Credit: Imago

Samuel Fabre

Thu 19 March 2026 8:10, UK

David Moyes could leave Tim Iroegbunam out when Everton host Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.

Everton have won two of their last three Premier League games, beating Newcastle and Burnley, but falling short away at Arsenal last time out.

The result has left them in eighth place, and they’re in a great position to qualify for European football for the first time in nine years.

Several players have stepped up this season, and while Moyes is doing a terrific job, his side hasn’t performed consistently for a sustained run of games.

Although Iroegbunam played well in Everton’s 2-0 loss to Arsenal, he could drop to the bench at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Jarrad Branthwaite to replace Tim Iroegbunam vs Chelsea

Jarrad Branthwaite was ruled out of the Arsenal match at the last minute, but he could return to action this weekend.

Although Moyes didn’t clarify why, the 23-year-old was dearly missed, as his athleticism has been pivotal to Everton’s form in the last month.

According to Sofascore, the English defender has won 77.4 per cent of his aerial duels, and up against Chelsea’s Joao Pedro, he’ll need to be at his best.

It’s unclear if he is fully fit just yet, but Moyes might consider risking him in order to play James Garner in midfield, meaning Iroegbunam would drop out of the team.

The young midfielder has deputised well, but it’s clear that Everton lacks Garner’s influence on the ball when he isn’t playing alongside Idrissa Gana Gueye.

As a result, Jake O’Brien would move to right-back, leaving Branthwaite and Michael Keane partnered together in central defence.

The rest of the team should remain unchanged, and Moyes needs his core group of players to start improving at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Why Everton beating Chelsea could change their season

Following their 2-0 win against Burnley at the start of the month, Everton are looking to win consecutive Premier League games at the Hill Dickinson Stadium for the first time.

This is the latest into a Premier League campaign they’ve not won consecutive home games since 2014-15 (April).

The Toffees haven’t beaten a team in L4 that is currently in the top half of the table, which has been a big detriment to their European ambitions.

Despite registering big scalps away to the likes of Man United and Aston Villa, they haven’t reached those heights at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

However, Everton face a Chelsea side that have lost their last three matches in all competitions, and they’ll feel that they could cause Liam Rosenior’s side some serious problems.

If the Toffees manage to secure all three points, not only would it be a huge boost to their European hopes, but it would be the biggest win in their new ground so far.

And that could give them a lot of momentum going into the final weeks of the season.