According to a report by Football London on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, Steven Gerrard has revised his assessment of Chelsea’s Premier League title ambitions following their impressive 2-0 victory over Everton, which delivered their first league clean sheet in several months.

Chelsea, under new manager Xabi Alonso, had struggled defensively before the Everton encounter. Their previous Premier League clean sheet reportedly came in a 2-0 win over Brentford in January under former manager Liam Rosenior. However, the latest result offered encouraging signs that the team is beginning to improve at the back.

During Alonso’s first five Premier League matches, Chelsea conceded multiple goals on several occasions, including a 3-0 defeat to Brentford and three goals in their 4-3 victory over Brighton. Their performance against Everton, however, demonstrated greater defensive discipline and organisation.

Speaking on The Overlap Daily, Gerrard admitted that he had previously doubted Chelsea’s ability to challenge for major honours. Their recent victory has changed his outlook, with the former Liverpool captain suggesting that the Blues could compete for trophies if they continue to improve defensively.

“Really professional, strong team performance,” Gerrard said. “If Chelsea want to be in the mix come April time, they need more of those performances where they build results on clean sheets.”

The former England international explained that Chelsea’s previous inability to keep opponents from scoring had raised concerns about their prospects of remaining competitive towards the end of the season.

“Finding it hard to keep clean sheets normally means they won’t be in the talk, come the end of the season,” Gerrard added.

Nevertheless, he believes Chelsea possess enough attacking quality to trouble any opponent, provided they can establish greater consistency in defence. The victory over Everton also marked their second consecutive Premier League win under Alonso.

The Spanish manager has introduced tactical adjustments while retaining his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation. He has also utilised Josh Acheampong in a flexible role to help Chelsea adapt during matches.

When moving forward, the Blues can transition into a 4-4-2 shape, with Acheampong operating at right-back and Pedro Neto providing width on the right wing. Cole Palmer can then support Joao Pedro in a more advanced position, giving Chelsea additional attacking options.

Moises Caicedo remains another crucial figure in Alonso’s plans. The Ecuadorian midfielder returned from a calf injury to captain the team against Everton, underlining his importance to the side.

Since joining Chelsea in 2023, Caicedo has made 151 appearances across 183 matches. The club have reportedly averaged 1.95 points per game when he features, compared with 1.44 when he is absent, highlighting the difference his presence can make.

Caicedo’s defensive contributions have also been significant. Last season, he recorded 87 tackles at an average of 2.8 per match, more than any other player, helping protect Chelsea’s defence and disrupt opposition attacks.

With Caicedo back in action and the team beginning to show signs of defensive improvement, Alonso will hope to build on the Everton result. Chelsea’s challenge now is to maintain that discipline consistently, as Gerrard believes their ability to keep clean sheets could prove decisive in determining how far they progress in the Premier League and other competitions.