Second-rate Sarri fourth-place prize at risk
Flops put
MAURIZIO SARRI will wonder what happened to his Chelsea side at halftime in this game.
They went from being a team on top, creating chances and looking solid at the back, to one that was opened up easily by a resurgent Everton.
And, more significantly, they ended up wasting a big chance to boost their top-four hopes.
Sarri might have plenty of time to think about it in the summer as he will have a P45 in his possession if the Londoners don’t salvage something from this season.
Not only did they blow the opportunity to overtake Manchester United and go level on points with Arsenal, it was also a display that raises yet more questions about the Chelsea boss.
Knowing Roman Abramovich’s lack of patience with managers, Sarri’s job rests on qualifying for the Champions League.
They look less likely to achieve that aim now through the Premier League after Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson condemned Chelsea to an eighth league defeat.
The Londoners trail the Gunners by three points but with them and United not in league action this weekend, they didn’t use their game in hand here to close the gap.
One less game for Sarri to save his job, too, it would seem.
That’s unless Arsenal and United stumble in the final few furlongs or the Blues can win the Europa League. This was a game they should have walked, given how they started.
But they were not clinical with early chances, even if
Eden Hazard was terrorising the Toffees’ backline in the opening moments.
Jordan Pickford produced a good save to deny the brilliant
Belgian before another strike hit the post via a deflection.
Goodison was almost