Chelsea vs Everton
Everton are back in Premier League action this coming Thursday when they face a trip to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have not been in the best of form of late and have shipped more goals than usual.
However, it still seems unlikely that Everton will be able to get anything out of the game.
Barring a 2-1 win against Arsenal because, well, it’s Arsenal, Everton have been on a horrendous run of form which most recently saw them put to the sword by Crystal Palace.
This leaves Everton 14th in the Premier League and in danger of slipping into a relegation battle.
Rafa Benitez appears to hint Everton job is safe
Rafa Benitez would hold his pre-Chelsea press conference on Wednesday.
A main talking point in the presser was, of course, team news. News emerged on Tuesday evening that all of Richarlison, Andros Townsend and Seamus Coleman had picked up issues:
Richarlison has suffered tear to the muscle in his calf and will be out for a number of weeks for Everton. Andros Townsend has a small fracture in his foot and will see a specialist. In addition, Seamus Coleman suffered bone bruising and soft tissue damage.
— paul joyce (@_pauljoyce) December 14, 2021
And, when speaking on Friday, Benitez did confirm that Richarlison is injured.
Benitez would also seem to confirm that, despite recent results, he is safe in the Everton job for now. Benitez stated that he has spoken to Everton’s owner Farhad Moshiri and he has also had meetings with the chairman, adding that the Toffees have experience changing managers and it was not working:
“I was talking with Mr Moshiri this morning, I’ve had meetings with the chairman and Denise. They have experience changing managers and it was not working. What is the feeling of the last few years for Everton fans? Success or frustration?”
Benitez then added that he thinks Everton are going in the right direction and that the team would likely be in a much better spot if not for injuries.
“I think we are going in the right direction. The fans could see what we were looking for – the intensity, commitment, way we were playing. Last year the squad was around 16 players during the whole season, some of them were injury prone.
“If you have Dominic for three or four months fit, the team would be higher in the table and the fans happy in the end.”
More on this: “I think we are going in the right direction. The fans could see what we were looking for – the intensity, commitment, way we were playing. Last year the squad was around 16 players during the whole season, some of them were injury prone.”
— Adam Jones (@Adam_Jones94) December 15, 2021
More: “If you have Dominic for three or four months fit, the team would be higher in the table and the fans happy in the end.”
— Adam Jones (@Adam_Jones94) December 15, 2021
Though said directly, this does seem to suggest Benitez has spoken to the Everton higher-ups about his job and that they are looking to stick with him, as chopping and changing managers has not worked for Everton of late.
