Everton 2 Chelsea 0
Sean Dyche’s side entertained Chelsea at Goodison Park fresh from a convincing win against Newcastle in the week. The Toffees had managed to string a set of results together that led to them getting out of the bottom three despite their recent points deduction from the Premier League.
If they had not had those points deducted, Everton would be above Chelsea in the table. The Blues are struggling to find any consistent form or identity under Mauricio Pochettino and you wonder how long the Argentinian will have to get things right in West London.
The visitors created the first chance of the game when Mudryk found Fernandez but his initial shot was straight at Pickford and he missed the target completely with the follow-up. At times watching the player you wonder what led Chelsea, other than a World Cup in Qatar, to parting with £105m for him.
A short corner from The Blues saw Cole Palmer striker a shot from outside the box towards the top corner but it was all too easy for Pickford to claw out of the goal in his usual over-elaborate style. The Everton keeper can often be seen paddling shots away like you have thrown something to a cat.
Credit: @ChelseaFC
When football fans refer to their keeper as ‘a cat’ it is usually intended to underline their agility as opposed to inability to catch a ball due to lack of opposable thumbs and fingers. Everton’s keeper is single-handedly breaking down inter-species barriers or may actually have paws under those gloves.
Harrison came closest to opening the scoring for The Toffees when Chelsea half-cleared the ball and it came out to the winger on the volley and his effort had Sanchez scrambling across the goal, relieved to see the ball curl wide of his post.
Everton continued to ask questions of Pochettino’s side in the second half and in-form Dwight McNeil swivelled and shot on the edge of the box to get a left-footed shot away which was smartly saved in the bottom corner of the goal by Sanchez.
Enzo Fernandez gave the ball away on the edge of the hosts’ box and McNeil broke clear running deep into enemy territory. He spotted the run of Calvert-Lewin and played him in but his shot was blocked by the Chelsea keeper.
Doucoure was following up to rifle the rebound past Sanchez and into the Chelsea goal to put Sean Dyche’s side ahead less than ten minutes into the second half. Goodison Park erupted as their run of good form seemed set to continue.
Branthwaite then hacked down Broja on the edge of the box, gifting the visitors a dangerous position to plot a free kick. Palmer looked to drill the ball under the wall but it was straight at Pickford who managed to gather the ball with his paws at the second attempt.
Credit: @Everton
Sean Dyche lost his mind when the fourth official raised his board to reveal there would be seven minutes of added time. Quite where they get these figures from beggars belief but the Everton manager would have taken the full time whistle there and then.
By this stage, Robert Sanchez had been substituted as the keeper was seemingly injured. Djordje Petrovic was making his first appearance for the Chelsea first team, having signed for the club from New England Revolution in the summer.
Everton forced a late corner, which Garner swung into the box. Petrovic got a weak fist to the cross and the ball dropped to Lewis Dobbin on the edge of the penalty area. He struck his shot first time, through a sea of shirts, straight into the back of the net.
It was the youngster’s first senior goal for The Toffees, one he will never forget. It secured all three points for Everton and ensured that they widened the gap between themselves and the bottom three. The roof almost came off Goodison Park as his effort nestled in the net.
Nicolas Jackson had to be separated from the Everton players at the full time whistle, if only the striker could show that kind of passion for the cause during the game. Mauricio Pochettino’s tough start to his Chelsea tenure continued with the fans losing patience with his regime further.
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