Chelsea vs Everton preview: Blues aiming to end dry patch against in-form Toffees

Seeking to snap a run of four matches across all competitions without a win, Chelsea entertain Everton in Saturday’s Premier League meeting.

While the hosts have endured a torrid run of results of late, the visitors have been flying and will head to Stamford Bridge in search of a fifth win in six matches.

Chelsea’s 3-0 triumph over Barcelona towards the end of November was by far their most impressive display of the campaign, but results since then have severely dampened the mood.

Enzo Maresca’s men drew 1-1 against league leaders Arsenal in their subsequent outing before suffering defeats against Leeds United and Atalanta, on either side of a goalless stalemate against Bournemouth.

The Blues’ dry spell has left them with work to do on the domestic and continental fronts, as they have now dropped to fifth in the Premier League table.

Meanwhile, their current 13th-place ranking in the Champions League is only good enough for a place in the knockout play-off round.

Chelsea have not gone five games across all competitions without a win since the disastrous 2022-23 campaign, and their recent record against Everton suggests that this is likely to continue.

Saturday’s hosts are unbeaten in the last three meetings between the teams, during which they have also kept three clean sheets.

Sitting just two points adrift of Chelsea ahead of this weekend’s meeting, Everton are well in contention for a place in Europe, thanks in no small part to their resurgence since the beginning of last month.

Saturday’s 3-0 demolition of Nottingham Forest means David Moyes’s men have now picked up 13 of the last 18 points available, after collecting just five from a possible 18 prior to that.

It is no surprise that Moyes is now dreaming of returning the Toffees to the continental scene after a seven-year absence.

Everton will have the opportunity to further showcase their European credentials at an opposing ground where they have not fared well.

Saturday’s visitors have failed to win a league game at Stamford Bridge since 1994.