Chelsea have a fantastic chance to extend or at least maintain their lead at the top of the Premier League table as they host disappointing Everton.
The song has been the same all season long: Chelsea have been dominant, and Everton more than vaguely disappointing. That was the tune that was sung when Everton hosted Chelsea in August, and Chelsea strolled away 6-3 winners that day.
Everton are looking to change the melody today, as the head to London to face the runaway league leaders. It's a tremendously difficult task they have ahead of them if they want to get any points out of this match, and Chelsea will be doing everything they can to make it harder on them. The London club have a chance to extend their lead atop the table with Manchester City slumping and facing a difficult road match at Stoke, and you know Jose Mourinho's men will be looking to take full advantage of that opportunity.
Key player - Romelu Lukaku (Everton)
The one shaky spot in Chelsea's side lately has been whichever center back partners John Terry. Gary Cahill is a decent player, but has limitations against better strikers. Kurt Zouma has buckets of talent and athleticism, but lacks consistency and experience at the highest levels of the game. Either way, if Lukaku can manage to isolated against him and avoid Terry, he could have fun, and Everton along with him. That's easier said than done, but enabling that should be a focus of Everton's attack if they want to have as good a chance at causing an upset as they can get.
Key Matchup - Nemanja Matic (Chelsea) vs. Ross Barkley (Everton)
One of the myriad of reasons that Everton haven't lived up to expectations this season is because Barkley has taken a step back from where he was a year ago, depriving Everton of the attacking and creative quality through the middle they were hoping for. When he's had good days, Everton has tended to do well, but those good days have been too few and too far between.
Matic, on the other hand, has been a tremendous success for Chelsea this season, with a long string of successful matches behind him. He's the one who will be tasked with keeping Barkley in check, and his physical brand of defensive football in midfield is the exact foil that Barkley has struggled with all season. If Matic can lock Barkley down, Everton will, as has been too normal this season, struggle to play fluid attacking football.
Chelsea injuries and suspensions
Out: John Obi Mikel (knee) In doubt: Filipe Luis (calf), Cesc Fabregas (hamstring)
Everton injuries and suspensions
Out: Aiden McGeady (knee), Steven Pienaar (knee), Leon Osman (ankle) In doubt: Steven Naismith (neck), Tim Howard (calf), Leighton Baines (knee), Muhamed Besic (knock)
Match Date/Time: Wednesday, 7:45 P.M. local, 2:45 P.M. ET
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London, England
TV: NBCSN (U.S. - English), BT Sport 1 (U.K.), TSN4 (Canada)
Online: NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S.)
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