A torrid 10 days for Chelsea ended in humiliation as they were swept aside 3-0 by Everton in the Premier League, with the Toffees finally finding rare back-to-back home wins this season.
Liam Rosenior’s men have endured a brutal run, losing 8-2 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League exit, falling at home to Newcastle, and then being comprehensively outplayed by an Everton side that had managed just five home league wins in their previous 15 outings.
Since replacing Enzo Maresca, Rosenior has recorded 10 wins from 19 matches, although three of those came in the FA Cup against Wrexham, Hull and Charlton, with another against Cypriot side Pafos.
Chelsea had a golden opportunity to climb into fourth place, just four points behind Manchester United after the Red Devils’ draw and Liverpool’s defeat, but they squandered it in disappointing fashion.
Everton, meanwhile, closed the gap on their Merseyside rivals to within three points ahead of next month’s derby, boosted by a commanding display at their Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Beto made history by becoming the first Everton player this season to score more than once in a single match, before Iliman Ndiaye sealed the win in style with a curling strike into the top corner, sparking an early exit from sections of the visiting support with 15 minutes still remaining.
