EPL: Chelsea End Everton's Unbeaten Run With Win At Hill Dickinson Stadium
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| Neto brace ends Everton's unbeaten start as Chelsea move fourth |
Pedro Neto scored twice as Chelsea ended Everton's unbeaten start to the Premier League season with a hard-fought 2-0 victory at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, moving the Blues into the top four and ending their 22-game wait for a clean sheet.
Thierno Barry had their first clear-cut chance when he could only direct his header straight at Emiliano Martinez...
Pedro Neto scored twice as Chelsea ended Everton's unbeaten start to the season with a hard-fought 2-0 victory.
The hosts were denied the chance to go unbeaten in their first seven games of a Premier League season for only the second time in a tempestuous encounter at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Everton would have relished the prospect of returning home to face Chelsea, whose recent trips to the blue side of Merseyside have rarely gone to plan.
Chances were few and far between in the early stages, but Harrison Armstrong's uncompromising tackle on Josh Acheampong seemed to energise the hosts.
Thierno Barry had their first clear-cut chance when he could only direct his header straight at Emiliano Martinez from Jack Grealish's cross, before the latter almost broke the deadlock himself, his eye-catching strike bouncing down into the ground and forcing Martinez to tip it over the bar.
There was certainly no love lost between the two teams, as James Tarkowski needlessly barged Moises Caicedo off the ball, prompting a heated exchange involving Morgan Rogers and Jordan Henderson.
Barry had another chance to open the scoring for Everton after fine work from Vitali Mykolenko down the left, but Martinez was on hand to make another comfortable save.
Chelsea had shown little of their usual attacking threat until late in the half, when Caicedo's stunning volley crashed off the crossbar before Jordan Pickford tipped Pedro Neto's effort over.
That proved a sign of things to come, as Xabi Alonso's side took the lead within a minute of the restart.
Rogers and Jorrel Hato combined superbly down the left, with the Dutchman teeing up Neto to fire home from close range, his shot squeezing under Pickford's outstretched arm.
Chelsea were really starting to find their flow, with Cole Palmer seeing his attempted chip drift just over.
Everything seemed to be going to plan for the visitors until Martinez was stretchered off following a heavy collision with Jarrad Branthwaite from an incoming set-piece, and Mike Penders was introduced for his Premier League debut, becoming the youngest goalkeeper to feature in the competition for Chelsea.
There was still time for Alonso's men to seal the three points when the Portuguese showed excellent composure to slot in a left-footed finish after Henderson's initial free-kick had got caught up in the Everton wall.
The result ensured Chelsea ended a nine-month run of 22 league games without a clean sheet, their longest absence of shut-outs since August 1961, as they moved up to fourth in the table.
Meanwhile, a first defeat of the season for David Moyes' side sees them drop a place to sixth ahead of the 3pm kick-offs.
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| Momentum Shift |
There was still time for Alonso's men to seal the three points when the Portuguese showed excellent composure to slot in a left-footed finish after Henderson's initial free-kick had got caught up in the Everton wall.
Pedro Neto's double at Hill Dickinson Stadium ends @everton's unbeaten streak, helping @ChelseaFC climb into fourth place 👊 https://t.co/PdsOs8nEbf
— Premier League (@premierleague) October 17, 2026
The result ensured Chelsea ended a nine-month run of 22 league games without a clean sheet, their longest absence of shut-outs since August 1961, as they moved up to fourth in the table.
Meanwhile, a first defeat of the season for David Moyes' side sees them drop a place to sixth ahead of the 3pm kick-offs.
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