Morata and Fabregas star as Chelsea Win

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    (Kwese.espn.com) Three thoughts on Chelsea’s 2-0 win vs. Everton in the Premier League.

    1. Chelsea look like champions again

    After last weekend’s stunning win over Tottenham, Antonio Conte praised the desire of his players to show themselves “to be the champions” at Wembley. It was this mentality, evident in all of the Italian manager’s best sides, that was so sorely lacking during a spectacular first-half collapse against Burnley on the opening day of the season.

    Chelsea’s early floundering allowed the Manchester clubs — particularly Jose Mourinho’s imperious United — to seize both the narrative and the top of the Premier League. But on Sunday Chelsea showed why no other team in England could match them last season.

    Eden Hazard was not involved after Conte made it clear that the winger has no business playing for Chelsea or Belgium, who nevertheless have called him up, until after the international break. However, despite the absence of its chief creator, the front three sacrificed against Spurs was restored and looked impressively slick.

    The returning Pedro Rodriguez, darting around Zorro-like in a protective face mask, linked up easily and frequently with Willian and record signing Alvaro Morata displayed good awareness and close control even while he often found himself battling several Everton defenders.

    Just as they did in last season’s 5-0 defeat, the visitors set up to counteract Chelsea’s attack with a back three flanked by wing-backs. Mason Holgate and Leighton Baines stuck close to Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses, but the problems for Everton began with Pedro and Willian, who frequently drifted into more central spaces between the lines.

    At the other end Thibaut Courtois was a glorified spectator behind a defence once again marshalled by David Luiz, who was restored at the expense of academy graduate Andreas Christensen two days after Conte insisted he has no trust issues with young players.

    Aside from one run and pass to play in Sandro Ramirez early in the second half, Wayne Rooney was nullified and frustrated to the extent that he picked up a second-half booking. Meanwhile, Gylfi Sigurdsson’s influence was limited to a hopeful left-footed shot from 25 yards.

    By then the game was effectively over. Chelsea opened the scoring in the 27th minute when a quick free kick allowed Willian to play in Cesc Fabregas on his return from suspension; the Spaniard initiated a deflected one-two with countryman Morata before prodding the ball expertly into the far corner.

    Five minutes before the break they struck again. Morata’s second goal in a Chelsea shirt was almost a carbon copy of his first against Burnley, nodding an inviting right-wing cross into the net from close range. Coming as it did in victory, this was far more satisfying for the striker.

    Tougher challenges lie ahead for Chelsea, but the assured manner in which they dispatched a team widely regarded to be the Premier League’s best outside of the big six reinforced the sense that reports of the champions’ demise have been greatly exaggerated.

    1. Morata and Fabregas star

    Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

    Conte has seemed at times to be consciously trying to avoid praising Morata’s performances, instead stressing how far his new signing has to go to adapt to the physical demands of English football and the tactical requirements of being Chelsea’s “point of reference.”

    There were certainly moments against Tottenham and Everton when Morata appeared a little overwhelmed by defenders, who took particular delight in giving him a traditional Premier League welcome, and it is doubtful that he will ever become the forceful personality that Diego Costa is.

    But the intelligence and guile in his play is already apparent in well-timed runs and smart lay-offs. He also happens to be the best Chelsea striker in the air since Didier Drogba was in his prime. Morata’s numbers read two goals and two assists in three Premier League appearances, all with his head.

    Morata’s instant chemistry with Fabregas is particularly promising, given how productive a similar relationship proved for Costa. The midfielder took his goal brilliantly and probed at the Everton defence with ambitious passes all afternoon, while the visitors failed to expose his defensive limitations until Tiemoue Bakayoko had been introduced and the game was gone.

    Fabregas registered more Premier League assists — 12 — than any other Chelsea player last season despite making just 13 starts. If he can avoid more brainless moments like the one that saw him sent off to cap the Burnley horror show, he will be as integral as ever.

    1. Everton’s post-Europe struggle

    Let’s get the mitigation out of the way. Everton played at Manchester City on Monday and vs. Hajduk Split in Croatia on Thursday, while Chelsea had a full week of training to prepare. As such, it’s easy to see why the visitors arrived at Stamford Bridge without the sting that enabled them to match Pep Guardiola’s men.

    Unfortunately for Koeman, however, this will not be the last time the Premier League fixture list is unforgiving of Everton’s continental commitments; matches against Manchester United and Arsenal immediately follow Europa League group games in September and October, for example.

    Everton, quite simply, must find a way to cope with the demands of multiple competitions if they are to provide any justification for majority owner Farhad Moshiri’s ambitions of challenging the Premier League’s top six.

    However, the concern is that despite an unprecedented wave of spending, they don’t seem to have replaced the biggest thing they lost this summer. Romelu Lukaku is not remembered fondly at Goodison Park but his 25 goals have to be replaced.

    Sandro Ramirez did not convince at Stamford Bridge, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is still learning and Rooney should not have to shoulder the bulk of a team’s scoring burden at this stage of his career.

    Koeman is well aware of this problem and Everton will surely look to solve it before Thursday’s transfer deadline. If they don’t, it seems likely that a summer of signings will see them rise from seventh to seventh.

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