Everton face Chelsea at the Hill Dickinson on Saturday in the latest meeting of a rivalry that began more than a century ago.
Our Everton-Chelsea head-to-head charts the full history, but some afternoons deserve a closer look. There have been title-winning Everton sides, heavy Goodison victories, a seven-goal defeat and one of Romelu Lukaku’s finest goals for the club.
Here are five meetings spanning 85 years.
Everton 7-2 Chelsea — November 1931
Dixie Dean needed just 32 minutes to score five goals when Chelsea visited Goodison Park on 14 November 1931. Dean struck in the fifth, eighth, 15th, 23rd and 32nd minutes as Everton raced into a 5-0 lead. George Mills pulled one back for Chelsea before half-time, but Tommy Johnson and Jimmy Stein added two more for the hosts after the break.
It was one of several remarkable Dean performances that season. He scored 45 league goals as Everton, who had been promoted from the Second Division only months earlier, went straight on to win the First Division title.
The 7-2 victory remains Everton’s biggest win over Chelsea.
Everton 5-2 Chelsea — March 1970
Another championship-winning Everton side made short work of Chelsea at Goodison on 28 March 1970. Howard Kendall scored after just 14 seconds and Alan Ball doubled the lead in the fourth minute. Joe Royle made it 3-0 before half-time and scored again shortly after the restart, with Alan Whittle adding a fifth.
Chelsea arrived on Merseyside third in the First Division, but Harry Catterick’s Everton were top and looked every inch the champions in front of 58,337. John Dempsey and Peter Osgood scored late consolation goals as Everton won 5-2. Catterick’s side went on to take the title by nine points from Leeds United.
Everton 6-0 Chelsea — April 1978
Chelsea suffered another heavy Goodison defeat on 29 April 1978, this time against Gordon Lee’s Everton. Martin Dobson opened the scoring after seven minutes, and Billy Wright made it 2-0 seven minutes later. Neil Robinson added a third early in the second half before Bob Latchford scored twice, either side of a Mick Lyons goal.
Latchford’s second came from the penalty spot and completed a 6-0 win. It was part of a prolific season for the Everton striker, who finished with 30 First Division goals, while Lee’s side ended the campaign third in the table.
Everton 3-4 Chelsea — December 1984
Not every memorable meeting ended with an Everton win. Howard Kendall’s side had beaten Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season, but the return fixture at Goodison on 22 December became a seven-goal contest.
Paul Bracewell scored Everton’s first before Graeme Sharp converted two second-half penalties. Chelsea, newly promoted to the First Division, scored four and held on despite Sharp’s second spot-kick arriving in the final minutes.
The defeat temporarily knocked Everton off the top of the table, but it did little to derail what became one of the greatest seasons in the club’s history. Kendall’s side recovered to win the league and European Cup Winners’ Cup before losing to Manchester United in the FA Cup final.
Everton 2-0 Chelsea — March 2016
Romelu Lukaku settled an FA Cup quarter-final against his former club with two goals in five second-half minutes. There had been little between the sides at Goodison when Lukaku collected possession on the left in the 77th minute. He held off Cesar Azpilicueta and Nemanja Matic, went beyond John Obi Mikel and Gary Cahill and finished past Thibaut Courtois.
His second was less spectacular but just as damaging, Lukaku breaking into the area four minutes later and beating Courtois again to put Everton 2-0 ahead. A bad-tempered finish followed. Diego Costa was sent off for Chelsea before Gareth Barry received a second yellow card, leaving both teams with 10 men. For Everton, the night belonged to Lukaku. His double sent Roberto Martinez’s side to Wembley for an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United.
Everton and Chelsea meet again at the Hill Dickinson on Saturday. Our Everton v Chelsea preview has the early team news, form and key details ahead of the game.
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