Everton vs Chelsea Player Ratings: Brilliant Beto brace sinks Chelsea

Absolute bargain!

Usually at this time of year, I am looking at fixtures of the Bottom 6 teams and trying to figure out where we are going to pick up sufficient points to stay up.

Every time I do it, I get different scenarios. Obviously thats not an issue this season and Europe is a possibility, but Thursday night Europa League doesnt really excite me. I would sooner we could win a trophy but guess that would be another opportunity.

I was thinking, however hypothetically if we are mathematically safe? Teams have to play each other so they can’t all take 3 points per game so it’s not just about points ahead.

Interesting… or am I just a boring old fart with too much time on his hands?

A brilliant interception and drive by 36-year-old Gana. Life still in the old dog yet.

And a top bins effort for a nice cherry on the top, that was simply unstoppable.

I heard a fella sitting in front of me giving Beto, his MotM, (even though he had been giving the useless cunt some unmerciful stick before he scored). I said to his mate that the sign of a good team is when you could pick a few different players to be given the MotM award, which was definitely the case yesterday.

With the score at 2-0, Chelsea broke, and they had a dangerous overload down our right. I looked at the player trying to stem the Chelsea attack, noticed it was James Garner, and a part of me began to relax.

This is the reason why I chose Garner. Clever, energetic and a major cog, but Pickford made important saves, Tarkowski had his best game in a very long time, Beto scored two, and Ndiaye showed his incredible ability... so it could have been anyone from four or five players.

Now I'm also going to praise (praise the edit button!) Michael Keane, for some of the excellent defensive positions he took up… honestly!

Fantastic performance! Long may it continue!

Obviously, the potential influx of cash from Champions League qualification would be what interests the club hierarchy more. But, on the balance of probability, we're not finishing 5th or higher. And from a sporting perspective, a grueling and futile campaign against top sides in Europe is not in our interests.

The Europa League is a worst-of-both-worlds scenario. Difficult to win and not game-changing money. I couldn't understand why Palace were so put out about missing out on this in favour of the eminently winnable Conference League.

But I was also particularly very pleased with Vitaly Mykolenko yesterday.

By the way - I was in the middle of the North Stand and the noise when we scored was incredible! Back of the neck stuff!

Can you imagine us qualifying for the Champions League and being demoted to the Europa League due to AS Roma qualifying? It wouldn't be the first time we'd got into Europe and not been allowed to play.

Not quite a 9 for the excellent Pickford for me, yes the first one was world class, but it was his weak punch that caused the chance in the first place. I thought Chelsea targeted him with their corners because his aerial ability is his only slight weakness.

Mykolenko had a good game, but Estevao looked very dangerous when he came on and gave him a tough time. I wondered if that was why Branthwaite was brought on, as they seemed to double mark Estevao from then on. Tactically brilliant from Moyes if so, as he was their sole threat.

I think that the Thursday & Sunday scenario would damage this squad and plunge us down the league. We would struggle.

However, if by a miracle we make the Top 4, then we invest heavily on quality -- that would be a massive step forward for Everton.

Beto has been playing so well lately and a lot of that is down to attitude. Barry... take a hard look at that man.

Jimmy Garner was absolutely dominant and deserves a 9 or one of these stupid extra 0.5 marks, so 9.5 for me. At least 8 for everyone for me and plenty of 9s!

Take a bow, boys -- breathtaking, that performance last night!!!

Pickford is priceless for us -- that's another nil game chalked up too, the defenders are doing great most matches, whoever is on the field.

Beto used his strong points -- strength and pace -- to good effect, we need to hold on to him.

Special mention for McNeil too, the team has played better since he got back in the side.

Beto played a great game, too, and showed he should start in place of Barry. But, this was really an excellent team effort.

The ghost of BMD is finally floating back into the Mersey!!!!

I'll give it to Beto just because I expect that sort of performance from Piickford and Garner whereas Beto is more hit and miss... and that smile is just priceless.

But if you can play a pass like that, he has the ability to get on the end of it and finish. Going left to right, opening his body out to finish.

The service need to be like that. Playing into his feet is a waste of time, but getting him balls down the sides shows what he has.

Superb performance, Blues. Great weekend, never felt more like singing the blues.

Tarkowski had his best game for ages and I've got to admit about being a bit worried when I saw the line-up.

Garner and the rest of the midfield were immense, but my MotM goes to Beto, if only for that brilliant first goal alone.

My Mrs came in as I was watching and asked who scored. When I asked how she knew we had scored, she told me everyone in Sainsbury's knew because the roar was so loud.

I didn't know about Barry getting booed on either. Not surprised, but disappointed. It's gone and he's still our player.

Beto may not be Gerd Muller, but his improvement since the big Zombie boot has been abandoned has been there for all to see. Not sure why it was abandoned and don't really care, but we look a vastly superior side when we keep open play on the ground.

Chelsea have talented footballers throughout their team, but I'm not having the media claims that they were below par. We have some wonderful talent ourselves and I thought our players showed a greater desire to win. Our boys imposed their will -- it feels very good to write that.

We saw 27 games where the team was set up not to lose and the main tactic was to hoof it to an isolated striker. Now, we have seen four very different performances on the bounce. The oft-peddled myth that we don't have the players to go out to win games has been laid bare.

He who dares, Rodders!

Pickford has been exceptional at times.

Keep it tight at the back, and a willing runner up top.

Six wins would get us up to 64 points and, if I was a betting man, then I think that would guarantee 5th position.

Pickford gave another star performance, his reactions are like that from a cat.

No one played poorly, so credit to the whole team. Also credit to David Moyes, who it seems like is playing his team in a much more attack-minded mode.

I thought we were quite good against Arsenal last week, but this game was very enjoyable, and we won!!

Keep up the good work, blues!!!

But if we only win one of the remaining games, you all know what that one will be.

If you average our 46 points over 31 games played its a fraction under 1.5 points per game, 7 games left, says 10-ish points.

Take into account our bad spells, afcon, suspensions & injuries we've had over them games.

So now we have almost everyone available, we have an improving home record, seem to have landed on our best line-up (Branthwaite or Keane?).

I'm hoping we can go beyond that 1.5 points average in the last 7 games, with teams like Chelsea, Man Utd and Liverpool struggling, we could pull of a massive shock!!!

With our defence I see us being there or thereabouts near the end challenging for them European spots, it's goals that will determine how we finish, and unlocking defences that sit back against us.

The teams that we play away are vital Brentford, Palace, West Ham & Tottenham, if we had these at home I'd be less confident!

City & the RS will play similar to Chelsea at BMD so I'm optimistic.

Fortunately, we took advantadge of those things.

I think our biggest flaws arise when in front they run and run and run.

In other Words, hard work Beats talent when talent doesnt work hard.

Moving on, having branthwaite back will make us a Hell of good as the england call for Garner.

Anything is possible; call it europe.

1st is we wern't great but as I say we we work hard whoever we play and it worked out good for us.

2nd is you no Moyes has no balls and will carry on picking all defensive players to stay in the game and hope we get the 1st goal and dig in.

3rd is if all the dreams come true and we rock and roll to 5 that may be a disaster just ask the Geordies 7 at barca.

4th is we just need to creep into 6 or7 for europa league buys some Right sided players and we might have a good chance of a trophy next season.

We're not strictly mathematically safe but we are safe short of a stupendous cataclysm. Funny enough it's not Spurs or West Ham who make us "safe". They don't have to play each other and could overtake us if we lost all our remaining games and they won all theirs. But Leeds have played 33 games so have 15 points to play for so could theoretically reach 46 points and match us. They are however 13 goals behind on GD.

So, with Wolves and Burnley unable to catch us, as soon as Leeds drop a point we are mathematically safe ( or we get another point for that matter! )

Sorry!!