Chelsea 2 Everton 0: Watch highlights – Alvaro Morata makes history as he and Cesc Fabregas grab the goals to inflict Everton’s first defeat of the season
Toothless Everton offered very little going forward with their attacking instincts stifled under the Chelsea onslaught
ALVARO MORATA made history as Chelsea dished out a football lesson to Everton and showed them what it really takes to be a top club.
Former Real Madrid man Morata became the first player in Premier League history to both score and assist a goal in each of his first two home games.
The Premier League title holders cruised to victory with goals in the first half as Everton’s much-hyped season came to a shuddering halt at Stamford Bridge with a poor display.
Everton have spent millions in the summer, including a record £45million on midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson, but have lost their cutting edge after selling Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United.
They also had Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane and Sandro in the starting line up only to roll over.
Cesc Fabregas put Chelsea ahead in the 27th minute with a slick finish to a three man move.
The ball eventually fell to him via the head of Alvaro Morata and in tight space Fabregas managed to hook the ball past Jordan Pickford with the outside of his boot.
It will have been particularly pleasing for Fabregas to break the deadlock as yet again he faces a season of uncertainty as Chelsea bid to sign two new players who will take his position.
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Everton’s newly-assembled and much talked about team failed to live up to the hype, failing to lay a glove on Chelsea without a shot on target for a full hour.
New £5.2m striker Sandro wasted a superb chance when put through by Wayne Rooney early in the second half with a lame shot that was heading for the corner flag until it cannoned off the legs of Blues defender Antonio Rudiger.
Chelsea look much more composed than the team which lost its head and two players in a first day defeat to Burnley.
With the return to fitness of Pedro and with Fabregas back from suspension Conte was able to keep £32m midfielder Tiemoue Bakayako on the bench this week as he returns to full fitness after knee surgery.
New striker Morata scored his second goal for Chelsea when he headed in a cross from Cesar Azpilicueta five minutes from half time.
Conte missed it however as he was too busy harassing the fourth official over a foul on Victor Moses to see the ball go in.
Everton brought on sub Muhamed Besic - whose father is in hospital after being shot twice - in the second half with the midfielder bravely playing on even though his father had been shot just hours earlier in a dispute back home in Bosnia.
Rooney, playing his first match since announcing his England retirement, was booked for dissent in the second half.
INTERACTIVE LINE-UPS– CLICK on a player’s number below to see their stats
FACTS, STATS, GOALS & LOLS
- Prior to this game, Chelsea had won seven of their last ten Premier League meetings with Everton.
- Cesc Fabregas must have spotted someone he knew in the crowd after scoring the opener because he stood there waving for what seemed like an eternity.
- This win means the Blues have extended their unbeaten home run against Everton in the league to 23 games.
- Conte was so busy complaining about not being given a penalty that he actually missed Morata scoring Chelsea's second.
- Everton's grey shorts did them no favours in the August heat - their sweat patches looked like something else...
- Possession isn't everything. It was split 50/50 in the first half but Chelsea had nine shots to Everton's 1 and eight on target.
- The stats showed this one was over at half-time: the Blues have lost just ONE of the 112 Premier League games in which they've led by two or more goals after 45 minutes before today.
- The start to the second half was delayed slightly because Maartin Stekelenburg was still helping Jordan Pickford warm up.
WHAT THEY SAID
Everton boss Ronald Koeman said: "I am disappointed with the first half because our ball possession was poor. We did not have enough movement to give options.
"Against Chelsea, you need to be at your best to get a result and we weren't. The second half was better but we lost it in the first."
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said: "We must be pleased with the performance. We played a really good game. We dominated and had plenty of chances.
"The only negative thing is we should be more clinical. But there were a lot of positive things."
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DREAM TEAM RATINGS
Chelsea: Courtois 6, Azpilicueta 7, David Luiz 7, Rudiger 7, Moses 7 (Christensen 89', 6), Fabregas 8, Kante 7, Alonso 7, Willian 7, Pedro 6 (Bakayoko 75', 6), Morata 7 (Batshuayi 78', 6).
Everton: Pickford 6, Keane 6, Williams 6, Jagielka 6 (Lennon 83', 6), Holgate 6, Davies 6 (Besic 45', 6) Gueye 6, Baines 6, Rooney 6, Sigurdsson 6, Ramirez 5 (Calvert-Lewin 62', 6).
Star Man: Fabregas.