According to a report by Football London on Tuesday October 20, 2026, Steven Gerrard has reevaluated Chelsea's potential to challenge for a Premier League top-four finish after their 2-0 thrashing of Everton, in which they recorded their first league shutout in months.

Xabi Alonso took over as manager of a Chelsea team that had been struggling defensively under Liam Rosenior. The last time they had a clean sheet in the Premier League was in January, a 2-0 win over Brentford. On Saturday, though, there were promising indicators of progress.

Chelsea let in two goals in two games (a 3-0 loss to Brentford and three in a 4-3 win over Brighton) in Alonso's first five league appearances. Their performance versus Everton was much more controlled.

Gerrard confessed on The Overlap Daily that he had his reservations about Chelsea's title chances prior to their Everton victory. The former captain of Liverpool, who came close to joining Chelsea in 2005, is now of the opinion that they have what it takes to be competitive, provided they keep improving their defense.

"Very competent, solid team effort," Gerrard remarked. "If Chelsea are serious about being competitive in April, they need to keep putting up those kinds of performances where they score goals while keeping the opposition scoreless."

Furthermore, he had previously doubted Chelsea's ability to stay in the race due to their defensive record. According to Gerrard, if a team struggles to maintain clean sheets throughout the season, it usually indicates that they won't be considered for postseason consideration.

But the ex-England international thinks Chelsea can trouble any team with their offensive prowess provided they improve their defensive stability. They extended their Premier League winning streak to two games with the win against Everton.

Alonso has also made tactical changes, keeping Josh Acheampong in a versatile role and sticking with a 3-4-2-1 formation. When Chelsea is on the attack, they can switch to a 4-4-2 formation, with Pedro Neto playing on the right wing and Acheampong at right back. Following Joao Pedro on the field is Cole Palmer.

In Chelsea's midfield, Moises Caicedo continues to play a significant role. The Ecuadorian midfielder played as captain in the match against Everton after returning from a calf injury.

Caicedo has appeared in 151 games for Chelsea in 183 matches since his 2023 arrival. His importance to Chelsea is highlighted by the fact that they average 1.95 points per game with him on the field, compared to 1.44 points per game when he is not.

Caicedo led all players with 87 tackles last season, good for an average of 2.8 per game. As Alonso seeks to assemble a more reliable squad, his availability is crucial because of the defensivesupport he gives to Chelsea's backline.