Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea remain stuck in neutral in underwhelming loss at Everton

Chelsea slumped to 12th place after 2-0 loss to Everton as the Blues just can't get out of their own way

With their 2-0 loss at Everton on Sunday, Chelsea's rhythmless season is seemingly settling into a pattern -- one in which average performances are the norm, natural advantages are squandered, and inconsistent results are the natural conclusion.

Such was the case at Goodison Park, where Chelsea had 70.9% possession and outshot Everton 16-9 but seemed wholly unprepared for an Everton team that knows how to excel in this exact type of situation. That said, Mauricio Pochettino's side could have mustered more in this game but they managed to put just four of their shots on target, one fewer than Sean Dyche's team, and they lost the expected goals battle 0.93 to 1.08.

Sunday's attacking output is representative of Chelsea's showing all season. They rank anywhere from eighth to 10th in the Premier League for goals, shots, shots on target, and shot on target percentage, which passes the eye test during an up-and-down season in which the team is battling an injury crisis that has impacted Pochettino's plans at the start of his spell in charge.