Credit: Manh Tung - Breaking Media

Samuel Fabre

Thu 19 March 2026 13:10, UK

Everton are aiming to strengthen their European ambitions when they face Chelsea at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday.

David Moyes’ side haven’t played European football since 2017-18, but they’ve shown multiple times this season that they have the resolve to be competing in the top half.

The Toffees currently sit eighth in the Premier League, and their recent wins over Newcastle and Burnley have solidified their place in the European spots.

Up next for them is Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea, who have lost their last three games in all competitions.

Everton’s clash with Chelsea will have huge ramifications for both sides, although it’s understandable why the hosts are going into the match as slight underdogs.

Chelsea predicted as slight favourites vs Everton

The last meeting between both sides ended 2-0 to Chelsea, with Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto finding themselves on the scoresheet.

In fact, Everton have failed to score in 12 of their last 19 Premier League games against Chelsea, including each of the last four in a row.

According to Opta, Everton are set for more misery against the Blues.

• Chelsea have been given a 40.9 per cent chance of winning
• Everton has a 33.4 per cent chance of securing all three points
• A draw has been given a 25.7 per cent probability of occurring

Following their 2-0 win in December, Chelsea are looking to complete the league double over Everton for the first time since 2016-17.

The supercomputer’s prediction shows that Rosenior’s side are likely to end that streak, but they have flaws of their own.

Having kept a clean sheet in their first league game under Rosenior (2-0 win versus Brentford), the Blues have now conceded in each of their last eight.

Everton have also lost just one of their last eight Premier League home games against Chelsea, which shows how close Saturday’s encounter will be.

Why James Garner will be the key for Everton in both boxes vs Chelsea

Garner has been Everton’s best player in 2025-26, with his versatility at both right-back and central midfield proving extremely crucial.

The utility man has made a combined 138 tackles (89) and interceptions (49) in the Premier League this season, more than any other player.

He also leads all Everton players for chances created (43) and successful passes (1,213), while only Jack Grealish (six) has more assists (five).

The Sofascore graphic above illustrates his impressive performance in the loss to Arsenal on Saturday, and his performance was certainly no anomaly.

Chelsea have conceded nine goals in their last three matches, which shows how tough they might find it to keep the Toffees at bay.

With Garner on the ball, the Blues will need to close him down quickly if they want to prevent him from creating several good opportunities for Everton.