to think about starting youngster <span>John Stones</span> or at least substituting him for the aging Distin in the second half.</p>
<p><b>Take advantage of various Chelsea striker issues.</b></p>
<p>According to reports, Costa suffered a hamstring injury in training, and it is not known if he will be available for selection on Saturday. Although the name Didier Drogba may not hold as much weight as it did a few years ago, the Chelsea forward can be dangerous near goal.</p>
<p><span>Fernando Torres</span> has been loaned to AC Milan and will not play in the match.</p>
<p>Drogba has returned to Chelsea, where he led the Blues to a Premier League title in the 2009-10 season, but at age 36 he is not the threat he once was.</p>
<p>Although the Chelsea forward camp may be depleted, there are other attacking options for Mourinho such as Fabregas, Oscar, and Eden Hazard. Everton need to limit their chances if they want to prevail.</p>
<p><b>Everton must finish the match.</b></p>
<p>The first two weeks of the 2014-15 season saw Everton leads slip away late in the game. The blame has been placed everywhere from the center-backs to Martinez himself.</p>
<p>Lingering injuries and issues with early-season fitness that plague every team have been especially harsh for Everton. Seamus Coleman was able to come back from a preseason knock and score a goal against Arsenal. Steven Pienaar wasn't so lucky, he suffered a groin injury in the 10<sup>th</sup> minute of last week's match and won't play tomorrow. <span>Romelu Lukaku</span> went into last week's game with a toe problem, from which he has reportedly recovered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Martinez was called out for not making timely substitutions in the first two matches, resulting in a tired team and the late equalizers. Look for some young faces to shore up the attack and defense late in the contest. Muhamed Besic and John Stones could be late-game substitutions. While not a young face, new transfer and ex-Chelsea player Samuel Eto'o has said that he wants to play against his former club. Martinez must make first-rate decisions regarding his team if he wants three points against a first-rate Chelsea side.</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2014/8/29/6084053/3-keys-to-everton-victory-over-chelseaSean Yancy2014-08-29T12:00:02+01:002014-08-29T12:00:02+01:00Everton Look to Rebound Against Chelsea
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<figcaption>Laurence Griffiths</figcaption>
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<p>Everton take on Chelsea at Goodison Park as Romelu Lukaku and Samuel Eto'o take on their former club for the first time this season</p> <p>
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<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton's</a> season has not gone as many have expected thus far, having given up late equalizers in two consecutive games. The Toffees will look to get their season back on track as they host Chelsea at Goodison Park. This game will mark the first time that record signing Romelu Lukaku will take on his former club since joining the Merseyside club. Their opponent will likely be without their marquee striker, Deigo Costa and will need to take advantage of this and secure three points for the first time this season.</p>
<h3>Team News</h3>
<p>The biggest news of the week has been the <a href="http://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2014/8/26/6069333/samuel-etoo-signs-two-year-everton-deal">signing of Samuel Eto'o</a> to a two-year deal. Eto'o has said that he would like to debut against his old club, but the team will assess his fitness before making a final decision. <a href="http://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2014/8/28/6074623/etoo-move-could-be-a-smart-deal-for-everton">This should prove to be a smart signing</a> and gives the Toffees some much needed depth at the striker position.</p>
<p><span>Steven Pienaar</span> will not play in this weekend's match after suffering a groin injury ten minutes into the match against <a href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Arsenal</a>. <span>Roberto Martinez</span> has not said how long the South African will be out for, but hopefully it will not be long as Pienaar had an excellent start to the campaign against <a href="https://fosseposse.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Leicester City</a>.</p>
<p><span>Romelu Lukaku</span> also suffered a toe injury during the Arsenal match but has responded well to treatment and may be available for selection on Saturday. Midfielder Darron Gibson has been declared fully fit and will be available for selection.</p>
<p>New Chelsea signing <span>Diego Costa</span> suffered a hamstring injury in training this week and is questionable to travel to Merseyside this weekend. If the injury proves to be more than a strain, this could be a huge blow for <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chelsea's</a> attack as the Spaniard has scored in the team's first two matches.</p>
<h3><span>What to Watch For</span></h3>
<p>The ability to close out games has been a big concern for the Toffees as they conceded late goals in two consecutive matches. The team will need to tighten up defensively as they are facing a Chelsea squad that is dangerous on the attack. Even if Costa is unable to play, the presence of Cesc Fabregas and <span>Eden Hazard</span> will keep the back four busy throughout the match. Fabregas has been excellent since joining Chelsea from Barcelona and has already tallied three assists in two games.</p>
<p>Expect Romelu Lukaku to be highly motivated and looking to score in this match. The Belgian is no doubt looking for revenge against his former club and will be eager to show Jose Mourinho that he made a mistake by letting him leave during the summer. Lukaku has been inconsistent in his first two matches and has not had the start that Evertonians were hoping for. Assuming he has fully recovered from his toe injury, Lukaku should be a threat in the box throughout the match.</p>
<p><span>Steven Naismith</span> has been on a tear to start the season having scored in Everton's last two matches. The Scot has been one of the team's most dangerous players in the offensive third and has done a fantastic job of capitalizing on his scoring opportunities. Since being moved to the middle of the pitch, Naismith seems much more comfortable and has been able to positively effect the game. With Ross Barkley out for the foreseeable future, Naismith will need to continue his excellent run of form and pick up some of the scoring slack that Barkley would normally be able to provide.</p>
<h3>Match Facts</h3>
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<ul>
<li><span>Since 2010, Everton have had some success against Chelsea with a record of 4-2-4 in league matches. </span></li>
<li><span>Everton have not scored more than two goals against Chelsea since 2009-10 when the teams played to a 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge</span></li>
<li><span>Three of the last five matches between the two clubs have seen a goal scored within seven minutes of the opening kick-off</span></li>
<li><span>In their two matchups last season, each team won their home game, both games ended with a scoreline of 1-0. </span></li>
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