Chelsea Player Ratings vs. Everton: Ugly Injury Sours Blues Victory

Chelsea came through a tight encounter with Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium with all three points, courtesy a first-ever Premier League brace from Pedro Neto, although it was a nasty head injury for goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez that remained in fans’ thoughts after the final whistle.

For much of the first half, it was a case of the irresistible, if inconsistent, force meeting the immovable object. Chelsea dominated possession, as they have so often this season, but found little joy against a stubborn Everton defense that offered precious little space to exploit.

The deadlock was finally broken just seconds after the restart, when Jorrel Hato surged down the left and fizzed a low cross into the box. Neto was on hand to apply the finishing touch, giving Xabi Alonso’s side the breakthrough their possession had threatened to deliver without ever quite guaranteeing.

The sight of Martínez leaving the second half on a stretcher added some real tension to proceedings, so there was significant relief as Neto fired home his second in stoppage time, calmly guiding a loose ball into the corner after a free kick to put the result beyond doubt and secure all three points.

Back-to-back victories and a first clean sheet in nine months are certainly cause for encouragement, but this was hardly a statement performance.

Chelsea still looked vulnerable whenever Everton broke forward, and had Thierno Barry shown greater composure in front of goal, the visitors might have left Merseyside with a very different result.

One Thing We Can’t Ignore

Regardless of whether fortune played its part, Chelsea deserve credit for recording their first clean sheet of the Alonso era.

Life under the Spaniard has been something of a rollercoaster so far. Goals have flowed at one end, but defensive lapses have been just as frequent at the other. Against one of the Premier League’s more defensively disciplined sides, however, the balance appeared to shift closer to the middle: perhaps a little less spectacular, but certainly more controlled.

Emiliano Martínez has faced plenty of scrutiny since arriving from Aston Villa in the summer, but a couple of solid saves against Everton, coupled with some assured distribution, offered encouraging signs that Chelsea made the right call in bringing him in to replace Robert Sánchez.

Unfortunately, a nasty head injury in the second half forced Martínez off just as he appeared to be finding his feet, interrupting what could have been an important step forward.

While fans nervously await an update on a head injury that certainly looked like a nasty one, it is over to 21-year-old Mike Penders to build on this clean sheet.

Chelsea Player Ratings vs. Everton

GK: Emiliano Martínez—7.7: Kept his first clean sheet as a Chelsea player, making a couple of solid saves along the way. His injury will come as a big blow for the Blues.

CB: Josh Acheampong—7.7: Acheampong recorded more defensive contributions than any other Chelsea defender, coming out on top in an intriguing battle with the experienced Jack Grealish.

CB: Maxence Lacroix—7.3: After a shaky performance against Bournemouth last time out, Lacroix did very little wrong here, making several vital headed clearances to help keep Everton at bay.

CB: Levi Colwill—7.1: Defensively sound throughout, but Colwill’s distribution left plenty to be desired, completing just one of his six attempted long passes.

RM: Pedro Neto—9.3: Given more freedom from his defensive duties, Neto made the most of his attacking license, repeatedly driving forward and causing problems for Everton. His brace was a deserved reward for an influential attacking performance.

CM: Moisés Caicedo—7.7: Combative as ever in the middle of the park, Caicedo’s defensive contributions became increasingly valuable as the game wore on and Everton pushed harder for a goal.

CM: Jordan Henderson—7.5: After his midfield masterclass against Bournemouth, Henderson had a quieter outing against Everton. He remained reliable in possession and kept things ticking over, but offered little in the way of forward thrust.

LM: Jorrel Hato—7.4: As shown on numerous occasions this season, Hato’s ability to burst forward and overlap down the left can cause all sorts of problems for the opposition. His surging run and low cross were integral to Chelsea’s opener.

AM: Cole Palmer—7.5: A decent showing, although Everton worked hard to limit his influence whenever he received the ball. The midfielder struggled to find room to work his magic on his favored left foot. Lucky not to recieve a second booking late on for a rash challenge on Jarrad Branthwaite.

AM: Morgan Rogers—7.7: This was just the second Premier League game in which Rogers has failed to register a goal contribution for Chelsea, but he more than made up for it defensively, recording more defensive contributions than any other player on the pitch.

ST: João Pedro—6.8: A quiet afternoon for the Brazilian striker, who was often left isolated up front and struggled to get involved in the game.

SUB: Mike Penders (75’ for Martínez)—6.6

SUB: Marco Palestra (90’ for Hato)—N/A

SUB: Roméo Lavia (90’ for Caicedo)—N/A

SUB: Danny Welbeck (90’ for Pedro)—N/A

SUB: Geovany Quenda (90+11' for Neto)—N/A

Subs not used: Wesley Fofana, Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, Valentín Barco, Estêvão.

What the Ratings Tell Us

When given the freedom to push forward and take on fewer defensive responsibilities, Neto’s explosive pace and ability to get in behind can make him a game-changer at his best.

Josh Acheampong may be the youngest and least experienced of Chelsea’s three starting center backs, but there is a strong argument that he is the best of the trio. He is a gem Chelsea simply must hold on to.

Against a combative Everton side that gave him little time or space to operate, João Pedro looked incredibly isolated. Keeping him quiet could prove key for opposition teams looking to prevent Chelsea from hitting their stride in attack.

The Numbers That Explain Chelsea’s Victory

Even if fortune played its part, Chelsea’s first clean sheet under Alonso could signal that the Blues are beginning to find a better balance after an action-packed start to his tenure.

Chelsea have enjoyed at least 50% possession in each of their last four Premier League matches. Yet, aside from their win over Bournemouth, they have struggled to translate that dominance into clear-cut opportunities.

Chelsea received four yellow cards, their highest tally in a Premier League match this season. It is hardly a statistic to celebrate, but there is a positive to take from it: under Enzo Maresca last season, a heated contest like this might have seen one of those bookings turn into a red. This time, the Blues kept all 11 players on the pitch.