Everton delivered a commanding 3-0 victory over Chelsea on Saturday, dealing a major setback to the visitors’ hopes of securing a Champions League place.
The defeat compounds a difficult week for Chelsea, who were recently eliminated from Europe after a heavy aggregate loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
The London side has now suffered four consecutive defeats, increasing pressure on manager Liam Rosenior just months into his tenure.
Everton’s victory was inspired by striker Beto, who scored twice to put his side firmly in control.
Iliman Ndiaye added a third goal to seal what has been described as one of Everton’s most impressive performances at their new stadium.
The result significantly tightens the race for European qualification, with only two points now separating the two sides.
Chelsea remain in sixth place, while Everton climb to seventh, keeping their ambitions of a top-five finish alive.
A top-five position is widely expected to guarantee Champions League qualification this season, given the strong performances of English clubs in European competitions.
Chelsea, however, face a daunting run of fixtures after the international break, including matches against Manchester City, Manchester United, and Liverpool in their final seven games.
Questions are also being raised about Chelsea’s goalkeeping situation, particularly after another difficult outing for Robert Sanchez.
Everton took the lead in the 33rd minute when James Garner delivered a precise pass that allowed Beto to finish past Sanchez.
Shortly after, Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford produced a crucial save to deny Enzo Fernandez an equaliser.
The home side doubled their advantage early in the second half when Sanchez failed to deal with Beto’s powerful effort, allowing the ball to slip through his legs.
Beto was again influential in the third goal, winning an aerial challenge before setting up Ndiaye, who drove into the box and fired a powerful shot into the top corner.
Despite initial struggles adapting to their new 53,000-capacity ground, Everton have now secured back-to-back home league wins, moving within three points of local rivals Liverpool.
Attention now turns to April 19, when Everton will host Liverpool in the first Merseyside derby at their new home, a fixture that could further shape the race for European qualification.
