Chelsea 2 – 0 Everton
The loss of Dewsbury-Hall after just 14 minutes with a hamstring problem meant that Everton had little left to respond after Palmer put Chelsea ahead at Stamford Bridge this afternoon. Gusto got a second for the home side that sealed their first win in 6 games before half-time.
No real surprise that Alcaraz makes way for the return of Idrissa Gana Gueye — for just one game before he and Iliman Ndiaye take off for the Afcon tournament.
One huge surprise on the subs bench: only one keeper! Moyes is going soft.
First Half
We all know how the mustard and navy clad boys kicked the game off. But they managed to hold the ball a fair bit in the first 2 minutes before The Chavs started passing it around and won a corner off Tarkowski, headed over by Chalobah.
Ndiaye picked the ball up and ran in but his shot was blocked away for an Everton corner. Poor though, Cucurella the first man, half-cleared before Garner got forward but his effort was blocked back to Sanchez.
But Everton kept the early play upfield until a poor forward pass from O’Brien allowed the turnover. Grealish fouled Gusto. Then Palmer’s forward ball went through to Pickford. Cucurella beat O’Brien in a foot race for the ball wide right but nothing came of his long throw.
Grealish went in low again, this time on James with him and Dewsbury-Hall ending in a heap. Dewsbury-Hall tried to run it off but he had sustained a hamstring injury and Charly Alcaraz replaced him after just 14 minutes. A huge blow surely.
Cucurella did not like being called for a block on Ndiaye, Pedro Neto then fouled Grealish near the left corner flag, headed over for a corner by Chalobah. Garner played this one short and Grealish worked hard to put in a cross that Tarkowski played back in at the far post but behind everyone.
Chelsea mounted their first attack after 20 minutes, Palmer played in well by Gusto, gave Pickford no chance. And suddenly it was target practise for Chelsea, Garnacho lashing a shot just over the angle. Then a horrendous ball backwards from Alcaraz, Garnacho putting it just wide thanks to Tarkowski’s attention.
A dreadful 3 minutes for Everton, with Ndiaye getting kicked by Cucurella for good measure, Everton desperate to regroup after a decent opening 20 minutes.
Chelsea threatened again but Fernandez headed softly to Pickford, who came out to claim the next dangerous cross in. Cucurella stole the ball after a foul by Fernandez on Ndiaye that the referee failed to call.
Grealish made a rare forward advance, his cross put behind, the corner cleared after Ndiaye was wrestled to the floor — clear penalty? Not even looked at. Garner tried to rework it but Chelsea went forward, their cross in cleared by Tarkowski. Pedro Neto lashed one over from distance.
Gana was fouled and Garner swung a clever one to the far post where Tarkowski running in, headed it down too hard into the turf rather than the goal and it squirmed wide.
O’Brien made a great run down the right and picked out Ndiaye who made a complete airball mess of it. Gana tried to make amends, his low cross right across goal and surely meat and potatoes for Barry… but no, he missed it completely. Perhaps Sanchez got his fingertips to divert the cross away from him.
Another O’Brien cross was a little less convincing, and the next one just an absolute shocker that Jake spooned over the Chelsea goal. It had been almost a decent spell for Everton up to that point but nothing to show for it.
Grealish cut in from the left and dribbled brilliantly right into the 6-yard box but his chip over Sanchez was too cute and did not fool the big Chelsea keeper, when a powerful a directed shot might have beaten him.
Gusto had a shot from far out that Pickford saved easily. Chelsea came forward again, Pedro Neto skipping past Mykolenko and cutting it back perfectly for Gusto to force his shot past Pickford at the near post. 2-0… Game over at half time?
Second Half
It will take a miracle to turn this around, with no changes made at the break. Neto delivered a brilliant cross beyond Pickford to the far post where Garnacho didn’t get it quite right, or it would have been 3-0.
Mykoleko looked to have got free wide left and headed for the byeline but Fofana took it off him like sweets from a baby. Garnaco roasted O’Brien for pace but scooped his shot over when it looked easier to score.
Good work from Ndiaye won a corner and the ref had to have words in the build-up but Sanchez watched the delivery all the way and got Chelsea on the counter until a foul turned the ball over to Everton.
Garnacho and O’Brien clashed over a 50-50 ball. Everton finally got forward after the hour mark, a cross headed over by Grealish, helped on its way by Sanchez. Nothing from the corner before Barry is switched for Beto.
Santos was gifted a golden chance but he fired over. Alcaraz was lucky to get the ball but he could only win a corner. From that a great cross to the far post was played across goal by Grealish when he really should have scored.
Chelsea created a chance through Gittens, whose cross was glanced on its way across goal by Keane. But Chelsea won a dangerous free-kick, James firing a great attempt that Pickford palmed behind. Tarkowski headed the first corner behind.
Everton tried to break but Fofana’s cynical barge in the back of Garner to stop it was rewarded with a yellow card.
Joao Pedro got forward well but put his went in front of Gittens at the far post.
Garner did superbly to steal the ball off Estevao but his forward ball did not find Beto. Ndiaye danced his way through and placed a nice shot beyond Sanchez but it hit the post and came back out.
Finally, approaching the last minute, Everton put together a fantastic move, the ball coming to Alcaraz whose shot was blocked by too many Chelsea bodies on the penalty spot.
Chelsea came very close at the other end, a panicked header by Keane clearing the ball. Another Chelsea break saw Gittens played in but he drove his shot wide. And Celsea, who needed a win, got one quite easily in the end.
Chelsea: Sanchez, Gusto, Fofana [Y:76′], Chalobah, Cucurella, James, Fernandez, Pedro Neto, Palmer (58′ Santos), Garnacho (65′ Bynoe-Gittens), Joao Pedro (80′ Estevao).
Subs not Used: Jorgensen, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Hato, Acheampong, Guiu.
Everton XI: Pickford, O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Gana, Garner (84′ Iroegbunam), Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall (15′ Alcaraz), Grealish (84′ Dibling), Barry (69′ Beto).
Subs not Used: Travers, Campbell, Patterson, Aznou, McNeil.