Everton’s 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge ensured Chelsea extended their remarkable unbeaten home Premier League run against the Toffees to 31 matches, the longest such streak the Blues have ever recorded against a single opponent in their league history, Softfootball reports.
Coming into the contest, Chelsea were in need of a response. Enzo Maresca’s side had won just one of their previous four matches and were fresh from a disappointing 2-1 UEFA Champions League defeat away to Atalanta, a result that halted their European momentum. That context perhaps explained the cagey opening, which offered little in the way of excitement for those tuning in early.
The flow of the game was disrupted further when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was forced off through injury on his first return to Stamford Bridge, but once things settled, Chelsea began to take control. They have sorely missed Cole Palmer during his recent absence, and his return proved decisive as he opened the scoring midway through the first half.
Latching onto a perfectly weighted pass from Malo Gusto, Palmer calmly slid home his first goal since September to lift the mood inside the stadium.
Chelsea sensed an opportunity to press home their advantage and nearly did so when Alejandro Garnacho bent an effort agonisingly wide of the far post. Everton, meanwhile, passed up a rare opening of their own when James Tarkowski headed wide from a corner a miss that would soon come back to haunt them.
Deep into first-half stoppage time, Chelsea struck again on the counter, with Gusto capping an excellent display by sweeping the ball home at the near post to double the hosts’ lead.
Garnacho continued to cause Everton problems after the restart, firing narrowly wide before ballooning another chance over the bar as Chelsea looked capable of extending their lead further. Palmer’s afternoon came to an early end when he was withdrawn for Andrey Santos, but Everton failed to capitalise, struggling to gain any real foothold in the contest.
Despite David Moyes introducing fresh legs in search of a response, the visitors were comfortably kept at arm’s length. Chelsea controlled proceedings across the pitch, limiting Everton to speculative efforts and ensuring their lead was never seriously threatened. It was a composed, professional display that helped steady the ship after recent setbacks.
After the game, Everton via its official X handle, thanked the traveling fans for their fantastic support throughout the game, even though the team failed to get a result, the toffees will look ahead to their next game and hope to bounce back in style. They posted:
The victory boosts Chelsea’s top-four ambitions and offers some welcome relief after a difficult run of form. For Everton, the defeat brings an end to the momentum built from four wins in their previous five matches, though they remain firmly in the mix in the battle for European qualification.
