That was a bit good, wasn’t it?
Everton swept aside Chelsea with an accomplished performance and a hat-trick from Steven Naismith.
The Blues blossomed in the Autumn sunshine as the Premier League champions were second best, once again.
Below our Read Everton’s player ratings for the Toffeemen:
Tim Howard – Encouraged and helped organise the defence through the game, but in truth the American was rarely troubled by Chelsea. Little he could’ve done about Matic’s effort, a solid performance from Howard. 6/10.
Seamus Coleman – A lot better from Seamus today. Dealt with the talents of Pedro and co. very well, and gave Azpilicueta a lot to think about going forward. Intelligent in possession and with more of an attacking presence, Coleman worked well with McCarthy and was tenacious as ever, let’s hope his injury isn’t too serious. 7.5/10
John Stones – The 21-year-old’s display today showed exactly why money can’t buy you Stones. Über composed as usual, Stones showcased his whole skillset; excellent passing, pace, understanding of the game and timing of the tackle.
It would’ve been easy for Stones to falter under the narrative of the clash, but it was one of his best performances in a blue shirt to date. His mental strength and leadership qualities belie his tender years. 9/10.
Phil Jagielka – A captains performance from Jagielka. Covered the young Galloway when needed, made light work of the narky Diego Costa and made a superb last-ditch challenge when Chelsea countered in the second-half. His form for the whole of 2015 has been superb, and today was no different. 8/10.
Brendan Galloway – Returning from injury and after being given the run-around against Manchester City (through no fault of his own) Galloway turned in a much improved performance. Ivanovic, who seems devoid of anything, was dealt with easily, but the way Galloway coped with the banquet of attacking midfielders Chelsea had at their disposal highlighted his burgeoning promise.
His attacking presence also showed signs of improvement as he assisted Steven Naismith for his first goal. Encouraging stuff from the youngster. 7/10.
Gareth Barry – An excellent display from the veteran. From the off, he was disrupting Chelsea’s midfield, tackling firmly and fairly as he stomped his authority on the game. He was guilty of losing possession cheaply a number of times, but overall it was an appearance full of wisdom, class and bite from the 34-year-old. 8/10.
James McCarthy – Much better from the Irishman. It was a performance that mirrored the towering standards McCarthy has set himself over the last few years. Excellent tackles, impressive ball retention and with every blade of grass covered, McCarthy can be proud of his contribution. 8/10.
Muhamed Besic – Looked bright in the moments he had on the pitch but didn’t make a telling impact, as he unfortunately picked up an injury and had to be substituted after 8 minutes. Let’s hope the Bosnian is back in action soon. N/A.
Ross Barkley – Two assists and another lively performance from Ross today. Still needs to work on his distribution i.e. when to release it, when to dribble, but the referee’s leniency (or as I saw it, failure to control the game) meant the Toffee that comes from Wavertree was fouled on numerous occasions.
The way he makes space for himself when in possession is impressive, and there’s no question that Barkley is putting his stamp on this season already. 8/10.
Arouna Kone – The Ivorian is really starting to prove his worth at Goodison Park. Clever runs, good hold-up play and smart passing were the order of the former Wigan forward’s day, and he could’ve added to the scoreline but for a fantastic Begovic save.
Needs to work on his defensive contribution if he is to continue in his role as a winger-cum-forward, but you can’t really blame him for not having those defensive instincts. Taken off to rapturous applause from the Goodison faithful. 7/10.
Romelu Lukaku – Not a great day at the office for Lukaku, who failed to make his mark against his former employers. Had a number of opportunities to increase Everton’s lead but spurned them all.
The big Belgian looked a bit sluggish at times, though he did have a big hand in the second goal. 6/10.
SUBSTITUTES:
Steven Naismith – A wonderful performance from the much-maligned Scot, who didn’t half stake a claim for a first team spot. His intelligent footballing brain was evident throughout, as was his supreme finishing, commitment and desire to help the team. Carried out his defensive duties with aplomb, in this mood Naismith is an archetypical nuisance. The perfect hat-trick (kind of) and the perfect performance. 10/10.
Aaron Lennon – Showed why he was brought back by Roberto Martinez in his brief second debut. Lennon brought pace, teamwork, good link-up play and the ability to make things happen. He drew a couple of fouls to relieve pressure when Chelsea were searching for the equaliser, and played a big part in the third goal. 7/10.
Ramiro Funes Mori – The Argentine centre-half was brought on to a keen sense of intrigue from most Everton supporters, and although he didn’t have much to do, he didn’t disappoint.
With a no-nonsense clearance, commanding aerial prowess and a charging run, it’s too soon to gauge a good idea of what Funes Mori can and can’t do, but the early signs were promising. 7/10.
