Awesome Chelsea top after destroying Everton
Chelsea 5 Everton 0
Chelsea stormed to the top of the Premier League with an absolutely brilliant display at Stamford Bridge, where Eden Hazard scored twice.
Marcos Alonso, Diego Costa and Pedro also found the net as the Blues brushed Everton aside to emphatically record their fifth consecutive league win.
Hazard fired them ahead on 18 minutes and Alonso got his first Chelsea goal less than two minutes later.
Diego Costa’s goal – his ninth of the season – made it 3-0 shortly before the interval.
The unstoppable Hazard scored again 11 minutes into the second half and Pedro made it five.
Hazard’s opener was a beauty. The Belgian collected Costa’s pass, cut in from the left past Ashley Williams and Seamus Coleman, and drove the ball into the far corner of the net.
Hazard was also involved in the second goal, finding space on the right-hand edge of the penalty area and laying the ball just behind Costa but perfectly teeing up Alonso, who shot between the legs of keeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
Chelsea almost made it three when Victor Moses volleyed Alonso’s cross against the outside of the near post.
It was a temporary reprieve for hapless Everton, who fell further behind when Costa met Alonso’s flick-on from Hazard’s right-wing corner with a sweet first-time strike.
Costa should have scored again in the final seconds of the first half but shot wide after being put through by Pedro, who was involved when the fourth goal eventually arrived.
Hazard delightfully exchanged passes with the Spaniard, running on to his back-heel and breezing past Williams before applying the finish.
And Pedro helped himself to a goal by tucking away the loose ball after Stekelenburg had parried Hazard’s shot.
Chelsea: Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill (Terry 84); Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso; Pedro (Oscar 71), Costa, Hazard (Batshuayi 80)
Subs not used: Begovic, Aina, Ivanovic, Chalobah.
