You would be forgiven if you were mistaken in thinking Nicolas Jackson’s striking finish against Everton meant more than what it was. The 1-0 victory was a crucial step in their Champions League pursuit. Still, when the ball hit the back of the net Jackson looked to have tears in his eyes as he emotionally celebrated. It was the striker’s first in 14 games and amid the hosts’ recent struggles up front, it felt like a welcome breakthrough, belied that the job of securing their European ambitions is far from over.
Before kick-off, Chelsea had averaged more shots per game at home than any other Premier League side this season with 18.8 and the trend continued on Saturday. The first half saw five shots from the hosts against an Everton side who had little to play for after safety confirmation last weekend. The visitors offered little going forward despite Moisés Caicedo playing out of position at right-back at the expense of the captain, Reece James, to make room for Roméo Lavia in midfield, back for the first time in over a month.
