Aveek Chaudhuri, March 9, 2021

Who's the only manager still unbeaten in the Premier League? The answer, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel. Sure, he's only managed in 9 Premier League games so far this season but he has an impressive 6 wins and 3 draws in those games, including wins over Tottenham and Liverpool. Chelsea have become a new team under Tuchel, a team who can actually win. They proved this again against Everton on Monday as they defeated the Toffees 2-0 with an own-goal from Ben Godfrey and a penalty by Jorginho. The first goal came off a great through ball by Callum Hudson-Odoi to Marcos Alonso who then found Kai Havertz in the box with Havertz's shot deflecting off Godfrey into the back of the net in the 31' minute. And Chelsea's second came off a well taken penalty by Jorginho in the 65' minute. In a game where stars like Havertz and Andreas Christensen shined, Chelsea simply stopped Everton from basically doing anything as the Blues controlled everything about the game from the beginning to the end. This result sees Chelsea go back into fourth place, 3 points behind third-place Leicester City. And while Chelsea moved up, Everton moved down to 6th, two points behind West Ham and four points off the last Champions League spot. This result does not solidify anything about the Top Four race but it surely does dent Everton's chance of grabbing that last spot.

From start to finish, Chelsea simply did not give Everton the chance to ever get into the game. Chelsea dominated possession with 66% while Everton had a mere 34%. As a result of the dominance in possession, stars like Callum Hudson-Odoi were able to create many chances and plays, resulting in Chelsea attempting a total of 19 shots with a solid 9 on target. In comparison, Everton had only 7 shots all game with a weak 1 on target. Chelsea continuously battered Everton's defense and tested Everton keeper Jordan Pickford to the maximum. Chelsea players like Hudson-Odoi, Alonso, and Havertz really showed off their qualities as they continuously made creative chances, meaningful plays, and had impactful off-ball plays with Marcos Alonso's open run helping create the first goal for the Blues. Tuchel's system of ball dominance and having an offensive mindset is really showing through with the attacking style of football Chelsea is playing, allowing these offensive-minded stars to really show their worth and quality.

Tuchel and Chelsea will be very pleased with this result considering their tough battle for a Champions League spot with the likes of Everton, Liverpool, and West Ham. Not only has Thomas Tuchel remade the team's style of play but he also rejuvenated players like Jorginho who were rotting on the bench under previous manager Frank Lampard. Jorginho has become a staple piece in Tuchel's system with the midfielder starting almost every game and creating a dynamic partnership with Mateo Kovacic, along with contributing his fair share of penalty goals. Along with Jorginho, Hudson-Odoi and Havertz are starting to show off star status. And another player who has been moving up the pecking order is defender Andreas Christensen who has done a phenomenal job in covering for the injured Thiago Silva in the heart of the defense. Christensen came up big with some solid defensive plays against Everton and in the past games, showing Chelsea that he is still that promising young star they once saw. What Tuchel has done with Chelsea is astounding and hopefully, they keep up this form to continue the great battle happening for a spot in the Premier League Top Four.