Pedro Neto 90'
A goalless first half at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday 17 October turned a minute after the restart, when Pedro Neto put Chelsea ahead. He added a second in the 90th minute, handing Xabi Alonso’s side a second successive win after the 5-1 defeat of Bournemouth. Referee Paul Tierney showed seven yellow cards, five of them before the interval.
Pedro Neto rated 9.66 on a two-goal afternoon
Pedro Neto had been booked for dissent in the 27th minute. Both goals came from his three shots, and he also created five chances for team-mates. His match rating of 9.66 was the highest on the pitch, more than two points clear of anyone else.
The cards kept coming in a stop-start first half. Harrison Armstrong was cautioned for a foul in the 23rd minute and Acheampong followed in the 32nd. Two minutes later James Tarkowski and Morgan Rogers were both booked after an argument. Cole Palmer picked up a dissent caution in the 65th minute, and Christian Nørgaard was booked for a foul in the 89th.
Chelsea’s 18 shots against Everton’s 6
Chelsea had 53% of the ball and outshot Everton three to one. Their expected goals figure of 1.59 compared with 0.54 for David Moyes’s side. Alonso’s team also tested Jordan Pickford from distance with eight efforts from outside the area, while Everton did not attempt a single shot from beyond the box.
Palmer was the most persistent threat after Pedro Neto, with six shots and two key passes, but he did not score. At the other end Everton landed five attempts on target, and Chelsea made five saves to keep them all out. Martínez was rated 7.63, with Lacroix on 7.62 and Hato on 7.51.
The result reverses the last meeting between the clubs, a 3-0 Everton win at this ground on 21 March 2026. Chelsea had also won the two before that, 2-0 in December 2025 and 1-0 in April 2025.
Chelsea fourth on 13 points, Everton seventh
Chelsea are fourth with 13 points from seven games, level with third-placed Brighton, who have played once fewer. Manchester City, on 21 points from seven straight wins, lead them by eight.
Everton are seventh on 10 points, level with Brentford. This was their first defeat in six matches across all competitions, ending a run of two wins and three draws that included 1-0 victories over Ipswich and Wolves. It was also only their first league loss of the season.
Moyes’s side face a tough trip next, away to second-placed Arsenal on Saturday 24 October. On the same day Chelsea host Tottenham, who are bottom of the table with three points from six games.
Read also: Henderson double helps Chelsea thrash Bournemouth 5-1 at Stamford Bridge
📷 Hill Dickinson Stadium: Austiñobobbiño, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
