PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: EVERTON V CHELSEA
TACTICAL BRIEF
Chelsea have won three on the spin but Everton have won this fixture on the last three occasions. Who will be kings of the Blues on Sunday?
Key battles
David Moyes will no doubt have arranged special measures to deal with Juan Mata. The Spaniard's importance to his club can be measured in the fact he has contributed seven goals and seven assists in 14 Barclays Premier League games. He has scored six in eight matches and has managed more crosses (48), shots on goal (38) and on target (27) than any other Chelsea player in the league.
As he showed again at Carrow Road, when fed by Oscar, he needs just a few spare yards on the edge of the box to do his damage. Everton will want no repeat of the shambolic defending that allowed Kone to pull one back for Wigan on Boxing Day. The Toffees have not kept a clean sheet in 14 league matches.
Rafael Benitez rested Eden Hazard and Frank Lampard partially and Ramires (who had a slight injury) completely at Norwich, shuffling his squad to cope with the intensity of the schedule.
The Blue Brazilian and Manchester City's Vincent Kompany were the Premier League's only representatives in the 2012 'team of the year' just published by venerable French football magazine 'l'Équipe'.
David Luiz excelled again in midfield against Norwich - despite three wayward long shots - and the central defensive partnership of Branislav Ivanovic and Gary Cahill has kept consecutive clean sheets in the league. Cesar Azpilicueta versus Steven Pienaar could be a fascinating match-up.
Marouane Fellaini has consistently been a thorn in Chelsea's side, losing just once infive league meetings. The powerful Moroccan/Belgian, a threat from the crosses Everton regularly angle into the box, is suspended for the last of three games this weekend.
His absence, as well as those of Seamus Coleman and Kevin Mirallas, has forced a refit in the Toffees' engine room, with in-form Leon Osman moving to the right and Moyes switching to a 4-4-2 formation. Most sides try not to set themselves up to be outnumbered in the middle, but Everton may feel they have a physical superiority in the heft department.
They can also knock the ball up to a front two quickly if they wish, although one of their two attackers, injury-prone Victor Anichebe, was subbed after 70 minutes on Wednesday.
Darron Gibson's red card against West Ham last weekend has been rescinded.
Squad fitness news
Ramires returns to the squad but there will be late fitness tests for John Mikel Obi (knee) and Ryan Bertrand (groin). John Terry and Oriol Romeu are both out with knee injuries.
For Everton, Gibson is a doubt having come off at half-time on Boxing Day with a thigh strain. Right-back Seamus Coleman might return but Tony Hibbert (hamstring) and striker Kevin Mirallas (calf) are injured.
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