Chelsea v Everton preview: Londoners aim to continue positive run
Additionally, their tally of five goals from their last two games - as many as they’d managed in their previous 12 outings - hints that they may have finally overcome the attacking woes that have plagued the side.
The hosts will surely be confident of building on that run here given the dominant home record they boast against visitors Everton.
The Blues are actually unbeaten in an incredible 27 Premier League (PL) home games against the Toffees dating back to November 1994 (W15, D12), with that sequence marking the longest unbeaten run against any side at Stamford Bridge in their top-flight history.
Yet in terms of a H2H fixture, this one hasn’t been as one-sided as that record suggests. Everton have beaten Chelsea in each of the previous four seasons - admittedly all at home - and will now be bidding to beat them in a fifth straight campaign for the first time since way back in 1936.
Confidence in the away dressing room is growing, too. Everton climbed out of the bottom three with their 1-0 win over Brentford last weekend and, since Sean Dyche’s arrival, only five PL teams have picked up more points than them (ten - W3, D1, L3).
None of those wins came on the road though and their away form does remain an achilles heel, considering that since the start of last season Everton have earned fewer points on the road (18) than any of the 17 PL sides to feature across both seasons.
Key battle: Kai Havertz has netted in Chelsea’s last two games and is now his team’s top scorer across all competitions (G:8).
Trying to stop him here will be Everton keeper Jordan Pickford, who boasts a joint-high five career clean sheets against the Blues.
Hot stat: Including his three as Everton manager, 40% of Dyche's PL victories (30) have been by a 1-0 scoreline.
