Neto double sees Chelsea end Everton’s unbeaten start

Pedro Neto struck twice as Chelsea ended Everton’s unbeaten start to the Premier League season with a 2-0 win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

After a tight first half ended goalless, Xabi Alonso’s side made the breakthrough almost immediately after the restart when Neto finished following good work from Jorrel Hato and Morgan Rogers.

But Chelsea’s afternoon was disrupted when goalkeeper Emi Martinez suffered a head injury following a collision and had to be stretchered off, with Mike Penders replacing him.

The substitute goalkeeper helped preserve Chelsea’s advantage as Everton struggled to create a clear route back into the contest.

Neto then wrapped up the three points in the final minute of normal time, reacting to a loose ball inside the area to slot into the bottom corner and score his second of the afternoon to make it 2-0.

The result gave Alonso’s side back-to-back Premier League victories following their emphatic 5-1 win over Bournemouth, while Everton suffered their first league defeat of the campaign.