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Chelsea continued their remarkable rise up the Premier League table with a 2-0 win over Carlo Ancelotti's Everton. The Italian registered a victory over his former side at Goodison Park earlier in the season but failed to replicate that result as Thomas Tuchel's men stamped their authority on the game right from the first minute, winning 2-0 in the end and saw the vast majority of the ball.
After an inspired performance away at Anfield, the Chelsea boss rang in the changes and made five alterations to the XI that began the game. Marcos Alonso, Mateo Kovacic, Kurt Zouma, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and German superstar Kai Havertz were brought into the side and the German was the chief architect of their victory despite failing to score.
The Blues were largely in control of proceedings in the first 45 minutes, as they've done in almost all of their games under Tuchel. They managed to carve out a number of decent opportunities while keeping Everton's talented attackers at bay.
Chelsea eventually broke the deadlock just over the half an hour mark after some excellent work from Kai Havertz. Alonso picked up the ball on the left of midfield and whipped an accurate cross into Havertz's path in the box and the German's first-time strike found the back of the net, albeit after a deflection off Ben Godfrey.
The German was at it again in the second half and thought he doubled the Blues' advantage in the 54th minute after sneaking the ball into the near post after chesting the ball down in the box. The goal was chalked off almost immediately, however, as Havertz was deemed to have handled the ball while bringing it down.
Richarlison found himself at the end of what was an excellent team move from Everton just two minutes later but the Brazilian striker's effort was way off target, failing to even test Edouard Mendy in goal.
Havertz's disallowed goal made no difference as their lead would be doubled just over ten minutes later. The former Bayer 04 Leverkusen star darted into the box to latch onto an excellent through ball from deep and won a penalty as Jordan Pickford came off his line to bring him down. Chelsea vice-captain Jorginho gave Pickford the eyes and coolly converted the spot-kick after the hop and skip.
Timo Werner could have potentially scored a third after a stunning long ball from Cesar Azpilicueta sent him through on goal but the German striker failed to find the back of the net. Werner and second-half substitute N'Golo Kante then had two noteworthy chances in the final ten minutes and neither managed to score.
The clean sheet at Stamford Bridge was their fifth of the season under Tuchel, a feat that cannot be matched by any newly-appointed coach in the Premier League. Chelsea's win also cements their place in the top four opening up a four-point gap between themselves and fifth-placed Everton. However, West Ham remain hot on the Blues' heels as they could displace them should they win their games in hand.
Here are the best tweets from the game!
