Chelsea face Everton in the round of 16 of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening, after a win in the top flight of English football. The west London outfit will be keen to win this match to progress to the next round of the Carabao Cup. On the other hand, Toffees will try to turn their season around from this match, by pulling off a win against the champions of England.
Chelsea are now on 4th position in the league table by beating Watford with a emphatic 4-2 margin in a thrilling contest. Antonio Conte might rotate the starting lineup against Everton to keep his players fit for the Bournemouth game on Saturday and also for the Roma match next week in Champions League. But the injury woes will not allow Conte to take so many changes in this clash.
Everton had lost against Arsenal at Goodison Park with a scoreline of 2-5 on Sunday. They are now in the relegation zone of the Premier League. Ronald Koeman may target this match against Chelsea to turn their fortune in this season. Their defense is looking very poor and they are conceding 2 or 3 goals in almost every matches. With a strong squad Everton can make it to the quarter final of the Carabao Cup if they play with full of their potential.
Team News :
Chelsea :
Antonio Conte may opt to give rest some of the key players ahead of the Premier League clash against Bournemouth on next Saturday. Drinkwater, Kante and Moses will miss the clash with several injuries.
Willy Caballero may get his second start of the season at Chelsea Goal against Everton in the Carabao Cup. Rudiger, Christensen and Azpilicueta will play as three central defenders in the field. Zappacosta and Kennedy will play as two wingbacks. Fabregas and the academy Player Ampadu may start in the heart of the midfield. Willian, Batshuayi and Musonda are expected to lead the line for Chelsea from the upfront.
Everton :
With the Everton boss Koeman now sacked, there could still be a rotation of the team, to an extent to keep all the players fit for the Premier League. A 5-3-2 formation might be used in this match. Pickford will start at the Everton goal once again, against the Londoners. Holgate, Keane, Williams, Jagielka and Baines are expected to start in the defense. Davies, Gueye and Sigurdsson will start in the midfield for them while Rooney and Niasse will lead the Everton attack from the front.
Possible Starting Eleven :
Chelsea : (3-4-3)
Goalkeeper : Caballero.
Defenders : Rudiger, Christensen, Azpilicueta.
Midfielders : Zappacosta, Fabregas, Ampadu, Kennedy.
Attackers : Willian, Batshuayi, Musonda.
Everton :(5-3-2)
Goalkeeper : Pickford
Defenders : Holgate, Williams, Keane, Jagielka, Baines.
Midfielders : Davies, Gueye, Siggurdson
Attackers : Rooney, Niasse.
My Score Prediction :
Chelsea 3-1 Everton
With the visitors not having a manager after the sacking, it will be tough for them to travel to west London and beat their rivals on the night. They have to try their best to make an impact and it will be interesting to see, if they can get something out of this fixture, which they will go into as underdogs on the night.