New season, new Chelsea? Not exactly. At least not based on the performance Thomas Tuchel’s side produced against Everton. But a victory on the opening day of the Premier League season is nothing to quibble about – even if it did only come courtesy of a Jorginho penalty.
There were bright spots at Goodison Park, a stadium the Blues hadn't won at since 2017. Raheem Sterling, who arrived in the summer from Man City for £47.5million, was the standout attacker. Inventive, composed, and demanding, Sterling brought so much the frontline has lacked over the last two years.
At the opposite end, on the left of the Blues’ defence, Kalidou Koulibaly was dominant. Yet the Senegal international also played the best pass of the match to unlock the Everton backline and find Ben Chilwell. He was tripped, a spot-kick was awarded, and it proved Chelsea’s winner.
