It’s amazing how quickly things can change in football.
Just over a month ago, with a 3-0 battering at Arsenal fresh in people’s minds, one of the top priorities for this Chelsea team would have been getting rid of Gary Cahill from the team for good. He had been culpable for a goal in the Swansea game, and then the Liverpool game, and then he completed his hat-trick with an error that lead to a goal against the Gunners too.
But in the month since, a shift in formation has seen an enormous upswing in Cahill’s form. The Blues have not conceded a league goal with Cahill in the team since that day.
Now, with Everton coming to town, Cahill faces a huge test against Romelu Lukaku. Manchester United didn’t present the test that they were expected to at Stamford Bridge, so it has fallen to the Toffees to show us whether Cahill is still up to it against world class strikers who can genuinely worry him with pace and strength.
Given the form the English centre back has shown bouncing back in recent weeks, it’s not going to be easy for Everton.
