Chelsea made the wider areas count
Everton protected the centre and asked Chelsea to build around their block. Neto responded by changing his starting position rather than remaining fixed on the touchline. At times he stretched the full-back; at others he moved inside to receive behind midfield and create a shooting angle.
The movement helped Chelsea produce 16 attempts and kept Everton’s back line turning towards its own goal. The home side still registered five shots on target, so the clean sheet required active defending and reliable goalkeeping rather than complete control of the ball.
Martinez’s injury brought a long stoppage
Midway through the second half, Martinez came to claim a cross and collided with Jarrad Branthwaite and Thierno Barry. He received treatment for about ten minutes before leaving on a stretcher. Mike Penders replaced him and made his Premier League debut.
Chelsea later confirmed that Martinez had fractured his jaw and undergone successful surgery. The clean sheet still belongs to the team’s defensive effort, but the injury was the most serious event of the afternoon and will keep the goalkeeper out while he recovers.
Neto’s late second goal settled the result
Chelsea kept looking for a controlled route forward rather than defending on the edge of their area. Everton sent more players ahead of the ball, and Neto used the extra space to score again in the 90th minute. His second finish removed the last uncertainty after the long injury delay.
Everton need more variety when the first route towards the striker is closed. Five shots on target show that chances existed, yet they arrived too far apart to build sustained pressure. Chelsea leave with three points, while attention now turns to Martinez’s recovery.