Everton and Chelsea meet level on 10 Premier League points

Everton and Chelsea were level on 10 points after six Premier League matches as they prepared to meet at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday, October 17, with Everton unbeaten and Chelsea coming off a 5-1 victory over Bournemouth. The Matchweek 7 fixture was scheduled to kick off at 12:30 p.m. BST. Everton had recorded two wins and four draws, while Chelsea had three wins, one draw and two losses. The clubs were fifth and sixth in the table, respectively, with only goal difference separating them, according to the pre-match standings. Everton’s most recent match was a 2-2 draw with Hull City. Chelsea’s 5-1 win over Bournemouth was its previous outing. That result included two goals scored within the opening three minutes, according to pre-match reporting. Availability was a concern for both teams. Everton’s Vitalii Mykolenko was described as a possible return after missing the Hull match, but his availability had not been confirmed before kickoff. One pre-match report also described Jarrad Branthwaite as a doubt with a dead leg. Reports differed on Chelsea captain Reece James. One said he had missed training with a knee issue and was a doubt for the Everton match; another said...