Chelsea(H)Preview

For the second consecutive week, Everton welcome one of the apparent title favourites to Goodison for a Saturday evening kick-off.

It’s been another busy week in the world of the beautiful Blues. The biggest news was obviously the signing of Samuel Eto’o which, having been rumoured for weeks, was done with the minimum of fuss on Tuesday. It’s been obvious for some time that another forward was a priority, and you certainly can’t argue with Eto’o’s pedigree. He’s a genuine superstar of this generation, has won the lot and played for some of the biggest clubs in the world. Even if his very best days are behind him, it’s a really exciting signing and one which gives Roberto Martinez’s striking options a big boost.

We won’t mention the leather shorts, though.

In addition to that, the League Cup draw saw Everton given an away tie at Swansea – not the easiest, but the sort of tie you’ll get at some point if you want to win the thing – and Friday sees the Europa League draw. Everton will sit in pot 3, meaning their group will theoretically be a tricky one, but you can’t see any of the teams in pots 1 and 2 – even the likes of Inter Milan and Sevilla – fancying coming to Goodison.

As to Saturday, and it’s another big game. Chelsea have looked pretty formidable in their first two games, with new signings Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa to the fore. The signing of Fabregas is a cracker – a top class midfielder who knows the league inside out. Costa, with two in two games, also looks the part, though is rumoured to be missing at the weekend through injury – a boost if true. Regardless of that, though, Chelsea’s squad is excellent and they will be right in there this season, so the Tricky Blues will have to be at their very best to get a result on Saturday.

Roberto Martinez has said that Steven Pienaar will miss out, but Romelu Lukaku should make it. You’d hope we’ll see a fired up Lukaku with a point to prove, especially after some of the things said about him by ultra-snide Jose Mourinho. We keep saying he’s unstoppable on his day, well now it’s time to prove it. Eto’o may also be keen to get one over his old boss, having also been a victim of  some gobbing off last year, but you’d expect he’ll start from the bench.

Martinez has a decision to make in the midfield – will it be a straight swap of Osman for Pienaar, or something a bit different? Given the number of creative players Chelsea have, he may be tempted to stick in Muhamed Besic to do some destroying, for example. Alternatively, will he try to stop Chelsea by attacking them, and include someone like Aiden McGeady? It’s nice to have the options to even be thinking about this.

Whatever team the manager puts out, Saturday will be a tough one – but the recent home record against Chelsea is excellent. They don’t like coming to Goodison, and hopefully this weekend will be no different. In a strange way, it’s the perfect game to follow the frustration of last week, a high profile opponent and perhaps a little less pressure than a game where the Toffees would be expected to win comfortably.

Three points against Chelsea last season kick-started Everton’s season. A repeat on Saturday could well do the same.

The last 5 – Chelsea at home:

1.      2013/14 – Steven Naismith gets the only goal and every Evertonian realises how good Gareth Barry is;

2.       2012/13 – An early Pienaar goal gives the Blues the lead but a combination of bad luck and Frank Lampard’s opportunism lead to an undeserved defeat;

3.       2011/12 – Feed the Straq, feed the Straq… ;

4.       2011/12 (League Cup) – A classic Everton balls up. Jan Mucha chucks one in his own net, Baines misses a pen after Chelsea’s goalie gets sent off and, after Drenthe gets a red for acting the twat, Chelsea get an extra time winner;

5.       2010/11 – Last game of the season, decided by an absolute cracker from Jermaine Beckford.

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