Pedro Neto scored each second-half targets as Chelsea inflicted Everton’s first defeat of the Premier League season in a 2-0 win on Merseyside after Morgan Rogers escaped a sending off earlier than the interval.
Chelsea managed to maintain their first clear sheet within the league for 9 months because of a dominant second-half efficiency which noticed Neto open the scoring 43 seconds after the restart earlier than doubling their lead within the ninetieth minute.
The victory was marred by a serious-looking head harm to Chelsea goalkeeper Emi Martinez, who was stretchered off within the second half after receiving practically 9 minutes of remedy following a collision with Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite within the field.
Chelsea had been lucky to not be all the way down to 10 males after Rogers averted any punishment following a problem with Everton’s James Garner. The Chelsea ahead didn’t get the ball and his studs had been excessive however he someway walked away with out punishment.
“I feel it is a minimal yellow, however I referred to as crimson right away,” former Premier League referee Mike Dean stated on Soccer Saturday.
“He catches him along with his studs simply on the within of Garner’s knee, and I feel it is a straight crimson, I actually do. It is not sort out.”
Referee Paul Tierney had produced 5 yellow playing cards as much as that time in a feisty first half, the primary time that had occurred since February within the Premier League.
Everton, who registered only one second-half shot on course, had arguably the most effective likelihood of the sport however striker Thierno Barry headed straight into the arms of Martinez, who later produced a nice cease to maintain out his former Aston Villa team-mate Jack Grealish’s volley.
Chelsea struck the bar late within the first half by means of the volley of Moises Caicedo – deputising as captain for the injured Reece James – at a nook, earlier than defender Maxence Lacroix had his header cleared off the road in stoppage-time.
The victory, which is Chelsea’s first at Everton since August 2022, pushes Alonso’s aspect above their opponents within the desk as they transfer on to 13 factors from their first seven video games and into the Champions League locations for now.
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