The result lifted Xabi Alonso’s side to fourth place, ahead of the rest of the weekend’s fixtures, while Everton dropped to sixth and suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season.
The victory was overshadowed by an injury to Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, who was carried off on a stretcher after a clash of heads with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite in the 75th minute. The pair challenged for the ball, and while Branthwaite was able to continue after treatment, Martínez required extended medical attention during a stoppage of around 10 minutes.
The Argentina World Cup winner was able to move his arms as he was taken from the pitch. He was replaced by Mike Penders, making his Premier League debut, with the concern for Martínez taking the focus away from Chelsea’s strong performance.
Neto had given Chelsea the lead just after half-time, finishing after Jorrel Hato’s cutback took a deflection. The visitors had adjusted to Everton’s man-to-man approach during the interval, and the change helped create the opening for the winger to score.
“We know that they came man-to-man. In the second half we adjusted some stuff. We tried to get the best of the man-to-man press and we got away. We got the cross and I could finish well, so really happy,” Neto told TNT Sports.
The Portuguese winger then settled the contest in the 90th minute, rolling a composed finish into the bottom corner after Jordan Henderson’s free-kick struck the wall and the ball broke for Chelsea.
Neto said the team had been determined to add a clean sheet to the three points, while also dedicating the victory to the injured goalkeeper.
“We are really pleased. Shame for Emi, but we wish you all the best. This win is for him,” he said. “We need a clean sheet, to be honest. I think we did a very good game. Emi deserved this, Mike did as well.”
Asked about his calm finishing, Neto credited advice from Portugal’s national-team coach.
“This comes a little bit from the new coach of the national team that says when you are near to the area you need to pass to the goal, so really happy with that,” he explained.
He added that Chelsea had travelled with confidence despite the difficulty of playing away.
“It's really important. We know it's tough to play away, even at home there are no easy games. We came here with personality, with good intentions to win the match and really happy with the result.”
Chelsea’s defensive resilience was a welcome change after a long run without a league shutout. The first clean sheet in nine months offered further encouragement for Alonso, although the condition of Martínez remained the major concern after the final whistle.