On a night when Cole Palmer stole all of the headlines at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea stormed their way to a stunning 6-0 romp against Everton on Monday.
With the ex-Manchester City starlet opening the scoring in west London after just 13 minutes, the England international eventually finished with four goals to his name and a hat-trick in the first 29 minutes.
Putting in what was certainly a season-best performance in the capital, the Blues ran rampant on home soil as Nicolas Jackson and academy graduate Alfie Gilchrist completed what was an astonishing romp.
Cashing in on an Everton squad who find themselves at the heart of another major crisis, Chelsea also made a real European statement as they moved within three points of breaking into the top-six.
As for Everton, the Toffees have now managed to muster just a single Premier League victory since the middle of December and their scrap for top-flight safety is certainly going down to the wire.
Two sides who find the moods in their respective camps at a complete polar opposite, we have taken a look at the main talking points from Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have found a real clinical edge
Although Chelsea might have opened the New Year seeking a real miracle in their bid to punch a European return this season, it appears that the Blues have turned a recent corner and have their sights set on mounting a late charge.
While Pochettino’s men might have been left hugely frustrated last week as they eventually had to settle for a 2-2 stalemate away at leading relegation scrappers Sheffield United, Monday’s hosts certainly came roaring back here.
With a heavyweight FA Cup showdown against Manchester City set for this weekend at Wembley, the former Tottenham boss has not seen his squad suffer a single defeat from any of their previous eight appearances across all competitions.
With their recent purple patch underlined by a stunning 4-3 victory against historic rivals Manchester United on April 4th, the Blues are also enjoying a remarkable free-scoring flurry.
Notching 26 goals on their eight-match unbeaten run, Pochettino’s side have also registered 21 goals at Stamford Bridge over the past two months.
Can anyone stop Palmer?
Although many of Chelsea’s bank-breaking arrivals over the past two seasons might have drastically struggled to live up to their eye-watering price tags since arriving in west London, Palmer has cemented his spot as the signing of the season.
Putting in another remarkable performance here and becoming just the fourth Chelsea playing to bag four goals in a single game, the 21-year-old is also battling it out in the race for this year’s Golden Boot.
Notching 20 Premier League goals so far this season and sat level at the top of the charts with Manchester City record-breaker Erling Haaland, Palmer has quickly become the poster boy at Stamford Bridge.
Only arriving in the capital for a fee of £42million, the former Man City starlet also appears set to play a leading role in Gareth Southgate’s EURO 24 squad this summer.
With some even potentially pencilling in the England international as a leading contender for this season’s PFA Player of the Year award, Palmer finds his stock at a red-hot high.
Everton’s crisis continues
While Everton might have claimed what could turn out to be a season-defining 1-0 victory against Burnley last week, Sean Dyche’s men came crashing back down to earth in an infamous fashion here.
Already hit with two separate points deductions this season and dealing with a string of public financial issues behind the scenes at Goodison Park, there is now a huge amount of pressure on the ex-Burnley boss.
Completely blown away in west London on Monday night and set to come under even more scrutiny, the Toffees are firmly at the heart of a relegation scrap and their battle for Premier League safety is going down to the wire.
Aside from their 1-0 win against fellow strugglers Burnley last week, Everton have recorded just a single victory from any of their previous 15 consecutive Premier League appearances – a rut that stems all the way back to December 16th.
With their goal difference taking a real hammering in the capital and finishing Monday’s 6-0 drumming holding just a two-point buffer from slipping into the drop zone, Dyche’s side have also failed to collect a single victory away from Goodison Park over the past four months.
Match Report
Chelsea: Petrovic, Gusto, Silva, Chalobah, Cucurella, Caicedo, Gallagher, Madueke, Palmer, Mudryk, Jackson
Subs: Chilwell, Gilchrest, Washington, Chukwuemeka, Casadei
Everton: Pickford, Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, McNeil, Garner, Onana, Young, Doucoure, Beto
Subs: Godfrey, Gomes, Keane, Harrison, Patterson
Goals: Palmer (13’, 18’, 29’, 64’ P), Jackson (44’), Gilchrest (90’)
Yellow Cards: Chelsea: Mudryk – Everton: Garner, Young, Tarkowski, Keane
Red Card: N/A
Referee: Paul Tierney
