Everton host Chelsea on the back of an unbeaten start to the season — two wins and four draws from six, with the only blemish being a lack of victories rather than defeats. Chelsea sit level on points but with a much more jagged record: three wins, a draw, and two losses, including a heavy 3-0 defeat at Brentford and a 2-1 loss at Arsenal, both against sides sitting above them in the table. There's goals in Chelsea's game both ways — a 5-1 home romp over Bournemouth sits alongside those two losses where they shipped two-plus every time.

On paper, the longer-term picture still has Chelsea rated as the somewhat stronger club overall, reflecting a deeper history of results at this level. But the gap isn't large, and this season's early evidence actually cuts the other way: Everton have not lost a match yet in any competition, including away draws against a resurgent Hull City side and a toothless Spurs team, while Chelsea's underlying numbers in their defeats were poor — they managed barely any clear chances away at Brentford and Arsenal and were cut open defensively both times. Everton's underlying shot-quality numbers suggest their results are no fluke; in fact their points tally is roughly in line with — if anything slightly ahead of — what their performances deserved, whereas Chelsea's season figures show static that cuts both ways: outstanding in the thrashings, concerning in the away losses.