Chelsea 2-0 Everton: Report, result and goals as Cole Palmer helps Blues bounce back

Chelsea returned to winning ways and move back into the Premier League top four after a 2-0 victory over Everton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Cole Palmer netted his first top-flight goal since September – and first home league goal of the season – before Malo Gusto added a second on the stroke of half-time to give the Blues a much-needed victory.

Enzo Maresca’s men came into the contest without a win in their last four matches in all competitions, the latest setback being a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Atalanta in the Champions League on Tuesday.

But they bounced back in largely comfortable, if not exactly spectacular, fashion here, while Everton, who missed a couple of good chances and fall to eighth in the table, were made to endure another disappointing day at the Bridge.

The Toffees were dealt an early blow when in-form midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, playing against his former club, hobbled off inside 20 minutes with an injury.

And it would soon get worse for David Moyes’ men, with Palmer, on his return to the starting 11, beating compatriot Jordan Pickford at his near post after 21 minutes following a neat pass from Gusto.

The early signs were bad for Everton, who were coming into the game on a run of four wins in five but had not been victorious at Stamford Bridge in the top-flight since 1994. Moyes, meanwhile, was searching for his first-ever Premier League three points on the Blues’ turf.

So, despite looking promising after the setback, it will have felt like a case of deja vu for the visitors when on the stroke of half-time, Gusto prodded home Pedro Neto’s cut-back to double Chelsea’s advantage going into the break.

The Blues should then have added a third not long after the restart, when Robert Sanchez’s ball over the top found Alejandro Garnacho. But racing clear and with just Pickford to beat, the Argentine lifted his effort over the bar.

Everton sniffed a way back into the tie and, with just over a quarter of an hour remaining, they squandered a glorious chance to do just that when an unmarked Jack Grealish met Carlos Alcaraz’s delightful cross to the back post.

But the ex-Aston Villa man got the finish all wrong, diverting the ball well off target.

Chelsea responded by pushing to make the points safe. Reece James saw his free-kick tipped over by Pickford before Joao Pedro lashed a pass across the face of goal that fail to fall at the feet of a team-mate.

In the end, the Blues saw out the remaining few minutes to claim the win and keep the heat on Villa, Manchester City and Arsenal above them.