Full Time: Everton 0-3 Chelsea
Chelsea put in a ruthless second-half performance to beat Everton 3-0 at the Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon.
The game started on a bright note with both teams having their moments, but things seemed to peter out as the first-half progressed and half-time arrived with the 0-0 scoreline still intact.
The action livened up after the restart, with both Everton and Chelsea going close, but it was the visitors who finally opened the scoring through Pedro’s spectacular strike in the 67th minute. Captain Gary Cahill would then go on to double his team’s lead ten minutes later after the Toffees failed to deal with a set-piece situation. Substitute Willian piled on the misery for Ronald Koeman’s side, scoring a third in the 86th minute.
The win sees the Blues pull further away at the top and establish a seven-point lead over second-placed Tottenham Hotspur who will play Arsenal later in the day. Here is how the Chelsea players fared on the day:
Chelsea Player Ratings
Thibaut Courtois – 6/10
Barely worked by the Everton attackers throughout the game. Was commanding against the high balls that were pumped in.
Cesar Azpilicueta – 7/10
Another solid performance at the back from the Spaniard. Booked in the first-half and was on a tightrope since then, but managed to stay steady.
David Luiz – 6/10
Used his experience to marshall the threat of Romelu Lukaku well, despite losing out to the big striker on a couple of occasions. Almost set Diego Costa through on goal with a fine pass.
Gary Cahill – 7/10
Led from the front and was always up for the battle against Lukaku. Popped up to score the all important second goal in the second period to put the result to bed.
Victor Moses – 6/10
Another solid and reliable performance from the Nigerian down the right-flank. Offered bundles of energy and running.
N’Golo Kante – 7/10
Another typical performance in the middle of the park, full of running. Covered every blade of grass. Extremely efficient.
Nemanja Matic – 7/10
There were a few moments where he was outrun by the young Tom Davies, but provided a solid foundation for the Blues to build upon. Chalked up the assist for Pedro’s strike.
Marcos Alonso – 6/10
Had little to deal with defensively, which made him a great outlet on the left-flank. But his delivery into the box was not up to the mark.
Pedro – 8/10
Was a constant menace throughout with his pace and incisive running. Broke the deadlock in the second period with a moment of magic.
Diego Costa – 6/10
Plenty of hustle and bustle up top but not to much avail. Missed a great chance in the first half. Booked and could have seen a second yellow for a high foot.
Eden Hazard – 7/10
Another lively performance from the Belgian maverick as he caused the Everton defence several problems, despite being man-marked by Idrissa Gueye. Booked in the second period.
Substitutes
Nathan Ake – NA
Replaced Luiz for the last eight minutes.
Cesc Fabregas – 7/10
Came on for Pedro in the 82nd minute. Set Willian up for the third strike.
Willian – 7/10
Replaced Hazard with five minutes left to play. Scored the third goal, finishing off a fine move. Should have added one more in the added time.