Gabby Agbonlahor stunned by ‘wild’ Everton news as Chelsea slammed after defeat at Goodison Park
What Everton are achieving this season compared to Chelsea is “wild” in light of the spending at Stamford Bridge, according to Gabby Agbonlahor.
The talkSPORT pundit said live on the station (11 December) that it was “incredible” for the Toffees to be just six points behind Mauricio Pochettino’s side, despite a 10-point penalty, after their 2-0 victory at Goodison Park a day earlier.
The former Aston Villa striker slammed Chelsea, saying they “get away with” criticism after spending around a billion pounds in the past couple of seasons, as he and Andy Goldstein were blown away by how well Sean Dyche has done at Goodison Park in the opposite circumstances.
Goldstein said of Chelsea: “They’re 12th on 19 points right? Everton, who of course beat them at the weekend, have had 10 points deducted. They’re just six points behind.”
“It’s incredible. It’s wild,” said Agabonlahor.
“Isn’t that incredible?” repeated Goldstein, “Because everyone’s going ‘Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea,’ but we should pat Everton on the back because from where they were, 10 points deducted, now they’re out of the bottom three. Unbelievable.”
Put to shame
Putting aside the fact that Everton have often been able to upset Chelsea at home even when the Londoners were serial trophy winners the numbers involved in the two clubs’ recent fortunes are stark.
Dyche has had to make do or go without at Goodison while Kevin Thelwell tried to bring in reinforcements without upsetting the perilous profit and sustainability situation, and yet he has now fashioned a unit that is showing all of the qualities that were hoped for when he took the job just under a year ago.
It looked touch and go at times last season but this is unquestionably a Dyche side now, and despite being formed on a tiny fraction of the budget of their opponents they appeared far more cohesive and united than Chelsea at the weekend, as goals from Abdoulaye Doucouré and a first for Lewis Dobbin took the points.
Were it not for the deduction Dyche would be comfortably ahead of Pochettino, and despite the unfortunate outcome against Manchester United on 26 November he has responded to the punishment being imposed by maintaining the sort of form that has prevented it from meaning almost-certain relegation.
The manager, as with the fans, is hardly content to just accept such a sizeable blow purely on the grounds that they are currently good enough to overcome it, but five wins and a draw in the past seven Premier League games is impressive.
Six points with five goals scored and none conceded in back-to-back home wins against two of the most financially formidable teams in the league, with a 3-0 midweek against Newcastle aos included in that run, is a testament to Dyche and his players.
And if they continue it won’t just be Chelsea who will look distinctly lacking in comparison.
In other Everton news, the bidding is predicted to start at a minimum of £50million for a target within the Toffees squad.