The defender believes the result reflects the work done on the training ground since the international break, with the Blues now looking to build on consecutive victories over Bournemouth and Everton.
Pedro Neto scored twice in the 2-0 win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, giving Chelsea their first victory at Everton’s new ground and lifting them above their opponents into fourth place. The result also delivered a long-awaited defensive milestone under head coach Xabi Alonso.
Hato said keeping Everton out had been a specific target after Chelsea’s attacking quality had often been more evident than their defensive solidity.
“That was one of our goals,” the Dutchman said. “Of course, we score a lot of goals, everyone knows this, but now we finally have our own clean sheet and as a team it's good.
“We didn't give many chances away, or big chances, so that's solid and we keep going. Now we have to go forward with it and keep as many clean sheets as we can.”
The performance followed a period in which Chelsea had been working to improve their defensive organisation at Cobham. Hato said the squad had recognised the need to become more reliable without the ball, even while continuing to produce goals at the other end.
“When we came back from the international break, everyone knew that we have a good team and we score a lot of goals, but defensively it had to be better. We had to do it, and I think we showed it against Bournemouth and again against Everton.”
Chelsea’s defensive resolve was tested when goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez suffered a serious injury in the second half. The Argentine was taken to hospital after a collision and subsequently underwent successful surgery on a fractured jaw.
His departure could have unsettled the visitors, but Hato said the players focused on seeing out the match rather than allowing the incident to disrupt their concentration.
“Of course, when a moment like this happens, everyone is in shock. But of course, the game goes on for another 20 minutes. So we were just saying to each other: ‘stay focused’. I think we did a good job. We scored to make it 2-0 and finish off the game.”
Neto’s second goal helped Chelsea close out the contest, while the replacement goalkeeper and the defenders in front of him ensured Everton could not find a way back.
The win was another encouraging result after Chelsea had also beaten Bournemouth the previous week. Hato wants the team to use that sequence as a foundation rather than treating the clean sheet as an isolated achievement.
“I think we started well after the break, and now it’s two games and two wins, so we have to keep going,” he added.
“There are a lot of games coming, and great games to play as well, so we have to keep going.”
A London derby against Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge is next, giving Chelsea an immediate opportunity to test whether the defensive improvement can be sustained against another Premier League opponent.