Chelsea Lost in the Right Way in Bogey Fixture at Goodison Park

As defeats go, Chelsea's 1-0 reverse at Everton on Saturday evening was a good one.

'YOU F***ING WHAT!' I hear you scream into the void that is your computer monitor and the internet beyond.

Bear with me.

Almost exactly a year ago, Chelsea went to Goodison Park in the midst of a slump in form and lost to fired-up caretaker Duncan Ferguson's Toffees, badly.

Arguably one of the most haphazard defensive displays in the club's 115-year history inevitably led to a wretched 3-1 defeat, with Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (twice) capitalising on frankly ridiculous lapses in both concentration and overall footballing ability from Andreas Christensen, Kurt Zouma and, of course, agent of chaos Kepa Arrizabalaga.

This is a fixture that Chelsea consistently struggle in, losing five of their last eight visits even before Saturday, with the game destined to fall on a crisp December day or night under the lights on Merseyside, contributing to a raucous atmosphere. And, as fortune had it, this was the first game with fans back in the Gladys Street End post-lockdown.

Indeed, Carlo Ancelotti's Everton side of 2020/21 are a significant improvement on the rudderless Toffees side of last season - one that had lost three on the bounce and still had Morgan Schneiderlin starting in the midfield before Marco Silva was sacked and Ferguson installed in time for Chelsea's visit.

However, aside from Edouard Mendy's slightly more understandable rush of blood to the head that led to the winning penalty, even in defeat, Chelsea were much improved in all departments in this season's instalment.

12 months ago, the Blues were in the eye of a tempestuous run of form that saw them collect just three wins in nine games in all competitions, but the nature of the performance against Everton suggests there is no reason to fear an upcoming repeat.

While Chelsea had more than 70% possession in defeat for the second consecutive season at Goodison, Frank Lampard's side carried far more of a threat this time around, striking the woodwork three times and testing Jordan Pickford regularly. As many a pundit put it after the full-time whistle, the Blues could have been there all week and wouldn't have scored a goal. It happens.

The positives are that Chelsea never looked likely to concede in open play, with their well-documented improvement in defence requiring no mention here, while their build-up play was sharp enough to prise open a less resolute defence on another day.

Academy products Mason Mount and Reece James personified that drive to do and be better than last season, with both men grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck in an attempt to haul the Blues from the jaws of defeat - to no avail on this occasion, obviously.

Mount was typically electric from central midfield, with his ball-carrying and accurate passing keeping Chelsea on the front foot throughout. In the end it was remarkable that his name wasn't on the scoresheet; his speed of thought was almost rewarded when his cheeky lob over a stranded Pickford clipped the bar, before his late, dipping free kick wrong-footed his England teammate, only to thump the base of the post.

That free kick was won by the equally effervescent James, who popped up in the left half-space from right-back and turned Gylfi Sigurdsson before being downed by Abdoulaye Doucouré. He had already tested Pickford with his own set piece in the first half and saw a rasping drive tipped onto the post. It was an all-action display that deserved more.

The pair of 21-year-olds are well on their way to having fine personal seasons, and their performances and the assumed responsibility suggest that Chelsea needn't worry about another dip in form with the hectic festive schedule now upon us.

If you are going to lose a game - which, despite increasing expectation and excitement amid their good form, will happen again - this was the way to do it. With fight, urgency, and dominating the ball. A defeat, yes, but ultimately it was just one of those games.

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