Chelsea still aren’t playing well, Cole Palmer still isn’t scoring and the day-trip natives at Stamford Bridge continue to grow restless, and yet Champions League qualification is beginning to hove into view.
Nicolas Jackson’s clinically accurate low shot just before the half-hour was enough to beat a largely lacklustre Everton.
It may not have been convincing, but the bottom line on the balance sheet is all that matters for now and Champions League participation stands high above winning the Conference League in the list of priorities in west London.
To that end, a brilliant 87th-minute reaction save by the much-maligned Robert Sanchez to push away a Dwight McNeil shot was as vital as Jackson’s first goal since mid-December.
As the season enters its final month, who you play when and what they have to play for can be just as influential in results as how well you are playing yourselves.
Everton have a glorious Goodison Park farewell to orchestrate and savour. That apart, their season is over and it showed in a soporific display for an hour lacking in both energy and passion.
David Moyes replaced the ineffective Iliman Ndiaye at half-time and three more players shortly after. They improved and Sanchez was required to snake out his right hand to push away a low Beto shot after the hour before his later, even more impressive, stop.
That the visitors still had an opportunity to lift the anxiety levels inside Stamford Bridge was due partly to Chelsea’s lack of incision.
Indeed, their goal arrived courtesy of Beto being caught in possession inside his own half with Enzo Fernandez then slipping the ball to Jackson for his clinical finish.
Everton keeper Jordan Pickford also played his part with a trio of fine plunging saves to keep out a Noni Madueke shot on each occasion.
More to follow…
02:58 PM BST
Reaction from Chelsea midfielder Lavia…
“I had a lot of fun today being back in the team and helping to get a big win. Everton improved in the second half, but that is football. Everyone has their good times.”
02:56 PM BST
Reaction from Everton goalkeeper Pickford…
“The first half we weren’t good, it was a mistake from Beto for the goal. In second half we dominated as Chelsea sat in and took the 1-0. Robert Sanchez made a few good saves so credit to him. We just need to be better in the final third.
“We weren’t far off it but that’s the Premier League, you get punished.”
02:28 PM BST
Full time: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Everton improved in the second half and Chelsea were never fully in control but they were the better side and Sánchez saved them with two fine saves when Everton cranked it up. No doubt he owes them after some ropey moments this season but kudos to the keeper.
02:26 PM BST
90+4 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
One last throw for Everton after Colwill heads out Young’s big lump forward. Branthwaite, playing centre-forward now, clatters into James late to fight for the header, James milks the foul and the ref blows his whistle when he finally gets to his feet.
02:24 PM BST
90+2 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Dewsbury-Hall → Palmer
George → Jackson.
Two minutes of stoppage time to come but Joe Cole goes early and names Sánchez as his man of the match as he catches Doucouré‘s poor cross.
02:22 PM BST
90 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Sánchez sprints out of the six-yard box to catch Mykolenko’s cross commandingly… but then punts the ball out for a throw-in.
02:21 PM BST
89 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Everton free-kick on the right. McNeil arcs it deep but Neto beats Branthwaite in the air and heads it out for a throw.
02:19 PM BST
87 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Superb save from the much maligned Sánchez after Alcaraz raced down the left on to a throughball to reach it before the byline and pick out McNeil who volleyed it with his left. The keeper was going the other way but shifted his weight to dive low to his right and turn it away with a flick of the right wrist.
“WHAT A SAVE!” 😳
This stop from Robert Sánchez could be a match-winning moment 👏
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUKpic.twitter.com/owFdFpPzay
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 26, 2025
02:17 PM BST
85 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Chelsea’s fans are increasingly restless, whistling and groaning at each lay-off, lots of shouts of ‘shoot!’ They’re expecting the worst.
02:16 PM BST
No goal
He tapped in after Cucurella’s right-foot drive from 20-yards was parried to him by Pickford but he was a yard ahead of the last defender when the shot was struck.
02:15 PM BST
VAR check for Chelsea goal
But Jackson looked a yard offside.
02:13 PM BST
81 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Palmer passes straight into touch and is, obviously, excused by Joe Cole and Darren Fletcher. It’s not just that he hasn’t scored. He isn’t playing very well.
There is a sub-plot developing at Stanford Bridge. Or there was. Three times Noni Madueke had a shot arrowing towards the bottom corner. On each occasion Jordan Pickford denied him at full stretch. There won’t be a fourth. Madueke has just been subbed off.
02:11 PM BST
79 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Sancho → Madueke.
Madueke hs been their most potent forward this half.
Alcaraz plays Mykolenko in down the left with a cute, slide pass. The left-back whips over a cross on the run and agains Chalobah reads it better than Chermiti and knocks it away.
02:09 PM BST
77 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Cucurella gets up high to fight for a header from the corner but Pickford catches it beneath the crossbar. Everton move forward and McNeil arrows a cross over from the right with his left and, again, it’s a Chelsea defender who heads it away.
02:07 PM BST
75 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Pickford to the rescue again with a diving save low to his right from Madueke, who had tacked in off the left wing, to whip a brutal daisycutter of a shot bound for the bottom right corner.
02:06 PM BST
73 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
McNeil tackles Madueke, bounds forward and switches it to the left. Mykolenko shifts it back to the right and Young flies down the win as fast as any 39-year-old can and whips over a terrific cross that someone should have been there to convert in the middle. But no one, Chermiti, in particular, bought a ticket. Then Mykolenko overran it at the back post and Chelsea pile forward.
02:03 PM BST
71 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Everton have started to gain a foothold with Chermiti putting himself about and the whole team injecting some pace into their passing and daring into pushing up.
02:00 PM BST
69 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Caicedo powers through the middle and leaces Gueye gasping in his trail but then drags his 20-yard shot miles wide to the left.
Perhaps this game isn’t over. Anxiety is growing amongst the home fans with Chelsea failing to kill off the game thus far. Everton almost took advantage, winning the ball high up before Beto’s shot was palmed away by Robert Sanchez. Idrissa Gueye has also had an effort saved. Tension rising…
01:59 PM BST
67 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Here he comes:
James → Lavía.
Everton long throw on the right. Branthwaite wins the header and nods it back to the 18-yard line where Gueye meets it with the sweetest of volleys but straight at Sánchez.
01:56 PM BST
65 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Time for change:
Chermiti → Beto
Young → Patterson
McNeil → Harrison.
Reece James is also stripped and ready to come on but Chelsea pause the substitution.
01:55 PM BST
64 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Everton’s first shot on target is a bolt from the blue. Terrific tackle from Harrison on Enzo knocks the ball into Beto’s path 22 yards out and he hammers a shot that was bound for the bottom left but for Sánchez’s smart save low to his right.
01:53 PM BST
62 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Neto feeds the ball in from the right after being played in bu Jackson. Enzo takes the pass, back to goal, spins and knocks it round the corner, blind, hoping that Madueke has made the run. He had… but so had the vigilant Patterson.
01:51 PM BST
60 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
More lunchtime slumber. Madueke did manage another shot and was again denied by Pickford.
As a reminder, Everton haven’t won at Stamford Bridge since November 1994, a year after the world wide web before freely available, six months before the Channel Tunnel opened and a year into David Moyes’ last contract as a player at Preston North End.
01:49 PM BST
58 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Everton have sent Young and McNeil out to warm up.
01:47 PM BST
56 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Two telling defensive headers from Branthwaite, thye first from Madueke’s cross from the byline down the left that took it off Neto’s head, the second from the resulting corner that he took off Jackson’s with a towering flick away.
01:45 PM BST
55 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Pickford bails out a sloppy pass from Patterson that could opened the door for Jackson 18 yards out to be one-on-one. The keeper’s speed and ability to spread himself spooked Jackson who blinked first and Pickford rolls it to safety with his studs.
01:44 PM BST
53 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Branthwaite chops down on Jackson’s arm as the striker was trying to hold him off as they waited for a throw-in and the two keep grappling even after two warnings.
01:42 PM BST
51 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Everton defend the corner and break in numbers but lack the quality to exploit a numerical advantage as Jackson dutifully runs back to make a crucial tackle. Moyes is peeved by that.
01:41 PM BST
50 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Neto takes the corner short in a routine to Madueke who had run towards him from the near post and had the time to spin and shoot. Pickford turns it behind. Madueke is wreathed in a radiant style, as if chuffed a plan almost came off.
01:38 PM BST
48 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Branthwaite again shows whey he’ll cost more than Harry Maguire after Neto nutmegs Mykolenko and dries into the box. The England centre-half glides over to make a firm, fair tackle to stop the cross and possibly shot.
01:36 PM BST
46 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Alcaraz → Ndiaye.
Interesting sub. Ndiaye has been their best attacker all season and Everton have been dangerous down their left.
01:23 PM BST
Half-time verdict
Premier League wins have become anything but routine for Everton in recent weeks. Except that this is … so far. Everton have sunk back into their toothless pre-Moyes days, leaving Chelsea a stroll in the lunchtime sun towards a victory that will enhance their chances of Champions League qualification. Even the goal came from careless Everton play with Nicolas Jackson capitalising from the visitors’ loss of possession just inside their own half to double figures for Premier League goals this season.
01:23 PM BST
Half-time: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Well, no goal for Palmer despite all the goodwill of the broadcast team, to break his ‘drought’ but Jackson’s fine finish was his first goal in 13 so perhaps a hard rain is gonna fall for Cole, too.
Everton are in this, frankly, scrappy game, though. Chelsea need to be more efficient up front. Chalobah is playing very well.
01:20 PM BST
45+3 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Free-kick for the away side in the centre-circle, chipped high to the left and Mykolenko is judged to have fouled Neto.
01:19 PM BST
45+1 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Everton have been lax in supporting Beto so far but they have had a couple of openings down the left, when the ball is crossed from the right or when Mykolenko is flooding behind Caicedo when he joins the midfield.
01:17 PM BST
44 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Branthwaite comes to Everton’s rescue again after Neto accelerated past Mykolenko. He mops up with am interception and Everton break, working the ball via a cross to Doucouré who has been prolific since moving to Goodison but he makes a hash of his shot.
01:13 PM BST
41 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
They’re both OK and, after treatment, they embrace, Sanchez with a bruised chest and Mykolenko with a mercifully un-ricked neck.
Stoppage in the sun after Vitali Mykolenko and Robert Sanchez collided fighting for a floated cross. A welcome drinks break for their teammates, although Jordan Pickford had to help himself from Everton’s giant pitch-side cool box.
01:12 PM BST
39 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Collision between Saánchez and halts the game as the keeper raced out to grab a ball that was skipping towards him as Mykolenko tried to pounce.
01:10 PM BST
36 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Neto sprints past Mykolenko and whips over a cross that Pickford easily gathers. He was free. Ach. Should have done better. Very hit and miss this season Neto.
01:06 PM BST
34 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Doucouré finds some space down the right and drives between Cucurella and Colwill but then crosses straight to Chalobah.
01:05 PM BST
33 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
All Chelsea for a spell and Everton require a block by Branthwaite and a tackle by Patterson to hold the latest attack at bay.
01:03 PM BST
31 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Chelsea have been the better side but Everton were architects of their own downfall there. A centre-forward should be able to shield the ball there and wait for his runners instead of being brushed off the ball and mugged.
Lift off at Stamford Bridge and it was all of Everton’s making. Jordan Pickford’s ball towards Beto was too awkward for the striker to control quickly, Trevor Chalobah nicked it away to Enzo Fernandez. He immediately found Nicolas Jackson whose accurate low shot found the bottom corner. Moyes was left scratching his head. Cap off, naturally.
12:59 PM BST
GOAL!
Chelsea 1 Everton 0 (Jackson) Everton play the ball up to Beto in the centre-circle facing his own goal. He is supposed to shield it and turn it round the corner for one of his wingers but Chalobah is all over him, fairly, forces him backwards and, as he dithers, nips in to take the ball off him and roll it to Enzo. The Chelsea captain, at least for today, places a pass perfectly in Jackson’s path and he puts his laces through the crispest of shots from 20 yards to fire it into the bottom left corner.
What a strike that is 👏
Nicolas Jackson fires Chelsea ahead just before the half-hour mark!
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUKpic.twitter.com/aEIdJwiM0m
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 26, 2025
12:58 PM BST
26 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Shot from Cucurella, a volley from a right-wing cross that he drags wide of the right post as Palmer tried to hook it in from two yards but met fresh air.
12:57 PM BST
24 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Chelsea are wary of Ndiaye, and rightly so. He drives forward and veers diagonally to the right with Lavia shadowing him. He rolls the pass down the right for Patterson who stands up a deep cross, looking for Beto. Chalobah judges the flight perfectly and flicks a back-header so the ball bypasses the centre-forward and Caicedo is very quick to snuff out the danger by poking it away in the box as Mykolenko charged in to try to meet it on the half-volley.
12:54 PM BST
22 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Cole Palmer is a TNT Sports obsession. They’ve been talking far more about him than anyone else. He has made two dangerous runs but was only given the ball for the second of them when Garner’s diligence thwarted him.
12:52 PM BST
20 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Branthwaite reads Neto’s cross and cuts it off at the near post, knocking it behind. In comes the corner and Jackson fouls Harrison after it was floated too deep for the Chelsea runners and Everton threatened to bolt out in a counter-attack.
Few chances at Stamford Bridge, although Noni Madueke’s driving run inside and fierce curling shot has just brought a fine plunging stop from Jordan Pickford.
In other news, Everton manager David Moyes is not known for any indecision, but he is clearly in two minds as to whether to persist with a baseball cap to shield his eyes from the glare of the sun or to simply use his hand instead.
12:50 PM BST
18 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Everton cannot keep hold of the ball when attacking and it’s inviting Chelsea on to them. Having said that Chelsea are also making plenty of mistakes with their passing, ceding possession when well-placed.
12:48 PM BST
16 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
That shot from Madueke was Chelsea’s 301st at home this season, a league high. Chalobah chips a 60-yard pass from his own half up the inside left that skips out for a goal-kick. Needed back-spin to give Jackson a sniff.
12:46 PM BST
14 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Sharp save low to his left from Pickford as Madueke dribbled in from the left to smash a low right-foot shot that the England keeper had to tip behind at full stretch.
12:45 PM BST
12 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Branthwaite heads the corner out, Chelsea win the ball back in their own half as Everton push out and play it up to Nto who gets out a sand wedge of a left-foot cross on the right to try to pick out Madueke with the chip but it’s too high and parts his hair as it drifts out for a goal-kick.
12:43 PM BST
10 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Excellent tracking back from Garner stops Palmer pulling the trigger from 18 yards when played through and then Patterson races back on the cover to clip the ball behind for a corner, intercepting before Jackson or Palmer again could pounce.
12:40 PM BST
7 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
When Chelsea have the ball they are playing 3-3-3-1 with Caicedo tucking in alongside Enzo and Lavía. Chalobah breaks the lines with a 30-yard chip up the right. Neto times his run perfectly to cushion the ball with his head but Pickford is alert and races out to smother before Neto could get his second touch which was going to be a shot.
12:38 PM BST
5 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Lavía brings down Mykolenko in full flight by wrapping his leg in front of the Ukraine left-back. Everton free-kick 30 yards out, left of centre. Everton chip it deep beyond the back post, Patterson recycles and Doucouré hangs up a high cross to the middle of goal. Sánchez comes out to vie with Beto, drops the ball and grabs it when it bounces up kindly. Everton will no doubt be targeting the vulnerable keeper.
12:35 PM BST
3 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Chelsea are sweeping the ball across the two centre-backs and Cucurella as Caicedo pushes forward to augment Neto’s threat on the right.
Madueke wins a challenge on the left and drives forward only to be roped in by Patterson and Gueye.
12:33 PM BST
1 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Everton pile forward down the left and Beto is immediately penalised for a foul on Cucurella. Joe Cole is making his debut as a co-commentator and won’t have Rio Ferdinand interloping as the third man dealing solely in vibes.
12:30 PM BST
Summer form dictates winter destinations
As summer approaches and short sleeves replace body warmers and fleeces, it is one of the Premier League’s enduring ironies that matches played now in rising temperatures will have the ultimate bearing on how evenings that are anything but balmy will be spent next winter. Champions League qualification returns to the top of the agenda – for the next few hours at least.
12:27 PM BST
Cue the Liquidator
Flags are waving along the touchline as the teams assemble in the tunnel. Chelsea in royal blue with ripple effect in their shirts and shorts and dinky white socks. Everton are in grey shirts, yellow shorts and grey socks. Consequently Jordan Pickford is in shocking pink.
12:24 PM BST
Moyes’ barren Bridge
Form and history collide at Stamford Bridge.
In spite of last week’s derby win at Fulham, the Chelsea supporters are not exuding confidence that their team will earn themselves a Champions League place. Without Cole Palmer’s goals – he hasn’t scored in 16 matches, they have been taking stutter steps towards the top five.
Everton, meanwhile, are in form with just two defeats in their last ten games, but they haven’t won at Stamford Bridge since 1994. Or more alarmingly, they have won a trophy more recently than they last won along from the King’s Road. And Everton manager David Moyes has never led a team to victory here.
12:15 PM BST
David Moyes talks to TNT Sports
The players have picked themselves up completely and got some brilliant results, got themselves to safety. Their commitment. desire have been there in every game and I hope we can show that today.
It feels like a new start [moving to the new stadium] but we’ve already started getting a team ready to play in the new stadium.
The players have all stepped up and their form is as good as some at the top end. We lack some quality but these players have done really well and as long as they show it they’ll get opportunities [in the future].
The club has changed completely but I hope we can get back to the levels we were at, in and around Europe most years.
12:09 PM BST
Managerial discipline
Maresca is banned from the touchline for receiving a third yellow card of the season, joining Guardiola, Nuno, Pereira and Emery on that mark.
Ahead of them are Arne Slot (three yellows and a red), Steve Cooper (four yellows), Julen Lopetegui (five yellows), Fabian Hurzeler (four yellows and a red).
12:03 PM BST
Maresca on his touchline ban and Everton’s threat
I will be watching the game from the stand behind the bench, Willy Caballero is there, the players know they have to take more responsibility also but I feel good.
We are going to try to win all the games. We are in the position where we need to win games and am confident we can start today.
Reece is on the bench and ready to go in when we need him.
All the attacking players when they do not score, they are worried but I believe today will be a good day for Cole.
Off the ball we have to be aggressive, it’s a game you need to win duels because they are very strong and defend set-pieces. If we do that we can win the game.
11:48 AM BST
Red is the colour, football is the game
11:43 AM BST
And now for those of you watching in black and white
Chelsea Sánchez; Caicedo, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Lavía, Fernández; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson.
Substitutes Jorgensen, Acheampong, Badiashile, Adarabioyo, James, Dewsbury-Hall, George, Sancho, Nkunku.
Everton Pickford; Patterson, O’Brien, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Gueye, Garner; Harrison, Doucouré, Ndiaye; Beto.
Substitutes Virginia, Begovic, Keane, McNeil, Chermiti, Young, Coleman, Alcaraz, Iroegbunam.
Referee Chris Kavanagh (Ashton-under-Lyne).
11:25 AM BST
Everton team news
O’Brien moves to centre-half and Patterson comes in at right-back while Broja, ineligible against his parent club, is replaced by Beto.
Your Everton XI for today’s clash at Chelsea! ⚫️ pic.twitter.com/oEXC7ExXe0
— Everton (@Everton) April 26, 2025
11:24 AM BST
Chelsea team news
Caicedo starts at right-back in preference to club captain James:
How we line-up 🆚 Everton! ✊#CFC | #CHEEVEpic.twitter.com/VbsPWVHhPm
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 26, 2025
03:03 PM BST
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02:51 PM BST
Preview: Everton’s unhappy hunting ground
Good morning and welcome to live coverage of the Premier League match between sixth-placed Chelsea and Everton, sitting pretty in 13th after their David Moyes-inspired revival, from Stamford Bridge. It has been the unhappiest of hunting grounds for today’s visitors, more of a charnel house in the 31 years since their last victory in SW6, so long ago that when Paul Rideout scored the only goal, Moyes was still a centre-half at Preston North End who were beaten 1-0 by Chesterfield that day in a fourth-tier game.
Today he sends out a side robbed by injury of James Tarkowski and with a conundrum over whether to move Jake O’Brien in from a successful run at right-back into his more natural position, or give the error-prone former England centre-half Michael Keane his full backing even though, like Idrissa Gueye, Abdoulaye Doucouré, Seamus Coleman and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, he is out of contract in nine weeks. Now that Everton are safe, he has five games to plan for next season and seems to have every intention of doing so.
As for Chelsea, who have struggled for consistency and, frankly, to convince since the turn of the year, victory would take them up to fourth and they will have to try to do so without Malo Gusto, the right-back having succumbed to injury at Craven Cottage last Sunday and, though a substitute, had himself to be substituted.
To this observer, under their new ownership and most recent manager, Chelsea are struggling for identity. When Roman Abramovich owned the club we would often hear that he would like them to be more creative or play with more flair and he would drive the purchases of Deco, Andriy Shevchenko and Fernando Torres to that end but ultimately Chelsea would be themselves and play with steely ruthlessness, forceful attacking and uber-clinical efficiency. Trying to turn then into a Juego de Posición side not only robs them of their character, it goes against the Premier League’s move away from Pep-ball towards Chelsea’s old dynamic qualities.
Nonetheless the owners and manager will argue that qualifying for the Champions League vindicates them in the teeth of all that criticism of Maresca’s ‘snoreball’. It may well do for this season, but does that make it a recipe for the type of long-term success fostered by Messrs Mourinho, Ancelotti, Conte and Tuchel?
Chelsea still aren’t playing well, Cole Palmer still isn’t scoring and the day-trip natives at Stamford Bridge continue to grow restless, and yet Champions League qualification is beginning to hove into view.
Nicolas Jackson’s clinically accurate low shot just before the half-hour was enough to beat a largely lacklustre Everton.
It may not have been convincing, but the bottom line on the balance sheet is all that matters for now and Champions League participation stands high above winning the Conference League in the list of priorities in west London.
To that end, a brilliant 87th-minute reaction save by the much-maligned Robert Sanchez to push away a Dwight McNeil shot was as vital as Jackson’s first goal since mid-December.
As the season enters its final month, who you play when and what they have to play for can be just as influential in results as how well you are playing yourselves.
Everton have a glorious Goodison Park farewell to orchestrate and savour. That apart, their season is over and it showed in a soporific display for an hour lacking in both energy and passion.
David Moyes replaced the ineffective Iliman Ndiaye at half-time and three more players shortly after. They improved and Sanchez was required to snake out his right hand to push away a low Beto shot after the hour before his later, even more impressive, stop.
That the visitors still had an opportunity to lift the anxiety levels inside Stamford Bridge was due partly to Chelsea’s lack of incision.
Indeed, their goal arrived courtesy of Beto being caught in possession inside his own half with Enzo Fernandez then slipping the ball to Jackson for his clinical finish.
Everton keeper Jordan Pickford also played his part with a trio of fine plunging saves to keep out a Noni Madueke shot on each occasion.
More to follow…
02:58 PM BST
Reaction from Chelsea midfielder Lavia…
“I had a lot of fun today being back in the team and helping to get a big win. Everton improved in the second half, but that is football. Everyone has their good times.”
02:56 PM BST
Reaction from Everton goalkeeper Pickford…
“The first half we weren’t good, it was a mistake from Beto for the goal. In second half we dominated as Chelsea sat in and took the 1-0. Robert Sanchez made a few good saves so credit to him. We just need to be better in the final third.
“We weren’t far off it but that’s the Premier League, you get punished.”
02:28 PM BST
Full time: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Everton improved in the second half and Chelsea were never fully in control but they were the better side and Sánchez saved them with two fine saves when Everton cranked it up. No doubt he owes them after some ropey moments this season but kudos to the keeper.
02:26 PM BST
90+4 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
One last throw for Everton after Colwill heads out Young’s big lump forward. Branthwaite, playing centre-forward now, clatters into James late to fight for the header, James milks the foul and the ref blows his whistle when he finally gets to his feet.
02:24 PM BST
90+2 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Dewsbury-Hall → Palmer
George → Jackson.
Two minutes of stoppage time to come but Joe Cole goes early and names Sánchez as his man of the match as he catches Doucouré‘s poor cross.
02:22 PM BST
90 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Sánchez sprints out of the six-yard box to catch Mykolenko’s cross commandingly… but then punts the ball out for a throw-in.
02:21 PM BST
89 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Everton free-kick on the right. McNeil arcs it deep but Neto beats Branthwaite in the air and heads it out for a throw.
02:19 PM BST
87 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Superb save from the much maligned Sánchez after Alcaraz raced down the left on to a throughball to reach it before the byline and pick out McNeil who volleyed it with his left. The keeper was going the other way but shifted his weight to dive low to his right and turn it away with a flick of the right wrist.
“WHAT A SAVE!” 😳
This stop from Robert Sánchez could be a match-winning moment 👏
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUKpic.twitter.com/owFdFpPzay
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 26, 2025
02:17 PM BST
85 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Chelsea’s fans are increasingly restless, whistling and groaning at each lay-off, lots of shouts of ‘shoot!’ They’re expecting the worst.
02:16 PM BST
No goal
He tapped in after Cucurella’s right-foot drive from 20-yards was parried to him by Pickford but he was a yard ahead of the last defender when the shot was struck.
02:15 PM BST
VAR check for Chelsea goal
But Jackson looked a yard offside.
02:13 PM BST
81 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Palmer passes straight into touch and is, obviously, excused by Joe Cole and Darren Fletcher. It’s not just that he hasn’t scored. He isn’t playing very well.
There is a sub-plot developing at Stanford Bridge. Or there was. Three times Noni Madueke had a shot arrowing towards the bottom corner. On each occasion Jordan Pickford denied him at full stretch. There won’t be a fourth. Madueke has just been subbed off.
02:11 PM BST
79 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Sancho → Madueke.
Madueke hs been their most potent forward this half.
Alcaraz plays Mykolenko in down the left with a cute, slide pass. The left-back whips over a cross on the run and agains Chalobah reads it better than Chermiti and knocks it away.
02:09 PM BST
77 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Cucurella gets up high to fight for a header from the corner but Pickford catches it beneath the crossbar. Everton move forward and McNeil arrows a cross over from the right with his left and, again, it’s a Chelsea defender who heads it away.
02:07 PM BST
75 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Pickford to the rescue again with a diving save low to his right from Madueke, who had tacked in off the left wing, to whip a brutal daisycutter of a shot bound for the bottom right corner.
02:06 PM BST
73 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
McNeil tackles Madueke, bounds forward and switches it to the left. Mykolenko shifts it back to the right and Young flies down the win as fast as any 39-year-old can and whips over a terrific cross that someone should have been there to convert in the middle. But no one, Chermiti, in particular, bought a ticket. Then Mykolenko overran it at the back post and Chelsea pile forward.
02:03 PM BST
71 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Everton have started to gain a foothold with Chermiti putting himself about and the whole team injecting some pace into their passing and daring into pushing up.
02:00 PM BST
69 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Caicedo powers through the middle and leaces Gueye gasping in his trail but then drags his 20-yard shot miles wide to the left.
Perhaps this game isn’t over. Anxiety is growing amongst the home fans with Chelsea failing to kill off the game thus far. Everton almost took advantage, winning the ball high up before Beto’s shot was palmed away by Robert Sanchez. Idrissa Gueye has also had an effort saved. Tension rising…
01:59 PM BST
67 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Here he comes:
James → Lavía.
Everton long throw on the right. Branthwaite wins the header and nods it back to the 18-yard line where Gueye meets it with the sweetest of volleys but straight at Sánchez.
01:56 PM BST
65 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Time for change:
Chermiti → Beto
Young → Patterson
McNeil → Harrison.
Reece James is also stripped and ready to come on but Chelsea pause the substitution.
01:55 PM BST
64 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Everton’s first shot on target is a bolt from the blue. Terrific tackle from Harrison on Enzo knocks the ball into Beto’s path 22 yards out and he hammers a shot that was bound for the bottom left but for Sánchez’s smart save low to his right.
01:53 PM BST
62 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Neto feeds the ball in from the right after being played in bu Jackson. Enzo takes the pass, back to goal, spins and knocks it round the corner, blind, hoping that Madueke has made the run. He had… but so had the vigilant Patterson.
01:51 PM BST
60 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
More lunchtime slumber. Madueke did manage another shot and was again denied by Pickford.
As a reminder, Everton haven’t won at Stamford Bridge since November 1994, a year after the world wide web before freely available, six months before the Channel Tunnel opened and a year into David Moyes’ last contract as a player at Preston North End.
01:49 PM BST
58 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Everton have sent Young and McNeil out to warm up.
01:47 PM BST
56 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Two telling defensive headers from Branthwaite, thye first from Madueke’s cross from the byline down the left that took it off Neto’s head, the second from the resulting corner that he took off Jackson’s with a towering flick away.
01:45 PM BST
55 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Pickford bails out a sloppy pass from Patterson that could opened the door for Jackson 18 yards out to be one-on-one. The keeper’s speed and ability to spread himself spooked Jackson who blinked first and Pickford rolls it to safety with his studs.
01:44 PM BST
53 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Branthwaite chops down on Jackson’s arm as the striker was trying to hold him off as they waited for a throw-in and the two keep grappling even after two warnings.
01:42 PM BST
51 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Everton defend the corner and break in numbers but lack the quality to exploit a numerical advantage as Jackson dutifully runs back to make a crucial tackle. Moyes is peeved by that.
01:41 PM BST
50 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Neto takes the corner short in a routine to Madueke who had run towards him from the near post and had the time to spin and shoot. Pickford turns it behind. Madueke is wreathed in a radiant style, as if chuffed a plan almost came off.
01:38 PM BST
48 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Branthwaite again shows whey he’ll cost more than Harry Maguire after Neto nutmegs Mykolenko and dries into the box. The England centre-half glides over to make a firm, fair tackle to stop the cross and possibly shot.
01:36 PM BST
46 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Alcaraz → Ndiaye.
Interesting sub. Ndiaye has been their best attacker all season and Everton have been dangerous down their left.
01:23 PM BST
Half-time verdict
Premier League wins have become anything but routine for Everton in recent weeks. Except that this is … so far. Everton have sunk back into their toothless pre-Moyes days, leaving Chelsea a stroll in the lunchtime sun towards a victory that will enhance their chances of Champions League qualification. Even the goal came from careless Everton play with Nicolas Jackson capitalising from the visitors’ loss of possession just inside their own half to double figures for Premier League goals this season.
01:23 PM BST
Half-time: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Well, no goal for Palmer despite all the goodwill of the broadcast team, to break his ‘drought’ but Jackson’s fine finish was his first goal in 13 so perhaps a hard rain is gonna fall for Cole, too.
Everton are in this, frankly, scrappy game, though. Chelsea need to be more efficient up front. Chalobah is playing very well.
01:20 PM BST
45+3 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Free-kick for the away side in the centre-circle, chipped high to the left and Mykolenko is judged to have fouled Neto.
01:19 PM BST
45+1 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Everton have been lax in supporting Beto so far but they have had a couple of openings down the left, when the ball is crossed from the right or when Mykolenko is flooding behind Caicedo when he joins the midfield.
01:17 PM BST
44 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Branthwaite comes to Everton’s rescue again after Neto accelerated past Mykolenko. He mops up with am interception and Everton break, working the ball via a cross to Doucouré who has been prolific since moving to Goodison but he makes a hash of his shot.
01:13 PM BST
41 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
They’re both OK and, after treatment, they embrace, Sanchez with a bruised chest and Mykolenko with a mercifully un-ricked neck.
Stoppage in the sun after Vitali Mykolenko and Robert Sanchez collided fighting for a floated cross. A welcome drinks break for their teammates, although Jordan Pickford had to help himself from Everton’s giant pitch-side cool box.
01:12 PM BST
39 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Collision between Saánchez and halts the game as the keeper raced out to grab a ball that was skipping towards him as Mykolenko tried to pounce.
01:10 PM BST
36 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Neto sprints past Mykolenko and whips over a cross that Pickford easily gathers. He was free. Ach. Should have done better. Very hit and miss this season Neto.
01:06 PM BST
34 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Doucouré finds some space down the right and drives between Cucurella and Colwill but then crosses straight to Chalobah.
01:05 PM BST
33 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
All Chelsea for a spell and Everton require a block by Branthwaite and a tackle by Patterson to hold the latest attack at bay.
01:03 PM BST
31 min: Chelsea 1 Everton 0
Chelsea have been the better side but Everton were architects of their own downfall there. A centre-forward should be able to shield the ball there and wait for his runners instead of being brushed off the ball and mugged.
Lift off at Stamford Bridge and it was all of Everton’s making. Jordan Pickford’s ball towards Beto was too awkward for the striker to control quickly, Trevor Chalobah nicked it away to Enzo Fernandez. He immediately found Nicolas Jackson whose accurate low shot found the bottom corner. Moyes was left scratching his head. Cap off, naturally.
12:59 PM BST
GOAL!
Chelsea 1 Everton 0 (Jackson) Everton play the ball up to Beto in the centre-circle facing his own goal. He is supposed to shield it and turn it round the corner for one of his wingers but Chalobah is all over him, fairly, forces him backwards and, as he dithers, nips in to take the ball off him and roll it to Enzo. The Chelsea captain, at least for today, places a pass perfectly in Jackson’s path and he puts his laces through the crispest of shots from 20 yards to fire it into the bottom left corner.
What a strike that is 👏
Nicolas Jackson fires Chelsea ahead just before the half-hour mark!
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUKpic.twitter.com/aEIdJwiM0m
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 26, 2025
12:58 PM BST
26 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Shot from Cucurella, a volley from a right-wing cross that he drags wide of the right post as Palmer tried to hook it in from two yards but met fresh air.
12:57 PM BST
24 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Chelsea are wary of Ndiaye, and rightly so. He drives forward and veers diagonally to the right with Lavia shadowing him. He rolls the pass down the right for Patterson who stands up a deep cross, looking for Beto. Chalobah judges the flight perfectly and flicks a back-header so the ball bypasses the centre-forward and Caicedo is very quick to snuff out the danger by poking it away in the box as Mykolenko charged in to try to meet it on the half-volley.
12:54 PM BST
22 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Cole Palmer is a TNT Sports obsession. They’ve been talking far more about him than anyone else. He has made two dangerous runs but was only given the ball for the second of them when Garner’s diligence thwarted him.
12:52 PM BST
20 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Branthwaite reads Neto’s cross and cuts it off at the near post, knocking it behind. In comes the corner and Jackson fouls Harrison after it was floated too deep for the Chelsea runners and Everton threatened to bolt out in a counter-attack.
Few chances at Stamford Bridge, although Noni Madueke’s driving run inside and fierce curling shot has just brought a fine plunging stop from Jordan Pickford.
In other news, Everton manager David Moyes is not known for any indecision, but he is clearly in two minds as to whether to persist with a baseball cap to shield his eyes from the glare of the sun or to simply use his hand instead.
12:50 PM BST
18 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Everton cannot keep hold of the ball when attacking and it’s inviting Chelsea on to them. Having said that Chelsea are also making plenty of mistakes with their passing, ceding possession when well-placed.
12:48 PM BST
16 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
That shot from Madueke was Chelsea’s 301st at home this season, a league high. Chalobah chips a 60-yard pass from his own half up the inside left that skips out for a goal-kick. Needed back-spin to give Jackson a sniff.
12:46 PM BST
14 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Sharp save low to his left from Pickford as Madueke dribbled in from the left to smash a low right-foot shot that the England keeper had to tip behind at full stretch.
12:45 PM BST
12 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Branthwaite heads the corner out, Chelsea win the ball back in their own half as Everton push out and play it up to Nto who gets out a sand wedge of a left-foot cross on the right to try to pick out Madueke with the chip but it’s too high and parts his hair as it drifts out for a goal-kick.
12:43 PM BST
10 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Excellent tracking back from Garner stops Palmer pulling the trigger from 18 yards when played through and then Patterson races back on the cover to clip the ball behind for a corner, intercepting before Jackson or Palmer again could pounce.
12:40 PM BST
7 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
When Chelsea have the ball they are playing 3-3-3-1 with Caicedo tucking in alongside Enzo and Lavía. Chalobah breaks the lines with a 30-yard chip up the right. Neto times his run perfectly to cushion the ball with his head but Pickford is alert and races out to smother before Neto could get his second touch which was going to be a shot.
12:38 PM BST
5 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Lavía brings down Mykolenko in full flight by wrapping his leg in front of the Ukraine left-back. Everton free-kick 30 yards out, left of centre. Everton chip it deep beyond the back post, Patterson recycles and Doucouré hangs up a high cross to the middle of goal. Sánchez comes out to vie with Beto, drops the ball and grabs it when it bounces up kindly. Everton will no doubt be targeting the vulnerable keeper.
12:35 PM BST
3 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Chelsea are sweeping the ball across the two centre-backs and Cucurella as Caicedo pushes forward to augment Neto’s threat on the right.
Madueke wins a challenge on the left and drives forward only to be roped in by Patterson and Gueye.
12:33 PM BST
1 min: Chelsea 0 Everton 0
Everton pile forward down the left and Beto is immediately penalised for a foul on Cucurella. Joe Cole is making his debut as a co-commentator and won’t have Rio Ferdinand interloping as the third man dealing solely in vibes.
12:30 PM BST
Summer form dictates winter destinations
As summer approaches and short sleeves replace body warmers and fleeces, it is one of the Premier League’s enduring ironies that matches played now in rising temperatures will have the ultimate bearing on how evenings that are anything but balmy will be spent next winter. Champions League qualification returns to the top of the agenda – for the next few hours at least.
12:27 PM BST
Cue the Liquidator
Flags are waving along the touchline as the teams assemble in the tunnel. Chelsea in royal blue with ripple effect in their shirts and shorts and dinky white socks. Everton are in grey shirts, yellow shorts and grey socks. Consequently Jordan Pickford is in shocking pink.
12:24 PM BST
Moyes’ barren Bridge
Form and history collide at Stamford Bridge.
In spite of last week’s derby win at Fulham, the Chelsea supporters are not exuding confidence that their team will earn themselves a Champions League place. Without Cole Palmer’s goals – he hasn’t scored in 16 matches, they have been taking stutter steps towards the top five.
Everton, meanwhile, are in form with just two defeats in their last ten games, but they haven’t won at Stamford Bridge since 1994. Or more alarmingly, they have won a trophy more recently than they last won along from the King’s Road. And Everton manager David Moyes has never led a team to victory here.
12:15 PM BST
David Moyes talks to TNT Sports
The players have picked themselves up completely and got some brilliant results, got themselves to safety. Their commitment. desire have been there in every game and I hope we can show that today.
It feels like a new start [moving to the new stadium] but we’ve already started getting a team ready to play in the new stadium.
The players have all stepped up and their form is as good as some at the top end. We lack some quality but these players have done really well and as long as they show it they’ll get opportunities [in the future].
The club has changed completely but I hope we can get back to the levels we were at, in and around Europe most years.
12:09 PM BST
Managerial discipline
Maresca is banned from the touchline for receiving a third yellow card of the season, joining Guardiola, Nuno, Pereira and Emery on that mark.
Ahead of them are Arne Slot (three yellows and a red), Steve Cooper (four yellows), Julen Lopetegui (five yellows), Fabian Hurzeler (four yellows and a red).
12:03 PM BST
Maresca on his touchline ban and Everton’s threat
I will be watching the game from the stand behind the bench, Willy Caballero is there, the players know they have to take more responsibility also but I feel good.
We are going to try to win all the games. We are in the position where we need to win games and am confident we can start today.
Reece is on the bench and ready to go in when we need him.
All the attacking players when they do not score, they are worried but I believe today will be a good day for Cole.
Off the ball we have to be aggressive, it’s a game you need to win duels because they are very strong and defend set-pieces. If we do that we can win the game.
11:48 AM BST
Red is the colour, football is the game
11:43 AM BST
And now for those of you watching in black and white
Chelsea Sánchez; Caicedo, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Lavía, Fernández; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson.
Substitutes Jorgensen, Acheampong, Badiashile, Adarabioyo, James, Dewsbury-Hall, George, Sancho, Nkunku.
Everton Pickford; Patterson, O’Brien, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Gueye, Garner; Harrison, Doucouré, Ndiaye; Beto.
Substitutes Virginia, Begovic, Keane, McNeil, Chermiti, Young, Coleman, Alcaraz, Iroegbunam.
Referee Chris Kavanagh (Ashton-under-Lyne).
11:25 AM BST
Everton team news
O’Brien moves to centre-half and Patterson comes in at right-back while Broja, ineligible against his parent club, is replaced by Beto.
Your Everton XI for today’s clash at Chelsea! ⚫️ pic.twitter.com/oEXC7ExXe0
— Everton (@Everton) April 26, 2025
11:24 AM BST
Chelsea team news
Caicedo starts at right-back in preference to club captain James:
How we line-up 🆚 Everton! ✊#CFC | #CHEEVEpic.twitter.com/VbsPWVHhPm
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 26, 2025
03:03 PM BST
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02:51 PM BST
Preview: Everton’s unhappy hunting ground
Good morning and welcome to live coverage of the Premier League match between sixth-placed Chelsea and Everton, sitting pretty in 13th after their David Moyes-inspired revival, from Stamford Bridge. It has been the unhappiest of hunting grounds for today’s visitors, more of a charnel house in the 31 years since their last victory in SW6, so long ago that when Paul Rideout scored the only goal, Moyes was still a centre-half at Preston North End who were beaten 1-0 by Chesterfield that day in a fourth-tier game.
Today he sends out a side robbed by injury of James Tarkowski and with a conundrum over whether to move Jake O’Brien in from a successful run at right-back into his more natural position, or give the error-prone former England centre-half Michael Keane his full backing even though, like Idrissa Gueye, Abdoulaye Doucouré, Seamus Coleman and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, he is out of contract in nine weeks. Now that Everton are safe, he has five games to plan for next season and seems to have every intention of doing so.
As for Chelsea, who have struggled for consistency and, frankly, to convince since the turn of the year, victory would take them up to fourth and they will have to try to do so without Malo Gusto, the right-back having succumbed to injury at Craven Cottage last Sunday and, though a substitute, had himself to be substituted.
To this observer, under their new ownership and most recent manager, Chelsea are struggling for identity. When Roman Abramovich owned the club we would often hear that he would like them to be more creative or play with more flair and he would drive the purchases of Deco, Andriy Shevchenko and Fernando Torres to that end but ultimately Chelsea would be themselves and play with steely ruthlessness, forceful attacking and uber-clinical efficiency. Trying to turn then into a Juego de Posición side not only robs them of their character, it goes against the Premier League’s move away from Pep-ball towards Chelsea’s old dynamic qualities.
Nonetheless the owners and manager will argue that qualifying for the Champions League vindicates them in the teeth of all that criticism of Maresca’s ‘snoreball’. It may well do for this season, but does that make it a recipe for the type of long-term success fostered by Messrs Mourinho, Ancelotti, Conte and Tuchel?
