What Frank Lampard did to Antonio Rudiger as Chelsea's recognizable pattern holds against Everton
Chelsea's 1-0 loss to Everton on Sunday afternoon was extremely disappointing, and football.
london looks back at some of the key moments from the game that you might have missed.
Chelsea supporters were understandably nervous as their team emerged from the Goodison Park tunnel to a deafening reception. The Blues had lost all three of their previous visits to Everton, and the general mood on social media was one of pessimism.
This was also due to Chelsea's inability to beat an out-of-sorts Manchester United team earlier in the week, but their recent experiences at Goodison Park have not been positive.
To make matters even more difficult for the visitors, Everton had a special day as well.
The Toffees had just seen relegation rivals Burnley defeat Watford less than 24 hours before, making their clash with Chelsea even more important. The atmosphere around Goodison Park was truly deafening, and it appeared that some of the Blues' players were affected by it on the day.
The first half was cagey and scrappy, with neither side producing anything noteworthy. However, after the break, Everton forced a mistake from the Chelsea defense and took advantage through Richarlison's low strike.
The Blues then had three golden chances, the first coming from Mason Mount, who hit both posts, and the second coming from Cesar Azpilicueta's follow-up shot, which Jordan Pickford denied.
Moments later, Antonio Rudiger had a glorious chance, but Pickford stood firm once more to deny Chelsea an equalizer.
That's how it remained. Chelsea suffered a rare away defeat, which was exactly what Thomas Tuchel's team deserved. With that said, football.london looks at some of the moments in the game that you might have missed...
Lampard embraces Chelsea's star players
You'd be forgiven for missing Frank Lampard embracing some of his former Chelsea players in the midst of the Everton celebrations after the final whistle. The former Blues manager, who left the club in January 2021, was quick to approach and embrace his former players.
Perhaps most notably, Lampard approached Antonio Rudiger and shook his hand. Lampard barely used Rudiger as Chelsea manager, only for the German to become a regular under Tuchel.
There were rumors of dissatisfaction between Lampard and Rudiger, and whether or not that was true, the two shook hands at the end of the game. There's clearly a mutual admiration there. Lampard also hugged Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, and Thiago Silva before continuing to celebrate with the ecstatic Everton supporters.
Chelsea's poor form continues. Since the start of the 2020/21 season, the Blues have made 14 errors that resulted in goals in the Premier League. Only Everton have made more mistakes, with 15 blunders.
Cesar Azpilicueta was the latest Blues player to concede a goal. Richarlison intercepted the Spaniard, stole the ball from the Chelsea captain, and slotted it past Edouard Mendy.
N'Golo Kante was only a few days ago dispossessed before Manchester United equalized through Cristiano Ronaldo. Tuchel understands that this has to stop.
"What can I do?" asked Chelsea's head coach following the game. "When the ball is free, score a goal. In this environment and situation, it is the worst thing that can happen to you. It happens far too frequently, and we struggle to play without making major errors. That is why we are having difficulty producing results."
Everton's aggressive game plan becomes a masterclass.
It was obvious what kind of Everton team would face Chelsea. An aggressive one, ready to pounce on any loose ball in order to annoy the visitors.
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