Tensions boil over at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea struggle to find way past Everton

Chelsea 0-0 Everton: Despite now boasting the longest undefeated streak under a new manager in the Premier League’s history, this was a match which exposed the Blues' frailties

It was a match low on magic but high on mistakes (Getty)

Maurizio Sarri may now, by way of the book, boast the best start by a new manager to a Premier League season in history – after extending his undefeated record to 12 games – but a drear 0-0 draw against Everton exposed quite how flawed his Chelsea side can be when bereft of a mercurial moment from Eden Hazard.

It was a scrappy encounter scuppered by consistent fouls, causing the duel to deviate from the motorway at every possible junction, while the opening 45 minutes alone might well have warranted at least two red cards on another occasion.

Yerry Mina made his full-debut for Everton, after finally recovering from a hairline fracture to his foot, but was nearly cut short with less than a quarter of the game gone after he near-amputated Eden Hazard’s ankle with a two-footed scissor tackle on the edge of Everton’s box. That resultant free-kick giving Chelsea their first opportunity as Marcos Alonso’s curling effort narrowly evaded Jordan Pickford’s post.

Seconds later, after David Luiz gifted the ball to Everton in his own half – not for the first time – Jorginho was forced into a desperate studs-up challenge which sliced into Gylfi Sigurdsson’s ankle.

It was a tactically astute opening from Marco Silva’s side which enabled Everton to nullify the Italian orchestrator and neutralise Hazard in the centre of the pitch, huddling eleven men behind the ball, and swamping the half-spaces in a type of Testudo Formation reenactment which prevented Chelsea’s midfield maestros from planting their anchors.

Yet much of the match, which featured seven yellow cards and 17 fouls, was marred by messy play. Opportunities were fashioned out of error rather than excellence. One such mistake affording Chelsea their best chance of the first half in its dying moments as Marcos Alonso peeled away at the back post to lash a left-footed volley towards the roof of the net and force Jordan Pickford into an acrobatic save.

Even the teams’ assistants would begin to hurl insults at one another. Sarri telling Marco Silva to hush his staff as insults volleyed between the backbenches.

Referee Kevin Friend shows a yellow card to Antonio Rudiger (Getty)

After a hair-raising half time team talk, Sarri’s side did eventually manage to successfully fray the game, pulling Everton’s defence from flank-to-flank.

Alvaro Morata’s miscued volley ricocheted off the post just seconds into the half and Eden Hazard, finally unshackled from the midfield swarm, was able to conduct Chelsea’s attack in the way which the first-half had so desperately missed.

First, there was the Belgian’s long-distance drive which Pickford leapt to parry; then, his through-ball set-up for Willian, whose shot narrowly skirted the Everton post; lastly, his touch to catch Antonio Rudiger’s pass mid-air like a teenager with a wasp spatula before teeing up Marcos Alonso’s low-drive which, again, hit the woodwork.

Morata thought he had finally broken the deadlock after flicking Azpilicueta’s cross past Pickford, only to be ruled offside, and two minutes later Hazard chipped his best opportunity past the post on his weaker foot after an incisive through ball from Mateo Kovacic.

Ross Barkley in action against his former club (Getty)

By the time Ross Barkley had been introduced to a rapture of boos from Everton’s travelling support, the match had ebbed into the type of one-way current which saw the Toffees glued to their own final third.

Yet the breakthrough never came. Phil Jagielka was introduced as Everton reinforced their backline and Hazard dropped ever deeper to try to conjure that one defining piece of magic.

As the final whistle blew, it became apparent that Hazard’s ability to make a difference has become a necessity for Sarri’s side, rather than a commodity, without which they are some way short.