LIVERPOOL: Pedro Neto scored twice as Chelsea beat Everton 2-0 at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday in the Premier League.
After a goalless first half, Neto broke the deadlock in the first minute of the second half. Jorrel Hato delivered a low cross, and Neto controlled it before finishing into the bottom corner.
The victory provisionally lifted Chelsea into fourth place. Neto then secured the points in the 90th minute.
Cole Palmer’s free-kick struck the defensive wall, but the ball reached Neto inside the penalty area, and he finished low again.
However, Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez left the match on a stretcher after a collision with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite. Mike Penders replaced him.
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Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso told TNT Sports that Martínez left the stadium conscious and was undergoing precautionary tests at hospital.
Meanwhile, Neto dedicated the victory to his injured teammate. “This win is for him,” he told TNT Sports. Neto also praised both goalkeepers after Chelsea kept a clean sheet.
He said the team had adjusted its approach at half-time to exploit Everton’s man-to-man press. Those changes helped Chelsea create the opening goal, he explained.
Neto credited advice from his national-team coach with encouraging him to finish rather than force them. Pedro Neto scored twice as Chelsea won 2-0 at Everton, although goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez left the match injured.
