Antonio
Conte has a full squad to pick from for Chelsea's crucial trip to face
Everton on
Super Sunday.
The Blues play at Goodison Park in the first installment of Super Sunday
before Premier League title rivals Tottenham take on north London rivals
Arsenal at White Hart Lane.
Chelsea, who are four points clear of Spurs with five games remaining game,
face arguably their toughest game of the run-in at Everton and Conte is not
underestimating the Toffees pose.
"Everton are a really good team, a strong team with great players in their
squad, good quality. A physical team also," said Conte.
"They have a good manager and play exciting football. For sure it will be a
really tough game for us but at the end of the season, I think every game
becomes tough for many different reasons.
"When they play at home they are strong. For us it is very important to look
at ourselves, to prepare very well for this type of game."
Meanwhile, Everton manager Ronald Koeman has called on his side to refocus
and finish the season strongly after a poor performance in a 0-0 draw with
West Ham last weekend.
"Maybe we need to change our mentality a bit because I felt a bit less
intensity in the game last week, maybe a bit less motivation.
"It is always difficult if you have already the seventh position in the
pocket and maybe they get a little bit more holiday or end-of-season
feeling.
"That is what I don't like. We like to keep momentum at home, we are strong
at home and we know what we need (to do) to face the best team of the
Premier League."
Team news
Everton have Enner Valencia available after the striker was ineligible to
face parent club West Ham last week.
None of the Toffees' injured stars are ready to return, however.
Midfielder Muhamed Besic is building up his fitness after a year out with a
serious knee injury but James McCarthy (hamstring), Ramiro Funes Mori,
Yannick Bolasie (both knee), Seamus Coleman (broken leg) and Aaron Lennon
all remain sidelined.
Conte is expected to continue with his tried and tested regulars as his side
edge ever close to the Premier League title, and that means Hazard and Costa
look set to start.
Opta stats
Everton have won five of their last seven Premier League games against
Chelsea at Goodison Park (L2), two more than they recorded in their previous
17 in the competition.
Only against Tottenham (92) have Chelsea scored more Premier League goals
than versus Everton (80).
Diego Costa has been directly involved in six goals in four Premier League
appearances against Everton (four goals, two assists).
Following his midweek brace against Southampton, Diego Costa now has 19
Premier League goals in 2016-17. Without these goals, Chelsea would be 15
points worse off than they are and no player has seen their goals win more
points for their side than Costa this season.
Cesc Fabregas has had a hand in eight goals in his last seven games against
the Toffees in the top-flight (four goals, four assists).
Romelu Lukaku has failed to score in all five of his previous outings
against his former club Chelsea in the Premier League, attempting 12 shots
(incl. blocks) in the process.
Overall during his Premier League career, Romelu Lukaku has scored against
23 of the 29 different teams he's faced in the competition. This season
alone he's scored against 13 different teams in the Premier League.
Lukaku has scored in all nine of Everton's competitive home matches in 2017
so far (14 goals). The only player to go on a longer streak of scoring in
consecutive home matches for Everton is Dixie Dean; who scored in 12
successive home games for the Toffees between October 1930 and February
1931.
Everton are currently enjoying an eight-game winning run at home - their
longest such streak in the Premier League. They last had a longer run in the
top flight between December 1986 and April 1987 (10 wins).
Chelsea have won 78 points from their 33 Premier League games so far. This
is the eighth occasion that a side has won 78+ points from 33 games in the
competition and half of those have been by Chelsea (Chelsea - four times,
Manchester United - three times, Arsenal - once).
Should Chelsea win their remaining five Premier League matches of the
season, they will finish the campaign on 93 points. This would be the
second-best points tally by a side in a Premier League season, after Chelsea
in 2004-05 (95).
Merson's prediction
Tottenham were the better side in the FA Cup semi-final but Chelsea were so
clinical. They have scored four goals in consecutive games, beating a very
good side in Spurs and a good one in Southampton.
It was a massive football result at Stamford Bridge, but fair play to
Tottenham, they responded at Selhurst Park.
Everton are a weird team. They get to a certain stage, you think they're set
to kick on for a top four or top-five place, and they just melt away.
A few weeks ago they were flying, went to Middlesbrough and drew 0-0. Then
they were flying again and got well beaten by Tottenham. And then they were
flying again, go to West Ham and draw 0-0.
They have not taken that next step and I worry for them. It will be a
competitive game but Chelsea should have too much.
PAUL PREDICTS: 1-2 (Sky Bet odds 15/2)
top