Neto’s double powers Chelsea past Everton as Martinez’s head injury overshadows victory
Pedro Neto delivered his first Premier League brace on Saturday, guiding Chelsea to a 2‑0 win over Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Portuguese winger opened the scoring early in the second half and added a second during the eleven minutes of added time that followed a lengthy medical assessment for goalkeeper Emi Martinez.
Martinez suffered a frightening head clash with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite and was taken to hospital for precautionary tests. “As far as I know he left the stadium conscious. Right now he’s in the hospital doing the precautionary tests, so let’s see,” Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said.
The victory marked Chelsea’s first away win of the season, lifting them above the Toffees into the top four and delivering the club its first clean sheet in 23 Premier League matches. “We needed one of these wins away. We have played very professional, very serious, looking solid. It is a very good win,” Alonso added. “We need to get many more clean sheets for the rest of the league games but for sure the first one of the season feels good and now we need to keep going this way.”
The match began slowly, but a heated first‑half saw Everton midfielder Harrison Armstrong tackle Josh Acheampong, earning the opening yellow card of a total of five before the break. The challenge sparked the crowd and gave Everton a brief surge. Thierno Barry missed a clear header from a Jack Grealish cross, sending the ball straight at Martinez.
Chelsea’s early pressure under Alonso took shape just before halftime when Moisés Caicedo struck a corner that rattled the bar. Everton were left frustrated when Morgan Rogers escaped a second booking after a clash with James Garner.
The second half opened with Jorrel Hato delivering a low cross from the byline that Neto controlled before firing a low shot past Jordan Pickford. Belgian keeper Mike Penders, making his Premier League debut, replaced the injured Martinez but had little to do beyond dealing with a few desperate Everton crosses. Pickford later denied Joao Pedro with a fine save.
Chelsea’s second goal came when Jordan Henderson’s free‑kick was blocked by the Everton wall, allowing Neto to slot the rebound into the bottom corner. “We are really pleased. Shame for Emi but we wish you all the best. This win is for him,” Neto told TNT Sports after the match. “We need a clean sheet, to be honest. I think we did a very good game. Emi deserved this, Mike did as well.”
Everton manager David Moyes acknowledged the difference in quality. “I just felt that Chelsea had that little bit more flair and ability which we didn’t possess at the right moments today,” he said.