Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez excelled. Player ratings for Chelsea's match against Everton

If you look at the odds, you'll see that Liverpool is the clear favorite for the title. But people unfairly forget about Chelsea. Under Enzo Maresca, this team is unstoppable! In 16 Premier League rounds, the Blues have only lost twice – to Manchester City and Liverpool.

Chelsea is waiting for Liverpool to slip, ready to capitalize on any mistake that will eventually happen. But unfortunately, today they faced a tough, defense-oriented Everton, resulting in just a draw.

But let's focus on the heroes of the match...

Enzo Fernandez and Moisés Caicedo

Firstly, Enzo had 105 touches of the ball, which is the second highest for both teams (only Adarabioyo had more, with 124). These touches weren't just about holding or circulating the ball at the back. Although Fernandez plays as a defensive midfielder, he consistently pushes forward and participates in attacks. In the end, he completed 3 successful dribbles, took 2 shots, created 2 great chances for his teammates, and more.

Secondly, none of this would have been possible without Moisés. While Enzo pushes forward, Caicedo takes on the defensive duties in midfield. He completed 9 successful defensive actions (no one else in Chelsea had more, except Adarabioyo with 9). This duo might currently be the most dangerous midfield partnership in the world.

Tosin Adarabioyo

Chelsea likely expected an easier match against Everton. Yes, the Blues had 75% possession (!), but Everton’s counterattacks, though rare, caused plenty of problems at Sanchez’s goal (the Toffees had 5 shots, 4 of which were on target). Tosin proved himself as a top-class, reliable defender, staying calm under pressure: he cleared the ball 5 times, made 3 interceptions, and blocked one very dangerous shot.

Nicolas Jackson

Even before the first games under Maresca, it was clear that Jackson was the perfect forward for this coach. In the transition from defense to attack, Maresca wants his forward to drop into midfield and help build up play – exactly what Jackson loved to do under the previous coach and continues to do now. But in this match, we saw not only Jackson as a false nine, but also as a proper forward. Yes, Jackson had 3 shots, including a frustrating hit off the post. However, the reason for his lack of goals and the overall draw was Everton’s excellent defensive work, including a phenomenal match from Vitalii Mykolenko.

Player Ratings:

• Adarabioyo T. - 8
• Gusto M. - 7
• Jackson N. - 7
• Disasi A. - 7
• Caicedo M. - 8
• Colwill L. - 6
• Madueke N. - 6
• Neto P. - 6
• Nkunku K. - 6
• Palmer C. - 7
• Sancho J. - 7
• Sanchez R. - 8
• Fernandez E. - 8