Jack Grealish rare shining light, 3/10 must be axed now – Everton ratings vs Chelsea
Everton crashed back down to earth with a defeat against Chelsea on Saturday.
David Moyes was not happy as the Toffees lost 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on 13 December, with goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto enough for all three points.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was forced off injured with a hamstring issue early on, with Thomas Tuchel watching on ahead of the World Cup next year.
After a positive few weeks, it was a reality check for the Blues.
Jack Grealish shines at Stamford Bridge
Jack Grealish impressed in the final third when on the ball, especially as Everton dominated a spell just before half-time at Stamford Bridge.
The England international completed all of his dribble attempts and attracted three fouls, as he does, and would have scored if not for a good save from Robert Sanchez.
In a reflection of the game and result, it was an average performance from Grealish, but he was one of the few to do enough to catch the eye.
With Grealish looking to impress Tuchel for an England spot in the 2026 World Cup, Palmer scoring likely ended those wishes ahead of him.
Jake O’Brien not good enough
O’Brien was called out for his attacking quality consistently at Stamford Bridge, with far too much responsibility on those in the final third.
The Irish international started at right-back once again, but that experiment simply needs to end.
Not only did he fail with three out of four crosses, but O’Brien also failed with 57 per cent of his long passes at Stamford Bridge (Sofascore).
Losing possession 17 times as well, Moyes has to watch the performance of O’Brien on Saturday and not only drop him, but make a new right-back a priority in the January transfer window for Everton.
Everton player ratings vs Chelsea
Jordan Pickford – 5
Jake O’Brien – 3
James Tarkowski – 6
Michael Keane – 6
Vitalii Mykolenko – 5
Idrissa Gueye – 6
James Garner – 7
Iliman Ndiaye – 6
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – 5
Jack Grealish – 7
Thierno Barry – 4
Substitutes
Carlos Alcaraz – 5
Beto – 5
Tyler Dibling – N/A
Tim Iroegbunam – N/A
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