Chelsea inflict Everton's first defeat after Rogers escapes red

Report as Chelsea keep first Premier League clean sheet in nine months to leapfrog Everton thanks to Pedro Neto's second-half double after Morgan Rogers avoids sending off before the break; Emi Martinez stretchered off with serious-looking head injury in second half

Pedro Neto scored both second-half goals as Chelsea inflicted Everton’s first defeat of the Premier League season in a 2-0 win on Merseyside after Morgan Rogers escaped a sending off before the interval.

Chelsea managed to keep their first clean sheet in the league for nine months thanks to a dominant second-half performance which saw Neto open the scoring 43 seconds after the restart before doubling their lead in the 90th minute.

The victory was marred by a serious-looking head injury to Chelsea goalkeeper Emi Martinez, who was stretchered off in the second half after receiving nearly nine minutes of treatment following a collision with Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite in the box.

Chelsea were fortunate not to be down to 10 men after Rogers avoided any punishment following a challenge with Everton's James Garner. The Chelsea forward failed to get the ball and his studs were high but he somehow walked away without punishment.

"I think it's a minimum yellow, but I called red straight away," former Premier League referee Mike Dean said on Soccer Saturday.

"He catches him with his studs just on the inside of Garner's knee, and I think it's a straight red, I really do. It's not a good tackle."

Referee Paul Tierney had produced five yellow cards up to that point in a feisty first half, the first time that had happened since February in the Premier League.

Everton, who registered just one second-half shot on target, had arguably the best chance of the game but striker Thierno Barry headed straight into the arms of Martinez, who later produced a fine stop to keep out his former Aston Villa team-mate Jack Grealish's volley.

Chelsea struck the bar late in the first half through the volley of Moises Caicedo - deputising as captain for the injured Reece James - at a corner, before defender Maxence Lacroix had his header cleared off the line in stoppage-time.

The victory, which is Chelsea's first at Everton since August 2022, pushes Alonso's side above their opponents in the table as they move on to 13 points from their first seven games and into the Champions League places for now.