Chelsea beat Everton 5-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening to continue their ascent up the Premier League table.
The Blues scored two in the space of 70 first-half seconds, courtesy of Eden Hazard and Marcos Alonso, before Diego Costa all but sealed things prior to the break.
Hazard added his second and Pedro himself joined the party in the second 45 minutes, helping to lift the in-form hosts - now on a five-game winning run - to the top of the pile in the top flight following a truly dominant display.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Chelsea and Everton at Stamford Bridge. The Blues head into this match on the back of a hugely impressive run of form, having won each of their last four since reverting to a new three-at-the-back system and held off the opposition in each off those outings.
The Toffees head to West London on the back of their first win in five last time out, which keeps them hot on the heels of their opponents with four points currently the margin. Challenging for a Champions League berth will likely be the target for manager Ronald Koeman over the coming months, so this is a big chance for his side to send out a message ahead of the two-week international break.
TEAM NEWS!
CHELSEA XI: Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill; Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso; Pedro, Diego Costa, Hazard
EVERTON XI: Stekelenburg; Coleman, Jagielka, Williams, Funes Mori, Oviedo; Barry, Cleverley, Barkley; Bolasie, Lukaku
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has stumbled upon what appears to be the perfect formation for his side, which he has unsurprisingly stuck with yet again this evening. Willian had been knocking on the door for a recall to the starting lineup, having initially dropped out due to compassionate leave last month, but Conte has opted to instead stick with Pedro alongside Diego Costa and Eden Hazard in that fluid front three.
Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz and Gary Cahill will therefore retain their spots in that solid back three, which has yet to be breached since being reverted from four at the back, as Branislav Ivanovic is again made to watch on from the bench. That is the case for skipper John Terry, too, who struggled when given his chance against West Ham United in the EFL Cup - the Blues' only defeat over the past month in all competitions. Cesc Fabregas and John Obi Mikel are still battling back from injury, meanwhile.
Hazard and Costa once again given the nod up top, then, with the former scoring five goals in his last 10 - one more than he managed in 31 outings in the Premier League last time out. Close, if not on a par, with the form that saw him voted the PFA Player of the Year in Chelsea's title-winning campaign, and he could score four in a row this evening for the first time in his senior career. Costa, meanwhile, has three goals in three games against Everton, though he was shown red in the last meeting.
In terms of the visitors, Koeman has made three changes to the side that picked up a 2-0 win over West Ham United last weekend. Maarten Stekelenburg has recovered from a foot injury to take his place in goal, while Phil Jagielka and Tom Cleverley also coming in from last time out. Interestingly, the Toffees look as though they will fight fire with fire by themselves going with three - or five, depending on how you look at it - at the back.
Joel Robles, Kevin Mirallas and the suspended Idrissa Gueye all dropping out of the starting lineup, with the latter in particular a major loss this evening. Cleverley will be tasked with dropping slightly deeper, while Ross Barkley and Gareth Barry will be positioned alongside him in a 3-4-3 formation. Leighton Baines and James McCarthy both miss out on selection due to their injury issues, but Yannick Bolasie and former Blues ace Romelu Lukaku both start in West London.
Bolasie has already set up four goals for Lukaku since making a switch to Goodison Park - the most by any player in the Premier League for a specific teammate. The Belgian ace failed to score in 15 appearances for Chelsea across two years - the majority of which was spent out on loan - but he has seven in nine already this season in the Premier League after ending a previous barren run that stretched from the tail end of last season into this one.
BENCH WATCH!
CHELSEA SUBS: Begovic, Aina, Ivanovic, Terry, Chalobah, Oscar, Batshuayi
EVERTON SUBS: Robles, Holgate, Lennon, Valencia, Davies, Deulofeu, Mirallas
Ivanovic, Terry and Willian all failing to break back into the Chelsea starting lineup, then, having fallen victim to the reversion in formation. Michy Batshuayi has largely had to make do with a back-up role since joining, while Nathaniel Chalobah and Ola Aina have each impressed when called upon from the bench in the past. Mirallas drops down to the bench for the visitors, meanwhile, with Gerard Deulofeu and Aaron Lennon two other attacking options for Koeman.
Phil Jagielka is one of three players to return to the Everton starting lineup from last weekend's victory over West Ham United. The centre-back's inclusion, in place of forward Kevin Mirallas, sees the Toffees match their opponents' own formation by going with three men at the back and two flying wing-backs in Bryan Oviedo and Seamus Coleman. Chelsea remain unchanged yet again, with Antonio Conte understandably reluctant to change things around.
Chelsea started today sitting in fourth place in the Premier League, but I can tell you that - with just a minute or so of added time left to play - leaders Manchester City have been pegged back to 1-1 by Middlesbrough, opening the door for the Blues to pounce at the top. The Blues will end the day at the top of the pile should they beat Everton - a massive incentive for Conte and his men; one that many would not have envisaged just a month or so ago.
The Blues will just be focusing on their own game for now, though, which has served them well in recent weeks as they have win four out of four since shifting to three at the back. Eleven goals have been scored without reply, too, but this is the first time that they have come up against an opponent willing to match things up all across the field in a similar - if not identical - set-up. Just one more hurdle on the road to getting their hands on the title!
It is worth pointing out that Chelsea also hit a rich vein of form at the start of Conte's reign, too, before being held by Swansea City and then defeated by title rivals Liverpool and Arsenal. It was after, or indeed during, that 3-0 reverse to the Gunners that Conte decided that something different was needed; a 3-4-3 formation followed, similar to the one adopted during his time in charge of Juventus and Italy, and the rest, as they say, is history.
DID YOU KNOW? Chelsea are on a four match unbeaten run in the Premier League, with their only defeat in all competitions over the past month coming in the EFL Cup at the hands of West Ham United - a deserved defeat, at that. That part is well publicised, of course, but many may not know that the Blues last went on a five game winning run in a single season between December 2013 and January 2014. Victory today will also make it five at Stamford Bridge this term, matching last term's tally already.
The forward players in this Chelsea side have been getting plenty of praise, understandably so, with Costa and Hazard reaching the heights of 2014-15 in the past few weeks. It is at the back where they have arguably benefited the most, however, as a defensive line-up that crumbled far too easily against Arsenal has now gone four without conceding. It has been six years since they went five without shipping a single goal; their current run standing at an impressive 210 minutes in total.
Sticking with this positive theme running through the club at the moment, Chelsea currently have double the number of points from this stage 12 months ago under Jose Mourinho, who also appears to be heading a similar way at rivals Manchester United if recent results are anything to go by. Tellingly, the Blues have covered 17 miles more as a unit compared to this stage last term, with Conte stressing the importance of working hard as a team both on and off the ball.
This is far from a straightforward fixture for the Blues, though, knowing that defeat tonight and all of a sudden they are looking over their shoulder at the chasing pack. Conte's charges follow up this game with meetings against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, too, in what will be an extremely difficult return to action after the two-week international break. All Conte can do is attempt to keep this momentum going, having turned his side into the division's form team.
Everton have not been in quite the scintillating form this season, in truth, but they find themselves in sixth place at this start of play and well on course to challenge for a place in the top four or five - European football next season being a realistic, albeit tough, target to aim for. Should they pick up successive wins this evening, the Toffees will climb above Spurs into fifth and right on the heels of the current pacesetters in the top flight.
Antonio Conte's Chelsea side have hit a rich vein of form over the past month, winning four out of four in the premier League and scoring 11 unanswered goal in the process. A heavy defeat to Arsenal not so long ago left them seemingly in disarray, but they head into this last kickoff knowing that three more points will be enough to take them top. That is thanks to Manchester City's 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough, which suggests that they are still yet to return to their free-flowing best.
It is fair to say that the Toffees have gone off the boil, or certainly under the radar, since their impressive start to the campaign. Koeman made the joint-best start of any new Everton manager when taking 13 points from a possible 15, culminating in a well-earned win over Middlesbrough at Goodison Park, but a four-match winless run followed in the league - only compounded by a surprise EFL Cup defeat at home to Norwich City in September.
Everton returned to winning ways last weekend by picking up a 2-0 win over strugglers West Ham, however - Barkley and Lukaku both finding the target to ensure that the Merseyside outfit are still just about where they want to be at this stage in proceedings. That win on home soil also presented a first clean sheet in six, but it is worth pointing out that only Tottenham Hotspur have shipped fewer goals than the Toffees this term.
On their travels, Everton have won just two and lost six of their last 11 stretching back into last season. That comes on the back of a previous run of just only one defeat in 14 away from home, so Koeman will be desperate to get things right on the road. The Toffees did pick up a point at the Etihad Stadium not so long ago, though, with Stekelenburg proving the hero on that occasion with two pen saves, before being defeated by Burnley last time out.
That defeat to Burnley at Turf Moor was particularly tough to take, as the Toffees completely dominated the match only to be undone by two sucker punches - a lesson in what happens if you fail to put the ball in the net when ahead. It is fair to say that Everton look far more solid compared to this stage 12 months ago, mind; scoring more, conceding less and ultimately racking up five points more to find themselves in this positive position just over a quarter of the way through.
Everton follow up this match with games against Swansea City (h), Southampton (a) and Manchester United (h) following the international break, so a win here win leave them in good stead to push on and will certainly send out a strong message to the rest of the division. It is expected to remain tight right throughout, with as many as seven teams still harbouring hopes of topping the pile come next May.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 21 Premier League home games against Everton - a truly staggering run that stretches back to November 94, making this the Toffees' longest run of away games without a win against a single opponent. Only Leeds United have gone longer (16) in Premier League history, in fact! This corresponding fixture last term finished in a thrilling 3-3 draw, so let's just hope for more of the same this evening!
With a little over five minutes to go until kickoff at Stamford Bridge, let us turn attention to some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Antonio Conte: "Last season we didn't beat Everton. It's important to remember this, me and my players, and our fans. We know we face a strong team with many good players, fast players, with good technique. We must pay great attention. We have worked very well this week to prepare for this kind of game against this type of team."
Ronald Koeman: "They play with a lot of intensity and are aggressive. They have a different system, have got a lot of clean sheets and are winning games. This Chelsea team is stronger than the Chelsea of last year."
Conte expecting a tough game this evening, then, rightly pointing out that Chelsea struggled in this fixture last term - as touched upon a few moments ago. The Blues trailed by two goals at one point and then found themselves behind seven minutes into added time, when John Terry - who else - blasted home one of the most dramatic goals of the 2015-16 season. Koeman believes the Blues are now stronger, though, as their recent results go a long way to proving.
Both sets of players are now out on the field of play, with kickoff just a couple of minutes away now. Three changes for Everton, remember, which includes a switch to a three-man backline, while Chelsea again remain unchanged in an identical system. We will now pause for a minutes' silence ahead of remembrance Sunday - this being the Blues' last fixture prior to then - before getting under way in West London.
KICKOFF! Everton, in their changed yellow-and-blue strip, get us up and running at Stamford Bridge. The ball is given away by Barry to Hazard early on, allowing Chelsea to quickly settle into their passing groove.
No goal inside the opening 30 seconds on this occasion for Chelsea, much like against Man United here recently. Bolasie has picked up an early knock following a challenge with Matic, which has left him gingerly strolling around the pitch.
Everton are going with three-at-the-back, as expected, but their ploy has not worked out thus far as it is Chelsea who have been on top in the opening stages. Alonso gets high up the left-hand flank and delivers a good ball which Stekelenburg collected.
The Toffees starting to settle into the game a little more now. Bolasie is playing just off Lukaku up top, but it is more like a 3-5-2 formation, as apposed to Chelsea's 3-4-3. Williams is quickly across to thwart Hazard, but only at the expense of a free kick.
Coleman catches Costa with his studs, leading to a break in play as the physio is required. A nasty challenge on the face of it, which has drawn a bit of blood on the Spaniard's ankle, but for some reason a yellow card was not shown.
Everton having to do far more defending than they would have liked in the opening 11 minutes of this match. Moses now the latest to get a cross into the box which is just about dealt with, as the Toffees struggle to get out of their own box.
Conte will be delighted by the way this match is panning out; his Chelsea side completely dominating proceedings, without being able to test Stekelenburg thus far - the only blemish on a solid early showing in West London.
YELLOW CARD! Yannick Bolasie is shown a caution by Bobby Madley early on following a late challenge on Moses. Not his first offence, either, so no real complaints from the Everton attacker for that caution.
Everton have done well to take the sting out of the game over the past few minutes, restricting the home side from getting bodies forward. Nearly a quarter of the way through now and still no chances created for either side.
GOAL! CHELSEA 1-0 EVERTON (EDEN HAZARD)
We finally have that first chance of the game - and a first goal to go with it! It is classic Eden Hazard, cutting in from the left and just rifling the ball towards the far corner. Stekelenburg had Pedro stood in his way, who he claims was offside, but it is tough to tell from the initial replays.
GOAL! CHELSEA 2-0 EVERTON (MARCOS ALONSO)
Chelsea are heading for the Premier League summit, as Alonso has just added a quick-fire second to put the Blues two to the good. A quick break from Everton's kickoff saw Hazard pick out Pedro, who in turn attempted to pick out Costa inside the box. Costa missed the ball but there was Alonso to blast through Stekelenburg to put the hosts well on their way.
Chelsea had been well on top in the opening quarter of the match, but it is debatable whether they deserved a goal - let alone two! From their first two chances, two goals have arrived and now Koeman must surely be thinking about changing system.
Eden Hazard now has four in four in the Premier League for the first time, while that Alonso strike was his first for the club since joining in the summer. The Toffees win a free kick which is aimed towards Williams, who fails to make contact.
Everton have come out of their shell a little more since going two behind, but it is still Chelsea who look the more comfortable in this system. A third for the Blues really will kill things off, but still plenty of time to go.
The Toffees are really struggling to keep their foot on the ball with a third of the match now played, but still Koeman opts against making a change. A goal from nowhere, much like Hazard's, will do nicely for the Dutchman right about now.
YELLOW CARD! Phil Jagielka is furious after being shoved off the ball by David Luiz, venting his frustration at referee Bobby Madley to become the second Everton player to see yellow in this one-sided first half.
A shocking back-pass towards Stekelenburg is so nearly latched on to by Moses, but the Dutchman just about got his boot to it first. Koeman is going to make a change prior to the interval - Mirallas being readied to come on shortly.
OFF THE POST! One wing-back to another, as Alonso clips the ball towards the back post where Moses is waiting to blast the ball against the frame of the goal on the half-volley. That is the first shot of the match that has not resulted in the net rustling.
EVERTON SUB! Mirallas is finally brought on in place of Oviedo in a tactical switch that was desperately needed. It could well have been worse for the Toffees - Costa sending a header wide of the far post from 12 yards out.
Everton just cannot get into this game. Half time now around five minutes away and the Toffees yet to put together a serious attacking move. Let's see if that Mirallas introduction has any sort of effect on things.
GOAL! CHELSEA 3-0 EVERTON (DIEGO COSTA)
Someone needs to throw in the white towel because Everton are well and truly down and out. A simple goal for Costa from a corner, as he blasts home on the volley after Matic's front-post flick-on. Like the first goal, there was an offside player stationed in front of Stekelenburg - this time Luiz - but no real complaints from the Toffees.
Palace have shown their first real attacking intent of the evening, with Bolasie sending in a cross which is so nearly headed back into the path of Lukaku a few yards out. Do not be surprised to see Koeman make a second change at the break.
CHANCE! Glorious chance for a fourth goal, as Costa turns on the pace and gets the beating of Jagielka to burst through on goal. The angle was slightly against him and unfortunately the finish lacked composure - a real let-off for the Toffees.
HALF TIME: CHELSEA 3-0 EVERTON
Chelsea head into the break three goals to the good, following what was yet another scintillating display from them in this new formation. Two goals in 70 seconds, the first from Eden Hazard and the second from Marcos Alonso, put them well on their way, before Diego Costa added a third shortly before the interval.
Even before edging ahead, Chelsea completely dominated possession against an Everton side struggling to get to terms with a temporary five-at-the-back system, which was designed to match the in-form Blues across the field. That proved to be far from the case, though, as Eden Hazard cut in from the left and rifled a shot into the far corner to open the scoring from the hosts' first attempt 19 minutes in.
Chelsea fans were made to wait just 70 seconds for the second, with Everton losing possession from kickoff which allowed their opponents to quickly swarm forward - Pedro's overhit pass finding Marcos Alonso who buried the ball through the body of Maarten Stekelenburg to open his own account for the Blues and put his side well on their way to another victory. The game had developed a familiar theme by this quarter-way point, though Ronald Koeman will argue that his side - despite struggling to get a foot on the ball - did not deserve to be two down from the opening two shots of the game.
It was to get worse before it got any better for the Toffees, though, as Diego Costa volleyed home from a corner following Nemanja Matic's flick-on, soon after Victor Moses had himself blasted a shot against the frame of the goal from close range. Costa should have made sure of the points for good on the brink of half time when beating Phil Jagielka - one of three Everton changes today - for pace, only to direct his shot wide of goal with only Stekelenburg to beat.
Ronald Koeman has already made one change, bringing on Kevin Mirallas for Bryan Oviedo prior to Chelsea's third, but do not be surprised to see further tinkering at the break from the Everton boss. The question is, who exactly does he bring on?
CHELSEA SUBS: Begovic, Aina, Ivanovic, Terry, Chalobah, Oscar, Batshuayi
EVERTON SUBS: Robles, Holgate, Lennon, Valencia, Davies, Deulofeu
RESTART! We are back under way at Stamford Bridge, where Everton have an almighty mountain to climb. Chelsea have now scored 14 goals since last conceding, so do not expected to see a comeback of Istanbul proportions.
No further changes at the break, incidentally, so Koeman willing to wait a little while longer before potentially switching things further. The Blues need to just pick up from where they left off, rather than sitting on this comfortable lead.
Already much better from Everton, as they have won a corner - coming from a poor Alonso touch behind - and almost trouble their opponents from a Williams header. The message from Koeman will just be to score a goal and see what happens.
Just after I'd praised Everton, Matic waltzed his way through their midfield and slipped in Costa. The Spaniard was brilliantly denied by a Williams block in front of goal, though the offside flag did go up on the far side.
Costa is again slipped through nicely, this time down the right, but Stekelenburg reads the danger and is quickly on the ball. Everton appeared to be ready a fightback but, since a positive one-minute spell, it has been all Chelsea once again.
Everton evidently missing key midfield enforcer Idrissa Gueye, suspended this evening due to the accumulation of five yellows, as their opponents continue to dominate the midfield battle. A fourth Chelsea goal far more likely than the Toffees' first.
GOAL! CHELSEA 4-0 EVERTON (EDEN HAZARD)
Quite simply superb from Chelsea. This is one of the most one-sided games you will see in the top flight, capped by this Hazard goal which came after a terrific back-heeled flick from Pedro close to the right-hand touchline. Hazard did the rest, making his way into the box and picking out the bottom corner with Stekelenburg rooted to the spot.
EVERTON SUB! A penny for Koeman's thoughts right now, because all he can do is watch on and pray for the scoreline to stay down - single figures would be nice! Bolasie has been replaced by Lennon but that will not stop this onslaught.
SAVE! No real change since the fourth goal - Chelsea still completely dominating things. I cannot stress enough how one-sided this match is; Everton unable to get out of their own final third, as Alonso's bicycle-kick is well kept out by Stekelenburg.
YELLOW CARD! The Chelsea players are queuing up to strike the ball in the Everton box. Nothing comes of it, but when Everton think they are free to breath the Blues win back possession in seconds. Barry, more frustrated by the second, is cautioned for a late challenge.
GOAL! CHELSEA 5-0 EVERTON (PEDRO)
Number five has arrived - expect more to follow. Chelsea are ripping their opponents to absolute shreds and they are not finished yet. Hazard has acres of space inside the box, with his shot being parried into the path of Pedro who was more than happy to tap in.
EVERTON SUB! Tom Davies has been brought on in place of Gareth Barry. Koeman looking to the future, but right now he wants nothing more than full time. I'll be shocked if this ends with just the five goals at Stamford Bridge.
CHELSEA SUB! A chance for Oscar to join the party with a little under 20 minutes to go, as he replaces the superb Pedro. Mirallas has just steered a header wide of goal - the Toffees' first attempt of any note all game.
For the first time all match, Chelsea have taken their foot off the gas. There is no denying that more goals are there for the taking, but they appear to have shown some mercy to their opponents as we head into the final quarter of the match.
Conte has no reason to rest players with a two-week break to come, but it is a good chance to get Batshuayi on to gain some confidence. A chance for Terry to step into the fray, too, although a younger player seems like a more likely candidate.
Koeman will be glad to see Chelsea merely probing away without really looking for that killer ball, with the game well and truly over. The Blues have taken near enough every chance they have had this evening, bar one save from Costa and a near-miss from Moses.
Costa through again following a sensational Oscar pass, but Williams covered enough ground to get across and deny the Spain international. Chelsea would like a sixth, as they know that goal difference could prove vital come the end of the season.
CHELSEA SUB! Stekelenburg tips over a cross into the box, which Luiz would have headed into an empty net had he not intervened. Prior to that Hazard was replaced by Batshuayi, with less than 10 minutes now left to play.
Interestingly, it does look as though Terry will be brought on for the closing stages of the match. A couple of younger options overlooked, but a chance for Terry to gain some playing time and Cahill to get a late breather.
CHELSEA SUB! Terry is on for Cahill with five minutes to go, taking up a position on the left side of that back three. All three Chelsea subs made in the space of 13 minutes, with the Toffees waiting to make their final alteration.
A sixth goal really did look inevitable at one point, but Chelsea have been in third gear since Pedro's tap-in and habe nee happy to see things through in a professional manner. Sixteen goals scored and none conceded now in this five-game winning round - truly incredible.
SAVE! First real attempt for a while, as Moses picks up the ball in space and blasts away a shot which Stekelenburg gets down to keep out. Three minutes of added time to come at Stamford Bridge, with this game long since over.
Well here is something many never thought they would see - John Terry charging down the wing! The defender wants to show that even he can be a part of this side, sending in an early cross only for Costa to be flagged for offside.
FULL TIME: CHELSEA 5-0 EVERTON
Bobby Madley finally puts Everton out of their misery, blowing for full time to bring this rout to a close. Eden Hazard, Marcos Alonso and Diego Costa opened the scoring in the first half, before Hazard added his second and Pedro completed the scoring. Chelsea move top as a result; Everton stay fifth for now but will spent two weeks questioning what exactly went wrong.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events at Stamford Bridge. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while reaction from this and all the day's other Premier League games will follow in the coming hours. Thanks for joining!
