Everton–Chelsea could turn on what happens after Chelsea's first surge. Chelsea have scored first in most of their league games, while Everton have one of the tightest defences so far. Alonso says the defensive shape can change, but the distances between players must stay right. If Everton absorb that opening push, can they turn Chelsea's next reset into an attack of their own?
Chelsea's club preview says it has opened the scoring in five of six league matches and calls Everton's defence joint best in the division at this stage. Alonso described using a 4-4-2 without the ball against Bournemouth and said he could also use a 5-2-3. His point was balance: Chelsea need enough players close enough to recover if an attack breaks down. Everton's task is to survive the first phase and find the pass that makes those distances uncomfortable; Chelsea's is to keep pressing without handing over that route.
