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Struggling Chelsea finally broke the spell of a bad run after defeating Dortmund to book their place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals and producing a few results in their favour in the Premier League as well.
The Blues will hope to continue their win streak against Sean Dyche's struggling Everton on Saturday at Stamford Bridge. In the pre-match conference, Graham Potter reflected on how difficult it would be for his team to overcome Everton on a chilly night in London. "Wherever they are, it's difficult. He's a fantastic coach and his record is impressive. To do what he did at Burnley is a fantastic achievement. Everton are motivated, clarity in all the phases. We know how difficult the game is. We'll have to play well," Potter said. "You need luck. As much as you can be good, it's important to be lucky. But you can't wait for that to come around. Sometimes you have to fight through the storm. We've come out of it with three wins but we need to carry it on," Potter said. Cheslea's luck might have changed in the last few weeks as their players continue to join training after suffering long-term injuries. One such player is N'Golo Kante. The 31-year-old French midfielder has been the most important cog of the machinery of success for each Chelsea manager since 2016. Graham Potter showcased the importance of Kante's return to Chelsea's camp. "Managers before me have spoken highly of N'Golo because he's a top player. He's been a huge miss to us. It's great for us he is back and we have to be mindful that he has a long injury. We have to take the steps to get him up to speed in the Premier League," Potter continued. With key players coming back to Chelsea's camp, the exact opposite situation has transpired in Everton's camp. In the pre-match conference, Sean Dyche confirmed that their main striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin."We're still monitoring the situation," said Dyche."We're being careful, he's being careful with his body to try and give him every opportunity," Dyche continued. Along with Calvert-Lewin Everton will also miss the presence of their veteran winger Andros Townsend. Due to this Sean Dyche's options in the attacking front will be limited up to an extent. Demarai Gray and Alex Iwobi will be the two players who will try to create some spark in the opposition half. On the other hand, the hosts Joao Felix, Kai Havertz and Ben Chilwell could apply pressure on Evrton's defence. With a victory, Chelsea could reach just two points behind Liverpool. A victory for Everton could take them out of the battle of the relegation zone. With each week Premier League gets closer to its climax each game and point could prove to be a game-changer in the foreseeable future. (ANI)
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