Two Everton meltdowns and one major injury worry spark concerns

Picking a pass

A couple of years ago, while managing Everton, Chelsea legend ‘Super’ Frankie Lampard – as his banner displayed here across the Shed End says – described Jordan Pickford’s save from Cesar Azpilicueta as not just the best in the Premier League that season (an award it received) but the most-outstanding of the entire Premier League era.

In this correspondent’s humble opinion it was as impressive as any stop that the great Neville Southall ever made, and you cannot pay Pickford a higher compliment than that as a goalkeeper for Everton or indeed any club. So as a player who has done as much as anybody in this team in keeping the Blues in the top flight in recent seasons, the former Sunderland man has as much credit in the bank as anyone.

However, after making what Opta officially deemed to be his first error leading to an opposition goal in 60 England internationals when club colleague Amadou Onana intercepted his clearance against Belgium at Wembley, picking out Youri Tielemans to score, Pickford also committed another mistake with his footwork here. Yes, he switched Jarrad Branthwaite’s back pass on to his weaker right foot but for any top class keeper – especially one who prides himself on his distribution – it was a howler to play the ball straight to Cole Palmer to gift the Chelsea youngster his hat-trick.

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Jarring night

When these two sides met back in December, Jarrad Branthwaite enjoyed what was one of his most-imperious displays of a hugely-impressive breakthrough season in the Premier League, making a string of crucial interceptions as England manager Gareth Southgate watched on but while that game was one of the rookie star’s high water marks, this was surely the nadir of the campaign.

Branthwaite, who earned his maiden Three Lions call-up for last month’s high-profile friendlies at Wembley against Brazil and Belgium, went into this fixture in top form too having been singled out for praise by Burnley boss Vincent Kompany – one of the Premier League’s all-time greatest centre-backs – following his superb display against the Clarets last time out but the trip to Stamford Bridge proved to be a steep learning curve for him.

Fellow youngster Cole Palmer, born just one month before the Everton defender, began what was a sensational night for him for sticking the ball through Branthwaite’s legs and then evading another attempted challenge before playing a one-two to score. Having returned from a loan spell at PSV Eindhoven, the 6ft 5in Cumbrian has often proven more than the measure for some of the Premier League’s biggest and baddest frontmen this term but this was a tough assignment against one of the English game’s trickiest home-grown talents.

It wasn’t just Branthwaite’s pride that was hurt though as he worryingly hobbled off injured after the break. This was a bad day at the office but Everton most hope that the fitness issue is not a serious one.

Fight, fight, fight

Evertonians are of course well-acquainted with the old battle cry in which they sing: “And we’ll fight, fight, fight, with all our might, for the boys in the royal blue jersey.”

But are those wearing the royal blue, or on this occasion, pink and navy striped jersey, fight for them? After being handed their second sporting sanction of the season with another points deducted following the club’s latest PSR case in the wake of their last match against Burnley, loyal but long-suffering Everton fans waited with bated breath to see how the squad would react to the punishment.

Back in November, a furious Goodison Park, complete with Premier League protest cards en masse, was poised for a perfect storm against Manchester United but the Blues on and off the pitch had the wind taken out of their sails by Alejandro Garnacho’s wonder goal just three minutes in on what proved to be a 3-0 stroll for Erik ten Hag’s men. Nevertheless, a wounded animal of an Everton side subsequently then rattled off four consecutive wins, including a 2-0 victory over Chelsea.

Here though, they were well off the mark. It was Chelsea who showed all the fight – even among each other when it came to who would take their penalty – while, despite a few crude challenges that were too little, too late – the visitors surrendered all too meekly.

Evertonians must hope that raising the white flag in such lacklustre manner is not a sign of things to come. There are still several enticing opportunities for Dyche’s men to save their season but the tide needs to turn quickly.

Hit for six

Everton’s wait for a Premier League win at Stamford Bridge will now go into a 30^th year and having not picked up three points here since Paul Rideout’s goal brought victory in Joe Royle’s first away match in charge back in November 1994, as soon as Cole Palmer broke the deadlock, the barren streak showed no sign of ending.

However, while Chelsea away has been anything but a happy hunting ground for the Blues with their drought here lasting longer than even their lengthy waits to win at Arsenal and Liverpool in front of fans (waits that go back to 1996 and 1999 respectively), they have at least often been competitive in this fixture. Everton have secured no fewer than 13 draws since last beating Chelsea on their own turf, including last season’s 2-2 scoreline under Dyche. The west London outfit went over four seasons unbeaten at home between 2004-2008 under Jose Mourinho and Avram Grant, and then again the 2014/15 season during the Portuguese manager’s second stint in charge, yet even these great sides never inflicted such a thrashing in the fixture.

Up until now, a 5-0 mauling suffered by Ronald Koeman against Antonio Conte’s side on Bonfire Night 2016 had been Everton’s heaviest defeat to Chelsea. On a night on which they moved on to 10 away games without a win, this scoreline however at the closest football ground to Buckingham Palace, equalled their worst-ever loss in meetings between the clubs, along with a thrashing on September 11, 1948, over two months before the current King Charles III was born.