Everton produced their finest performance at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday night, easing past Chelsea 3-0 to boost their European ambitions. The result lifted David Moyes’ side to just three points off the fifth spot in the Premier League table.
For Chelsea, it was a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions, with Liam Rosenior admitting afterwards: “That was not good enough. This was the most disappointing evening so far.”
The Toffees were dominant from start to finish. James Garner, who received his first England call-up earlier in the week, played an inch-perfect through ball for Beto to open the scoring. The striker added a second before Iliman Ndiaye capped off a memorable night with a stunning finish. But beyond the goals, there were standout performances across the pitch that have now earned recognition from Troy Deeney for his Team of the Week.
Deeney’s verdict on Everton’s massive week
Troy Deeney named four Everton players in his latest Team of the Week, starting with the man between the sticks. Of Jordan Pickford, Deeney said: “One of the massive moments in Everton’s 3-0 win against Chelsea was his brilliant save to deny Enzo Fernandez. He has come up pretty big in such moments for Everton this season and, hopefully, he can continue to do that for England in the summer at the World Cup. A week ago, he made a costly mistake against Arsenal but he has picked himself up again to deliver for the Toffees.” Pickford completed his 100th clean sheet for Everton on Saturday evening.
Alongside Pickford, Deeney recognised the influence of James Tarkowski at the heart of defence. “It was another solid performance from the Everton defender,” Deeney wrote. “He showed his experience and control, and was always where he needed to be. He made those tackles when needed and more importantly was a calming presence in their backline.”
Garner’s midfield masterclass recognised
James Garner got himself into Deeney’s midfield selection. The midfielder provided the assist for Beto’s opener and controlled the tempo throughout. Deeney, who played alongside Garner at Watford, offered a personal insight into his qualities.
“He could have just chilled out after getting called up to the England squad this week. But instead, he cracked on and put in a great performance. It was a lovely assist from him to Beto for Everton’s opener. Having played with him at Watford, I know he’s all about high energy and big tackles. He has got it all and I hope he does well for England to force his way into that World Cup squad.”
Deeney also praised Beto, who scored twice, noting: “I am not sure Beto is a long-term solution for Everton’s goalscoring issues, but manager David Moyes is getting a tune out of him at the moment. It is impressive considering how poor he was earlier in the season.”
On the manager himself, Deeney offered a wider reflection on the contest. “The game between Everton and Chelsea was a perfect encapsulation of old school against new school. Blues boss Liam Rosenior is still trying to find his way at the start of his managerial career but Moyes put together a perfect gameplan to secure a comprehensive victory. The Toffees were bolder and stronger in every aspect of the game and it was a massive win for them.”
David Moyes himself summed up the performance afterwards: “This was our best performance here, absolutely. From the first minute, we were right on it. It was a big game and the crowd made it feel like a big game, so a big thank you to the supporters for the part they played tonight.”
- Four Everton stars named in Troy Deeney Team of the Week after Chelsea demolition
- Wayne Rooney full of praise for brilliant James Garner after Chelsea masterclass
- Jordan Pickford completes 100 clean sheets at Everton after Chelsea heroics
- Can Everton end up playing in the Champions League next season?
- Beto shines as Everton thrash Chelsea with massive win at Hill Dickinson
