Everton defeated Chelsea 3-0 at Hill Dickinson Stadium with striker Beto taking part in all three of the goals.
While the Blues were handed their fourth straight loss across all competitions, the Toffees have picked up their third win in the last four games.
Today’s result against a direct opponent, plus Liverpool’s defeat at Brighton and Hove Albion, leaves David Moyes’ men very much alive in their quest for European football.
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Beto doing it all
Where else to begin than with Beto making everything happen for Everton? The Bissau-Guinean striker had his best game in a Toffees shirt since signing in 2023.
He recorded three goal involvements in 81 minutes against Chelsea, the same amount he managed in his previous 29 appearances combined across all competitions.
The No.9 had a positive impact on the game in various ways. He projected himself forward behind the defensive line for both of his goals. But also dropped deep to win a flick-on to assist Iliman Ndiaye for the third. A complete display. He got the best of Wesley Fofana in all three of those goals as well.
Everton swinging momentum
Everton started the game much better than Chelsea, recovering possession near the goal and accessing dangerous zones far more often.
They had a cautious approach at first, slowly cutting down space without launching themselves forward out of possession. Soon, they realised there were great opportunities. Beto nearly stole the ball from Robert Sanchez inside the box, for perspective.
However, the Blues managed to get their inside game going. Everton’s zonal and mid-to-low block in the 4-4-2 eventually left a few spaces in front of defence. Enzo Fernandez and especially Cole Palmer identified those gaps and managed to receive a few interesting passes there.
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The success they started to find with the ball also impacted their off-ball work. More aggression and intensity in the press meant that Everton were ultimately trapped inside their own half with no way out.
Just when Chelsea slowed down a little bit, Romeo Lavia misread the scenario in their man-oriented press and gave James Garner just enough time to put Beto through on goal. A delightful over-the-top finish gave them the initial lead.
It was a goal very much against the run of play, sandwiched between the best moments the Blues had in the game.
Beto and Garner did really well to recognize Chelsea were slowing down in their out-of-possession rythm, possibly because they had picked things up before that. And the Toffees capitalised in that specific moment.
Chelsea’s wasted opportunity
Liam Rosenior’s men looked completely beaten at the end, as they lost a fourth consecutive game. But it doesn’t mean there weren’t moments in which they looked good, despite the deserved Everton win.
As we mentioned before, the Toffees’ zonal and deep approach with two holding midfielders would eventually leave openings. It just took Chelsea time to identify them.
And they were there until the end of the game – which is why Cole Palmer, in particular, looked extremely frustrated. He was the one occupying central zones with no one around, but rarely received the ball in these conditions.
They tried to focus their plays down the middle, but struggled to create advantages there.
Additionally, their laziness really stood out. Not only lazy passes, but receptions as well. It was a common theme throughout the whole 90 minutes and it directly led to Everton’s second goal.
But it wasn’t all just bad luck. Liam Rosenior harmed the team with his half-time substitutions. Malo Gusto had a quiet 45 minutes, but replacing him with Alejandro Garnacho and consequently taking Moises Caicedo out of midfield to defend out wide was not a great choice.
Especially early on, the Ecuadorian was often the free man who dislodged from the centre-backs and drove the team forward. Not only did they miss that specific role, but also lost one body in midfield to help in their central play.
Out wide, Garnacho failed to bring any sort of impact. Who did manage to help Chelsea was Estevao, who played just 20 minutes and created more than Garnacho and Pedro Neto combined.
A whole afternoon for everyone at Chelsea to forget, really.