The opening feeling-out period at Goodison Park has seen Chelsea hold a slight advantage in possession with nothing to show of it. Tim Howard could be in the dressing room and it wouldn't matter. Chelsea is having trouble getting through the Everton midfield, with a deep-lying Marouane Fellaini proving problematic. The few times the Blues have tried an alternative route, Phil Neville has proven stalwart down the Blues' left flank, even if he's already drawn the attention of Howard Webb.
Everton FC Vs. Chelsea FC: Holders Unable To Threaten Through First 15 Minutes
Everton has had limited success going down their left side, already able to pump in three crosses from that side. Leighton Baines's service has, to this point, proven fruitless, but an 11th minute cross from midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov did find a mark, leading to a harmless knock-down cleaned-up by Michael Essien.
Chelsea's midfield has featured the all-world Ghanaian at its center. Frank Lampard, returning from a calf injury, is being used center-left, while Ramires is playing toward the right.
Now through 14 minutes, Everton has having Chelsea a brief moment of pause, a Jack Rodwell flick-on finding Bilyaletdinov in the six. José Bosingwa does enough to let Petr Cech come for it, keeping it 0-0 a quarter hour into the match.
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