Filed under: Chelsea, Everton, Premier League, Football, Match Previews
PREMIER LEAGUE: GOODISON PARK, SUNDAY MAY 22, 2011. KICK-OFF: 1600 BSTOn paper, neither of these sides have much to play for in this contest although Carlo Ancelotti may see things a little differently.
The Chelsea manager is widely expected to be dismissed as the club's manager at some point in the next fortnight as he becomes the latest victim of Roman Ambramovich's impatience and ambition.
A failure to regain the Premier League title plus a depressing quarter-final exit to Manchester United in the Champions League means the managerial conveyor belt is once again up and running at Stamford Bridge.
In the modern climate and particularly under Ambramovich, a season without a trophy equals an exit and Roma are expected to offer Ambramovich a return to Serie A, although the manager has stated he would prefer to remain in England.
Chelsea will be expected to pay around £6 million compensation to Ancelotti if he does leave but that is small change to Ambramovich and because the end looks to be nigh, Ancelotti will hope to go out with a bang against an Everton side who have improved massively in the second half of the season but who now cannot wait for it to end.
David Moyes's team were tipped for the Champions League before the season began but did not win until October in yet another dreadful opening.
But since then they have started to shine and the end of this season gives them the chance to regroup, rebuild and get ready to relaunch an assault on the top four.
Key Match-up: Victor Anichebe v John Terry. Anichebe has looked increasingly at home in recent weeks after a tough start to the season for the striker and he will have to be at his best to stop Terry dominating him. The England international has faced bigger, and better, forwards than Anichebe but he is unlikely to get it all his own way at Goodison Park.
Form Guide: Everton lost last time out to West Bromwich Albion and have taken 10 from their last 18 available points while Chelsea have taken 13 points over the same period including wins over Birmingham, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Odds: Everton 11/5 Chelsea 5/4 Draw 9/4
EVERTON:
John Heitinga is under no illusions about how Everton have performed - or underperformed - this season.
A seventh-placed finish will be one spot higher than Everton managed last season but an air of unfulfilled expectation surrounds Goodison Park at the moment and Dutch defender Heitinga is more than happy to admit it.
He said: "If you see the squad, then yes [we have underperformed].
"We have players like Saha and Arteta. But Mikel was out for a long time and if you have a small squad and if you have to deal with injuries other players have to step up.
"In the beginning of the season we played quite well but didn't win enough games.
"Then we changed our style a little bit and played a little bit more direct and from that point we started to get some points.
"But it's been frustrating because it's almost been the same as last season and we've been slow starters."
One of the few highlights in Everton's season was the FA Cup penalty shootout win over Ancelotti's side at Stamford Bridge back in February and although Heitinga is happy the season is almost over, he is still excited about the opportunity to end on a high.
He added: "I'm looking forward to the holiday but it's a big game against Chelsea. It's the last game, it's at home and we must show the fans we are at back at our best.
"Everybody wants to go to the holidays with a good feeling.
"That gives you confidence.
"It's always good to play against the better teams in the Premier League. Chelsea is one of them. They had a good comeback until they lost to Manchester United away but they're still Chelsea.
"For me the Premier League is still the best league in the world. I've played in the Spanish League but while the Premier League didn't show the best football last season, there are still so many good players in the league it's hard to win matches.
"You have to fight for it and that's why, for me, the Premier League is still the top."
Strategy: Leon Osman and Leighton Baines are playing superbly at the moment and need to be utilised as much as possible. Chelsea's midfield will look to dominate so Phil Neville, Osman and Jack Rodwell will all have to perform at their best while Anichebe and Jermaine Beckford will have to take whatever chances the likes of Osman and Baines conjure up.
Injury Update: Louis Saha (ankle) and Marouane Fellaini (ankle) are both absent.
CHELSEA:
Twelve months ago Ancelotti was leading the celebrations after the club completed its first ever double but that now seems a long while ago after a frustrating season.
The manager has fielded questions about his future on a weekly basis with good grace and humour, never caving in to the temptation to criticise his employers for their failure to back him publicly.
The silence of the Chelsea hierarchy may be seen to have spoken volumes but Ancelotti remains unfazed by his reversal of fortune over the past year.
"This is football. I'm not surprised about this," he told a media briefing. "When I started my experience here in England, if someone had told me that we would win the FA Cup and the Premier League in two years, I'd have been happy.
"In these two years, I have to be happy because the team, last year, was fantastic. This year was not so good. But we can learn from this experience to do better next season."
And he added: "It's the same thing I've said a lot of times: the club have to judge my job. Be objective. If they decide to change, it's not a problem. You won't see me crying or doing something. I will accept the decision of the club and find another 'solution'."
The uncertainty means any views Ancelotti offers about team development may is as likely to fall under the heading of advice as it is direction but he remains convinced Chelsea need only fine-tune the current squad to deliver success once again.
"I think this team, to maintain their position at the top, doesn't need to spend a lot of money," he said. "We spent a lot in January on Torres and Luiz, and Ramires last summer. We won't need a lot of changes to stay at the top."
Strategy: While the formation has been tweaked one way and then another since the arrival of Fernando Torres, Ancelotti's side has continued to focus its attacking efforts through the middle with few openings created from the flanks. That may offer openings for Leighton Baines on the Everton left and right back Branislav Ivanovic will require help from his midfield to counter the threat of the England player.
Injury Update: Yossi Benayoun and Ramires are both struggling with hamstring problems and will join Jose Bosingwa on the sidelines.
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