Awful Sean Dyche record surely has to improve in Everton v Chelsea
Everton and the club’s supporters are still seething as result of the 10-point deduction handed out for a breach of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
And it is easy to empathise, it seemed a punishment plucked purely out of thin air with no real justification for the decision that was reached.
But, amid the anger, there has been a real steely resolve shown by the Toffees, from the supporters, to the players, to the coaching staff, and the manager himself Sean Dyche.
It would have been easy to wilt in the situation, blame external forces, and go down with a whimper. Instead, and much to their credit, Everton have shown outstanding resolve.
They lost their first game after the announcement 3-0 to Manchester United but put in a genuinely spirited performance.
A 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest lifted the mood and an outstanding 3-0 triumph over Newcastle United on Thursday lifted Everton back out of the relegation and into 17th.
Indeed, had they not had their points deduction, Everton would be sitting pretty in 10th position in the Premier League and above their opponents on Sunday (10 December) Chelsea.
So, forgive me now for bringing things back crashing to reality just a little bit, it’s not something I want to do at all.
But the fact is, Dyche has a pretty honking record against the Blues as a manager. From 16 career games against them, Dyche has lost 11, drawn five, and won only once (Transfermarkt).
On the face of it, it doesn’t make for particularly great reading and yet now feels like the perfect opportunity to improve that individual record.
Chelsea have been hugely inconsistent under Mauricio Pochettino, losing six of 15 Premier League matches, winning five and drawing four.
A decidedly mixed bag and they were hugely underwhelming in going down 2-1 to Manchester United in midweek.
No one is going to pretend Everton are in for an easy ride at Goodison Park, but a noisy home crowd that has been really galvanised and pulling in the right direction is sure to make it a tricky afternoon for Chelsea.
It all points to the fact that there is no better time for Dyche to improve his record against Chelsea than now.
In other Everton news, James Garner and Amadou Onana could return against Chelsea.