Everton 2-0 Chelsea: Player ratings as Toffees go four points clear of relegation zone
Abdoulaye Doucoure's strike and a late effort from youngster Lewis Dobbin handed Everton a 2-0 victory over Chelsea at Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon to move the Toffees four points clear of the relegation zone.
Former Watford midfielder Doucoure followed up on the rebound after Robert Sanchez saved Dominic Calvert-Lewin's effort in the 54th minute, with the visiting Blues unable to muster a response before 20-year-old substitute Dobbin slammed in the hosts' second with his first ever goal for the club.
The defeat is Chelsea's second on the bounce and their seventh in the Premier League already this season and leaves them down in 12th.
Everton made just one change from the side that beat Newcastle on Thursday night as James Garner replaced Seamus Coleman. Mauricio Pochettino rang the changes for the visitors, however, with Reece James, Conor Gallagher, Benoit Badiashile and Armando Broja all starting and Raheem Sterling, Lewi Colwill, Thiago Silva and Nicolas Jackson dropping to the bench.
The two sides traded attacks but it was Chelsea who looked more threatening in those opening exchanges. Enzo Fernandez's drive on the edge of the box needed saving from Jordan Pickford before the England international made a sprawling save to stop Cole Palmer's swerving effort from distance from nestling in the top corner.
The Toffees went close when Jack Harrison's acrobatic volley flew past the right post, but the remainder of the first half was filled with possession-based football from Chelsea with little end product and injuries that saw both right-backs substituted.
Reece James, on his fifth consecutive Premier League start, pulled up with a suspected hamstring problem and came off in the 27th minute, while veteran Ashley Young was
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