Palmer Poised to Rescue Chelsea After Midweek Meltdown Against Everton
Chelsea are looking to regain their form as they host Everton at Stamford Bridge for this Saturday's Premier League fixture.
The Blues have lost momentum in their title race and are currently on a four-match winless run. Collecting just two points from a possible nine has damaged their prospects of catching league leaders Arsenal, while their midweek loss to Atalanta has hurt their chances of securing a top-eight Champions League spot.
Everton won't be easy opponents as Chelsea seek to return to winning ways, with the Toffees sitting just one point behind the Blues after claiming victory in four of their previous five Premier League outings. Enzo Maresca must emphasize vigilance to his squad before this crucial match.
Here is the formation he might select for Everton's arrival.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Everton (4-2-3-1)
GK: Robert Sánchez—Sánchez earned Chelsea's Premier League Fans' Player of the Month award for November following four clean sheets in six games, though the Spanish keeper, like his colleagues, has struggled more in December.
RB: Malo Gusto—The French defender was limited to substitute appearances in midweek as Trevoh Chalobah moved to right-back, leaving the former Lyon player fresh for the encounter against Everton loanee Jack Grealish.
CB: Trevoh Chalobah—Chalobah will move back to his natural center-back position on Saturday and faces the challenge of containing Everton forward Thierno Barry, who netted his first goal in 17 appearances for the Toffees last weekend.
CB: Wesley Fofana—The French defender was questionable for the Everton match after suffering an eye injury against Atalanta, but Maresca has confirmed his availability for the starting eleven.
LB: Marc Cucurella—The Spanish fullback has been a defensive mainstay for Chelsea this campaign, delivering remarkably steady performances. He'll face a tough test against Iliman Ndiaye on Saturday, however.
DM: Reece James—With Moisés Caicedo completing the final game of his three-match ban, James is expected to feature in defensive midfield again. He delivered another excellent individual performance despite the defeat in Bergamo.
DM: Enzo Fernández—Fernández operated in more attacking areas midweek but failed to create significant impact in Italy. He should drop into a deeper position against Everton with Cole Palmer's return.
AM: Cole Palmer—Chelsea are rightfully taking a measured approach to Palmer's comeback following his extended injury absence. Nevertheless, they desperately need the English playmaker's creative spark, particularly against Everton's resolute defense.
RW: Pedro Neto—Neto's pace and directness should pose serious problems for Everton and specifically Vitaliy Mykolenko. The Portuguese winger has found the net in three of his past five Premier League appearances.
ST: João Pedro—The Brazilian striker is certain to start Saturday following Liam Delap's injury setback and will draw confidence from his midweek goal. Still, he's managed only two Premier League strikes since early September.
LW: Alejandro Garnacho—Jamie Gittens offered little against Atalanta and will surely be dropped for Garnacho in the starting formation versus Everton. The Argentine scored a Puskás Award-winning strike against the Toffees in 2023.
