Chelsea recorded back-to-back Premier League victories for the second time this season as the Blues dug deep to beat Everton 2-0 at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
A brace from Pedro Neto, with a goal in each half, ensured three points would be heading back to west London on Saturday afternoon.
The Blues didn’t come out of the match unscathed, as goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez took a nasty blow to the head after attempting to claim a cross, with Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite colliding with the Argentinian.
A forced change presented an opportunity for 20-year-old Mike Penders, who saw out the remaining 30 minutes to ensure Chelsea kept their first Premier League clean sheet since January.
It wasn’t just Martinez who suffered injury troubles. Summer signing Pep Chavarria missed the trip up north due to what Xabi Alonso described as a “little problem” picked up in training.
The 28-year-old was in line to start his second match in seven days after a positive display in the 5-1 victory over Bournemouth, but a last-minute setback saw him replaced by Dutch full-back Jorrel Hato.
Alonso opted to use Hato for the first time since he was withdrawn at half-time against Hull City on September 12. The 20-year-old repaid the faith by contributing to Chelsea’s first clean sheet in 22 league matches.
After the match, the Blues boss praised Hato, telling reporters: “He did really well today as well… This is all about the squad, so that all the players feel important, that they will have their moment whenever they are needed, and that's very positive as well.”
Hato has struggled for consistency since his £35.5 million move from Ajax in August 2025. With four different coaches in just over 12 months at Stamford Bridge, it is hardly surprising that his form has been mixed.
The pressure on the Dutch international has also increased in recent months, particularly following Marc Cucurella’s departure for Real Madrid over the summer. Cucurella’s recent Ballon d’Or nomination highlighted the quality Chelsea have lost in that position, increasing the pressure on Hato to establish himself as a reliable alternative.
With the busy period of the season approaching, both Chavarria and Hato will continue to be assets to the Blues. Healthy competition in that department will likely push both players to improve and reinforce their importance to the new boss.
New signing Marco Palestra also has the versatility to play on the left as well as the right. Competition on both sides is healthy and is also pushing Pedro Neto to new heights.
The 26-year-old is just two goals away from equalling his best-ever Premier League goal tally for Chelsea since joining from Wolves in 2024. Given that we aren’t even a quarter of the way through the season, he is likely to surpass his previous tally of five.
As Chelsea approach a demanding period of the season, Alonso will be hoping Chavarria’s injury is not serious. With Hato providing an alternative at left-back, Alonso can take confidence from his squad depth should further injuries occur.