Frank Lampard faces a manager he has history with for the third week running when Chelsea travel to Everton on Saturday, but it is all positive between him and Carlo Ancelotti.
Lampard had great success under the Italian as a player and admitted in his pre-match press conference: “I was heavily influenced by him as a player and as a man.”
In his own press conference Ancelotti fondly remembered a night out with the Chelsea players after his exit from the club as “a fantastic arrivederci” adding of his relationship with Lampard the coach: “It changed a little bit, I am pleased and happy to see him again.”
Chelsea are only missing Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi. Christian Pulisic is fit.
Everton will be without Fabian Delph, Seamus Coleman, Lucas Digne and, most significantly, James Rodriguez.
The match will be the first time Everton fans will see their team live since a 4-0 loss at Chelsea last season.
Chelsea have lost on their last two visits to Goodison, including 3-1 last season, with Ancelotti acknowledging: “We need this kind of motivation that Duncan (Ferguson) was able to put on the players.”
Embed from Getty ImagesThe two clubs’ fortunes have gone in opposite directions this season.
Lampard is “happy where we are” after Chelsea started unevenly but are now unbeaten in nine, second-top-scorers with 25, and looking to go top.
Conversely, Everton’s great early-season form has evaporated, with no clean-sheets in 10 and consecutive defeats.
Olivier Giroud is looking to score in seven-straight starts, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin needs one to equal last season’s total of 15.
Predicted Score – 1-2
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