LIVE BLOG

90+5min: Chelsea unable to find even a consolation goal. Giroud has an effort from short range blocked by a sea of legs and then the whistle goes. FULL TIME.

90min: 5 minutes added on.

86min: Everton now seeing out the game quite comfortably.

82min: CHO draws a good save from Pickford with a strong effort from the top of the box.

80min: Kepa makes a good save as Walcott gets on the end of a long ball.

77min: Hudson-Odoi sets up Hazard at the top of the box, but his shots is blocked by Keane. Kanté’s follow-up effort is blocked as well.

76min: Alonso avoids a second yellow for a foul, plus a push on Richarlison in the same move.

74min: Hudson-Odoi on for Jorginho as Chelsea switch to a 4-2-3-1 like last weekend.

72min: GOAL! Sigurdsson takes, Kepa saves, but the rebound is straight back to Sigurdsson who places the ball into the empty net. 2-0, Everton.

70min: Another Everton chance as Alonso clears but Gueye has a pop, blocked. But Everton maintain possession and pressure and Richarlison draws the foul from Alonso inside the area. Penalty.

68min: Schneiderlin on for André Gomes as Everton look lock things down. Gueye meanwhile wins the ball off Hazard and launches the counter, but Rüdiger & Co recover well enough.

65min: Double change for Chelsea, as Loftus-Cheek and Giroud arrive on the scene and Barkley and Higuaín make way.

64min: Barkley healthy enough to have a go from the top of the box after good work from Kanté and Hazard, but his shot is blocked and Everton gather.

63min: Barkley appears to have picked up a lower leg injury, and should shortly be replaced. He remains on for now, but is not moving well.

61min: A harsh foul and an even harsher booking for Rüdiger after Bernard makes a meal of making contact with Rüdiger’s arm.

60min: David Luiz goes long to Kanté, who lays it back to Higuaín, who unleashes a low powerful drive from 20 yards. But Pickford’s down quick and strong with the arm. Kanté gets to the rebound but is called offside.

58min: Bernard and Digne combine on the left as Azpilicueta slips. Digne’s cross eludes Rudiger, but Calvert-Lewin makes a mess of his finish and Chelsea survive. Everton do have a corner, but Keane heads over and wide.

56min: Barkley’s requiring some treatment and a new shirt for a bloody nose.

55min: Chelsea settle down at least and start looking for the equalizer. Alonso goes close on a volley, but just misses the near post.

49min: GOAL. Everton win a corner. Calvert-Lewin wins the first header, which Kepa parries, but Richarlison, who hadn’t done anything all game, is there to head home the rebound. 1-0, Everton.

47min: Everton come again and work right to left. Bernard lays it off to André Gomes at the top of the box, but his effort is saved by Kepa for a corner. Everton win the corner, but the header is blocked and Chelsea can counter. But it all breaks down after Alonso dallies on a pass, tries to check back, and gives the ball away.

46min: Chelsea get the second half underway, after switching the ball out, but Everton have the first chance as Calvert-Lewin puts in a deep early cross that just misses Bernard’s run at the far post.

---

HALF-TIME: Chelsea utterly dominant in every respect except the scoreboard. Hazard has come closest with the shot that hit the post, while Pedro’s goal was ruled for a marginal, at best, offside.

45+2min: Chelsea can’t quite build anything coherent, and the whistle goes for half-time.

43min: Barkley wins a free kick in the center circle, from which David Luiz picks out Pedro making a sneaky run off the left flank. He takes a touch and finishes brilliantly. But the goal’s called back for a marginal offside.

41min: Barkley takes, but his blocked by a jumping head in the wall. Pedro twists and turns after Chelsea gather the rebound, but drags his shot just a bit wide.

40min: A two-minute spell of possession and pressure from Chelsea ends in Richarlison fouling Hazard in a shooting position, just a couple yards outside the area.

38min: Chelsea turn up the pressure again, but Everton holding strong at the back.

36min: Alonso earns the first yellow card for a game for a pullback on Richarlison. Everton have a free kick out wide right, about level with the top of the D. Sigurdsson swings it in and Calvert-Lewin is unmarked but puts his header over.

33min: Chelsea work the ball from Pedro to Hazard to Barkley, who picks out Higuaín, but his first-time effort is a little too high. Another nice move from Chelsea, but without an end result.

31min: A last ditch sliding tackle from Keane prevents Hazard from getting in 1-v-1. Higuaín with a great throughball that time.

30min: Chelsea build very very nicely, back to front, stringing the passes together. Eventually Alonso cuts a ball back to Pedro, but shanks his effort wide of the target.

29min: Everton give away a very cheap corner. Hazard takes, and it’s cleared for a throw, which Chelsea make a mess of and it’s Everton’s ball.

26min: Kanté finds Pedro running up the right flank. He puts in an early deep cross, but it’s just too far ahead of Hazard.

25min: Chelsea with some difficulty in playing out on the right, as Everton press high. Chelsea eventually do, but then give the ball away and Everton build. André Gomes hammers one from distance, which Kepa gathers on the second attempt.

23min: Alonso with a good interception creates the latest Chelsea attack, which involves Barkley taking aim from 35 yards out. Pickford gathers with ease.

22min: A pullback on Kanté goes uncalled and Everton counter. Rüdiger clears for a throw with a covering sliding tackle.

21min: Hazard, surrounded by three, wins a free kick, which he then proceeds to give away. But Barkley works back to recover the ball.

20min: Jorginho plays a 1-2 with Higuaín and blast a low shot from the top of the box, which Pickford stops, then falls on the short rebound.

19min: Slick moves from Barkley, but he slices his cross/shot from a tight angle in the area, much to the delight of the home crowd.

15min: Having weathered the Chelsea storm, Everton have a first bit of meaningful possession, as David Luiz hammers away a clearance, but Everton come again. A Kanté pass is intercepted by Digne and Calvert-Lewin tries his luck from 20-25 yards, but he hits it well over.

12min: Pedro wins a free kick many yards out, which Hazard takes but Everton clear after Alonso wins the first ball. Everton try to counter, but Jorginho stops Calvert-Lewin with a well-timed body check, which the referee is happy to allow.

9min: Chelsea continue the pressure, but Gueye is down injured and David Luiz plays nice and puts it out for a throw. Chelsea started very, very well, but have no goals to show for it.

7min: Chelsea regain possession and Hazard has another shot. This time he beats Pickford, but the post rescues Everton. From the rebound, Chelsea build again and this time Jorginho picks out Higuain’s run with a chip ball over the top. Higuaín takes a great touch and looks set to score, but scuffs his effort as Mina leans his big body into him.

6min: Chelsea maintaining possession as Everton sit back. But Rüdiger picks out Alonso up the left flank, who lays it off to Hazard, and drives into the area and tests Pickford early. He makes the save and Mina completes the clearance for a corner, which comes to nothing.

3min: Bit of a chippy start, Barkley getting plenty of stick from the crowd.

KICK-OFF: And we’re off! Chelsea in all yellow. Everton in blue shirt, white sock and shorts.

---

Despite the wintry conditions, the top four race is hotting up. After this match, each of the four contenders for the last two spots — Spurs, Arsenal, United, us — will have exactly eight (8) games left.

Chelsea need a point to move up to fifth, or three points and 6-goal margin of victory to move into fourth. A loss does no one any good, and accordingly, we have lots of firepower on the bench.

It’s business time. Here we go!

---

Everton starting lineup (4-2-3-1):
Pickford | Digne, Mina, Keane, Coleman | André Gomes, Gueye | Bernard, Sigurdsson, Richarlison | Calvet-Lewin

Substitutes from: Stekelenburg, Baines, Walcott, Tosun, Schneiderlin, Davies, Lookman

Chelsea starting lineup (4-3-3):
Arrizabalaga | Alonso, Rüdiger, David Luiz, Azpilicueta (c) | Barkley, Jorginho, Kanté | Hazard, Higuaín, Pedro

Substitutes from: Caballero, Christensen, Kovačić, Loftus-Cheek, Hudson-Odoi, Willian, Giroud

---

Date / Time: Sunday, March 17, 2019, 16:30 GMT; 12:30pm EDT; 10pm IST
Venue: Goodison Park, Liverpool, England
Referee: Anthony Taylor

On TV: Sky Sports Main Event (UK); NBCSN, Telemundo (USA); Star Sports Select HD1 (India); elsewhere
Streaming online: Sky Go (UK); NBC Sports Live, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo (USA); Hotstar (India); Fubo (affiliate link — USA only)

---

Be excellent to each other!