Beto's brace sinks Chelsea as Everton record biggest Premier League win over the Blues
This was as comfortable as it got for Everton all season. From the moment Beto opened the scoring midway through the first half, Chelsea never looked like finding a way back, and the final scoreline of 3-0 barely told the full story of Everton's dominance.
Beto sets the tone
The Portuguese striker gave Everton the lead on 33 minutes, latching onto a precise through-ball from James Garner and dinking the finish over Robert Sanchez. It was a goal that owed as much to Garner's vision as to Beto's composure, and it set the tone for everything that followed.
Chelsea did have chances. Enzo Fernandez forced a world-class save from Jordan Pickford before half-time, a stop that preserved the lead and extended a milestone for the England goalkeeper. The clean sheet was Pickford's 100th for Everton, and it was one of his better ones.
Second half collapse
Chelsea made changes at the break, bringing on Alejandro Garnacho for Malo Gusto, but the reshuffle made little difference. Beto doubled the lead in the 62nd minute after Sanchez fumbled under pressure, the ball squirming over the line in almost comedic fashion. Estevao hit the crossbar nine minutes later, but that was as close as Chelsea came to a response.
Ndiaye killed the contest in the 76th minute. Beto flicked the ball into his path and the Senegalese forward curled a beautiful shot into the top corner from just inside the box. The home crowd at Hill Dickinson Stadium had rarely been so loud this season.
Chelsea's freefall continues
For Rosenior, who took over from Enzo Maresca in January, the scale of the problems is growing by the week. Chelsea have now lost four straight in all competitions. The Champions League exit to PSG was painful enough, but this 3-0 league defeat, following a 3-0 Champions League exit to PSG, makes it harder for the board to keep talking about long-term projects.
Enzo Fernandez has publicly spoken about Chelsea losing their "identity, structure and direction" since Maresca left, and performances like this one do nothing to counter that view. Chelsea sit sixth on 48 points from 31 games, three behind fourth-placed Aston Villa. The gap is not enormous, but the trajectory is grim.
Everton, by contrast, move to seventh on 46 points. It was their biggest league win over Chelsea since 1987, and only their second back-to-back home win at their new stadium this season. David Moyes will not get carried away, but nights like these remind his squad what they can do when they are on it.
