Chelsea vs. Everton
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Kick off: 1:30PM
Chelsea are looking to avoid an unwanted record when they play host to Everton at Stamford Bridge Sinday’s lunchtime, a fortnight on from a shock defeat in their opening home match.
The reigning champions of England’s top flight have never previously lost their opening two games on their own patch, something the unbeaten Toffees will aim to rewrite as they head to West London.
Defeats in the Community Shield to Arsenal and their Premier League opener against Burnley, the latter sending shockwaves through the division, led to suggestions in the press that Antonio Conte – incredibly – could become the first manager to depart his position, three months on from their magical title success.
Now the champions must get back on track at Stamford Bridge, as they aim to avoid back-to-back league defeats there for the first time since November 2011, while going further back they have not kicked off their home league campaign with successive home losses since 1978.
With Arsenal and Manchester City to come following the international break, though, Conte will know that anything less than the full three points against Everton will plunge further doubt over his future, particularly if he misses out on the transfer targets he so desperately wants before next Thursday’s deadline.
Meanwhile, the mood is much more positive on the blue half of Merseyside at the moment, though that is not to say that Toffees boss Ronald Koeman does not have any complaints, having taken a swipe at Premier League officials for their fixture scheduling.
Chelsea possible XI: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Luiz, Rudiger; Moses, Bakayoko, Kante, Alonso; Fabregas, Willian; Morata
Everton possible XI: Pickford; Keane, Williams, Jagielka; Holgate, Gueye, Davies, Baines; Calvert-Lewin, Sigurdsson, Rooney.