Cesc Fabregas and Alvaro Morata netted first-half goals as Chelsea eased to a 2-0 win over Everton at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon.
The Blues were barely troubled all match, with Thibaut Courtois having just one stop to make when keeping out a late Idrissa Gueye attempt.
Victor Moses, Willian and Pedro all came close to adding to the home side's tally in the second half, though in the end their two-goal advantage proved more than enough.
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 reigning champions returned to winning ways last weekend with a 2-1 win over London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium, having fallen to a shock 3-2 defeat at home to Burnley on the opening weekend of the new campaign.
It has been a positive start to the season for Ronald Koeman and Everton, meanwhile, as they have gone unbeaten in their first six matches in all competitions. A 1-0 opening-game win over Stoke City in the Premier League was followed up by a battling 1-1 draw away to Manchester City last Monday, and they have also come through two qualifying rounds to reach the Europa League proper.
CHELSEA TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Rudiger; Moses, Fabregas, Kante, Alonso; Willian, Pedro, Morata
SUBS: Caballero, Bakayoko, Kenedy, Musonda, Batshuayi, Christensen, Tomori
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has made two changes to the side that saw off Tottenham last weekend, including the return of Cesc Fabregas in central midfield following his one-match ban for the red card picked up against Burnley. Pedro is the other player to come back into the fold, being handed a starting spot in a front three that also contains Willian and summer signing Alvaro Morata.
Tiemoue Bakayoko and Andreas Christensen are the players to make way, meaning that David Luiz will slot back into the backline after taking up more of a central midfield role last time out. There is still no Gary Cahill as he sits out the second of his three-match ban, so Antonio Rudiger and the ever-reliable Cesar Azpilicueta take up defensive berths either side of Luiz.
The other notable absentee is star playmaker Eden Hazard, who is very close to a return to action slightly ahead of schedule but will no be risked today. That is despite Roberto Martinez calling him up to the Belgium national squad for their upcoming friendlies, which did not leave Conte all that pleased. Elsewhere, Victor Moses and last week's two-goal hero Marcos Alonso occupy wing-back berths, while N'Golo Kante sits alongside Fabregas in central midfield.
EVERTON TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Pickford; Keane, Williams, Jagielka, Holgate; Davies, Gueye, Baines; Rooney, Sigurdsson, Ramirez
SUBS: Lennon, Martina, Besic, Stekelenburg, Calvert-Lewin, Lookman, Kenny
Some surprising team news as far as the Toffees are concerned, as Sandro Ramirez has passed a late fitness test and starts at Stamford Bridge. The summer signing was seen as a major doubt today and, even if he did win his battle, was always expected to start among the subs. Not so, though, with both Ramirez and fellow injury doubt Idrissa Gueye being handed spots in the starting XI.
As well as bringing Sandro back into the fold, Koeman also hands Gylfi Sigurdsson his first league start since completing a club-record switch from Swansea City. Suspended midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are the men to make way, meaning that Sigurdsson will partner Wayne Rooney in attack, just off central striker Sandro who is seeking his first Premier League goal.
Bosnia international Muhamed Besic recently made his return to action and he is among the subs today. James McCarthy, Seamus Coleman, Ramiro Funes Mori, Ross Barkley and Yannick Bolasie all remain absent, though Koeman still has an abundance of riches to choose from which has not always been the case for the Toffees. Calvert-Lewin is perhaps a tad unfortunate to make way after an impressive showing last time out, but rotation will be key over the next nine months.
Chelsea and Everton make a couple of changes apiece for this Sunday lunchtime kickoff at Stamford Bridge. Cesc Fabregas returns from suspension to replace Andreas Christensen and Pedro fills in for Tiemoue Bakayoko in a rejigged Blues XI. Sandro Ramirez is the surprise inclusion for the visitors, meanwhile, shaking off an injury in time to join fellow new signing Gylfi Sigurdsson in the starting lineup.
The Blues have three points from the first six on offer after recovering from their defeat to Burnley by beating Tottenham seven days ago. Prior to their triumph at the national stadium, where Spurs continue to struggle to adapt, there was plenty of talk of a crisis around Stamford Bridge and the odd suggestion that Conte - a title winner in four-successive seasons in club management - could be on his way out.
Those claims looked fairly ridiculous at the time, even if Conte has made clear that he is not entirely happy with his side's transfer business to date, but it looks even more far-fetched now that they are back on track. It was in this reverse fixture just a few months back that Chelsea really laid down a marker for their title rivals, earning a 3-0 victory in what was the toughest of their remaining fixtures.
Chelsea lost two of their previous six games heading into that late-season clash at Goodison Park - as close to a slump as you will find considering they went on to win the title with a record number of victories. While many were prepared to see the Blues' name carved into the title following that 3-0 triumph, with all three strikes coming in the second half on Merseyside, it was not until two weeks later that they officially got over the line with another three points at The Hawthorns.
The feel-good factor did not carry through the summer months, however, as Conte first dumped top scorer Diego Costa via text and then saw one of his key title-winning players, Nemanja Matic, depart for title rivals Manchester United. Rudiger, Morata and Bakayoko are arguably all upgrades on the players who have, or soon will, leave for pastures new, but former Juventus boss Conte quite clearly wanted another couple of players to come in.
The Italian could still get his wish, of course, with four days of the transfer window still to go. Links with versatile Arsenal ace Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain simply will not go away, while Virgil van Dijk and Antonio Candreva have also been heavily tipped to make a switch to Stamford Bridge. Speaking in the build-up to today's clash in West London, Conte revealed that he is "working hard" to strengthen his side, but is "happy" with what he currently has.
DID YOU KNOW? Following that defeat to Burnley here a fortnight ago, when conceding three times inside the opening 45 minutes, Chelsea are aiming to avoid losing successive home matches for the first time since November 2011. Not since 1978-79 have they lost their first two league matches at Stamford Bridge, meanwhile, so some unwanted history to be rewritten were Everton to pull off a huge result this afternoon.
Despite Everton boasting one of the strongest squads in the division, this is still a match that Chelsea have been heavily backed to win. Six points from nine will look a lot healthier than three from six heading into the international break, particularly with home games against title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City to come here in September. Chelsea also face trips to Leicester City and Stoke City when Premier League action resumes - far from an easy run.
Antonio Conte, pictured here after winning the Premier League title in his maiden campaign at Stamford Bridge, revealed this week that he is still "working hard" to bring in a new player or two. The Blues' transfer business has been far from perfect this summer, and there is still the future of disgruntled striker Diego Costa to resolve, but this squad is still on a par with last term's title-winning side.
Everton are in a confident mood at this moment in time thanks to a decent start to the campaign, which has seen them play six games already. Four of those fixtures came in the Europa League qualifying round; a test they passed with flying colours with two-legged wins over Ruzomberok and Hajduk Split. The Toffees now have a tasty set of group-stage fixtures to look forward to in a competition that Koeman will take seriously.
In terms of their league form, Everton beat Stoke City 1-0 on the opening weekend through a smart Rooney header, before the returning striker netted in last Monday's 1-1 draw against Man City. A positive return from the first two matches, then, even if they perhaps should have held out against 10-man City to earn all three points at The Etihad, and they will now target another positive result in West London.
The big worry for Everton is that they have won just two of their last 40 league meetings against sides who finished in the previous season's top six, losing 25 of those in a run stretching back to the start of 2011. It is a rather dismal record for a team with aspirations of themselves cracking the top four, and Koeman has his work cut out to now bridge the gap between his side and the division's truly elite teams.
Koeman has certainly been backed to bridge that gap by the club's ambitious backers, though, spending around £150m on new talent. The Dutchman will add to that tally before Thursday night's deadline, too, if he gets his wish, with a number of players - Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy among them - being linked in the past few days. Sigurdsson certainly settled well with a stunning goal away to Hajduk on Thursday, while Rooney has two goals in two league games.
Rooney has not scored in three-successive Premier League games since January 2016, so he will be keen to prove once again this afternoon that his best form is not behind him. The former Manchester United striker, who called time on his England career earlier this week to focus solely on the Toffees, has six goals and two assists in his previous 24 starts against today's opponents Chelsea.
Koeman is not entirely happy at the moment, however, as he feels that the Premier League could have scheduled his side's fixtures a little better. He has a point, too, having been made to travel to Man City on a Monday night to appease the TV market, while also being shoved in the early Sunday slot - 4pm, he feels, would have been a better time to kick off. Everton must get used to such problems now that they are back competing in Europe.
To make matters worse for Koeman, his side have an extremely tricky set of fixture to begin the season. On the back of facing Man City at the Etihad Stadium, they face Chelsea today and then tackle Tottenham and Man United after the international break - two of those being away from home. Far from ideal, though with a month to go until their Europa League group stage campaign gets under way, there is a chance to focus solely on the Premier League.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Chelsea have a good record against Everton, particularly in recent times thanks to seven wins in the last 10 Premier League encounters. The Blues are also currently on a 22-match unbeaten run against this weekend's opponents at Stamford Bridge, dating back to a 1-0 loss 23 years ago. The Toffees have only ever fared worse against one other side in that respect, failing to beat Leeds United in 36 attempts away from home between 1953 and 2001.
With kickoff in West London now a little over five minutes away, let us turn attention to some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Antonio Conte: "For me it's very important for me to continue to work and improve my players and my team. For sure the club is trying to strengthen our squad and our team, they're working very hard to do this. I don't like to talk about other players, I think it's a lack of respect. You know very well the situation."
Ronald Koeman: "We're still looking to bring a striker in. It's not that I'm not happy. I'm really happy about the performances of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but he is still young. We need competition. Diego Costa? I said always a warm welcome for every good player and he's a good player. We are still looking to bring a striker in."
Koeman certainly did not rule out making a bid for Diego Costa, whose career is currently in limbo as a switch to Atletico Madrid - unable to officially register new players until January - continues to stall. Like Koeman, Chelsea boss Conte also wants another new player or two over the next four days, though he was unwilling to discuss any particular names. It could be a busy deadline day in West London and on Merseyside.
PREDICTION! Everton have a pretty dismal record in away matches against top-six sides, though they did pick up a well-earned point at Man City last time out in the league. The season may still be young yet even at this early stage fatigue could play a factor for the Toffees, whose unbeaten start is at risk of coming to an end this afternoon. I'm going with a 2-1 home win.
KICKOFF! We are up and running at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea are aiming to avoid successive home defeats to begin the season for the first time since 1978. Visitors Everton, on the other hand, are chasing a rare away win against top-six opposition.
Alonso, as ever, gets high up the pitch but has nobody to cross to because centre-forward Morata was alongside him on the wing. The ball has spent plenty of time in midfield in the opening few minutes of the contest.
The first shot of the match comes via the boot of Morata, but it is blocked at the front post. Everton win a free kick high up the pitch but Sigurdsson, making his first league start for the club, could not pick out any of his teammates.
YELLOW CARD! A smart delivery from Sigurdsson which does not quite come off. A couple of challenges have flown in early on, the latest of which sees Gueye catch Fabregas high up his leg - referee Jonathan Moss rightly booking him.
SHOT! First real opening of note falls the way of Pedro, who went for an audacious overhead kick attempt 12 yards out which ended high and wide. Morata picked his compatriot out when finding the ball at his feet in some space.
Pretty open feel to the match at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea just about the team on top, as Willian is rewarded for his high press and manages to get a deflected shot away, which ends wide of the target for a corner kick.
SAVES! Luiz was always going to strike the ball when given a chance to do so, but Williams took the sting out of the ball and Pickford was easily able to collect. Willian and Pedro then exchanged passes for the latter to test Pickford with a better attempt.
The Blues looking much more like their title-winning selves this afternoon compared to a fortnight ago. They have been well on top over the past five minutes, testing Pickford through shots from Luiz and Pedro in quick succession.
Chelsea well up for this match as they continue to take the game to their opponents. No clear-cut openings just yet but one half-chance for Pedro, which he sent over the bar, and a couple of attempts from range for Pickford to keep out.
The visitors have barely managed to get the ball out of their own half in the opening quarter of the match. That said, it remains all square here and Koeman will no doubt be confident that his side will slowly start to grow in confidence.
Rooney unhappy with a challenge on him from Alonso, which referee Jonathan Moss is happy to let go unpunished. Chelsea no longer in complete control of the match, with Everton showing one or two signs of growing into the contest.
Far too casual from Tom Davies, gifting Blues forward Pedro a chance to carry the ball forward. A poor pass halted the Blues' attack, though, as we continue to await the first serious chance of the afternoon in West London.
Passes galore from the Blues and there is almost an end product; Moses getting a cross into the box towards Morata, but an Everton head got there first to concede a corner. Fabregas with a shocker of a delivery from the set piece.
GOAL! CHELSEA 1-0 EVERTON (CESC FABREGAS)
Exquisite finish from Fabregas to give his side the lead, just short of the half-hour mark. After exchanging passes with Morata in the box, the Spanish midfielder slotted the ball past Pickford with the outside of his boot on the volley.
Everton being pressed back into their own final third, playing with a back five rather than a back three. Chelsea are good value for their lead, given to them by Fabregas a few minutes ago, as they have been on top pretty much throughout.
A change of approach may be required from Koeman because at the moment it simply is not happening for his side. Fabregas has plenty of space to dictate play and the Blues are putting together attack after attack at the moment.
Better from the Toffees, as Holgate gets past Alonso down the right-hand side and gets a cross into the box that is cleared away. Pretty much their best spell of possession, though they have still yet to touch the ball in the opposition area.
First we have really seen of Sandro, taking the ball past two opposition men and earning his side a free kick. The Toffees have definitely improve over the past three or four minutes, giving us a more evenly-contested match.
Sigurdsson with a shot that was never likely to trouble Courtois. Willian and Gueye collide when contesting for a high ball, leading to a short break in play which both sets of players use to take on some fluids - a very hot day in the capital!
Chelsea completely dominated Everton in the first half of last December's meeting here. They are in control once again on this occasion but have just the one goal to show for it, courtesy of Fabregas's well-taken finish to beat Pickford.
GOAL! CHELSEA 2-0 EVERTON (ALVARO MORATA)
It is turning into a bit of a stroll for Chelsea, as they add a second goal of the half through Alvaro Morata. Credit to referee Jonathan Moss for playing the advantage, allowing Azpilicueta to eventually send a cross into the area for Morata to nod past Pickford.
Half time is fast approaching at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea have deservedly raced into a two-goal lead. Everton, as far as I am aware, have yet to have a single touch of the ball in the opposition box. Pretty shocking!
It would be a big surprise to see the same XI player emerge for the second half as far as Everton are concerned. They have been poor in the opening 45 minutes and rightly find themselves with a mountain to climb in the remainder.
HALF TIME: CHELSEA 2-0 EVERTON
Referee Jonathan Moss blows his whistle for half time. It has been far too straightforward for the champions so far, easing into a two-goal lead through Cesc Fabregas and Alvaro Morata, while the visitors have incredibly yet to touch the ball in their opponents' 18-yard box.
The first real opening of a one-sided first half fell the way of Pedro, who could not quite keep his overhead kick down when picked out by Alvaro Morata. Chelsea bossed possession and slowly started to make their dominance count, with David Luiz and Pedro both testing Jordan Pickford from outside the box in quick succession.
The breakthrough moment arrived 27 minutes in through a perfectly executed finish from Cesc Fabregas, exchanging passes with Morata inside the box and casually slotting past Pickford on the volley. Everton failed to register a single touch of the ball in their opponents' 18-yard box in the opening 45 minutes, and they were rightly two down before the half was out.
Morata added to his earlier assist with a second league goal in Blues colours, just about remaining onside to head past Pickford when spotted by Cesar Azpilicueta from deep after referee Jonathan Moss justifiably played advantage for an earlier challenge. Everton, who have never won a Premier League match when two goals down at the break, will surely consider changes before play resumes.
CHELSEA SUBS: Caballero, Bakayoko, Kenedy, Musonda, Batshuayi, Christensen, Tomori
EVERTON SUBS: Lennon, Martina, Besic, Stekelenburg, Calvert-Lewin, Lookman, Kenny
KICKOFF! We are back under way at Stamford Bridge, where there is news of a half-time change to bring you. Besic has been brought on in place of Davies - the switch many would have expected, adding some much-needed midfield steel.
Pedro goes down inside the box under a challenge from Keane, but referee Jonathan Moss correctly adjudged that not enough force was used to send him to the ground. Chelsea win a corner, though, to start the second half where they left off the first.
Chelsea playing some really nice football this afternoon. Their latest attacking move sees Pedro work a couple of yards of space, only to send his shot wide of Pickford's goal - probably should have been doing better from there.
BLOCK! What appeared to be a 3-4-3 in the first half for the Toffees is now more of a 3-5-2. It has worked, because for the first time today they have touched the ball in the opposition box - Sandro's shot being blocked by Rudiger inside the box.
A poor finish from Sandro in the end from that first Everton attack of the match, though the build-up was impressive as Rooney slotted him through on goal. It has certainly given the away fans a little something to shout about.
Moses gets in behind down the right but is put off by Besic, who took a little risk by going to ground inside the area. Certainly a more evenly-contested second half at Stamford Bridge following the Blues' dominant showing in the first 45.
The match is lacking any real tempo at the moment. Everton appear to be happy to just sit back and soak up the pressure, though until they get forward and find a goal it will be a stroll over the line for the home side.
SHOT! A fairly simple cross for Everton to deal with almost leads to a third Chelsea goal. Pickford and Williams left it for each other and it needed to be helped behind at the back post. Pedro then blasted wide from a good position.
SAVE! Moses is played through on goal and, despite having Willian alongside him, put his foot through the ball. Simple stop for Pickford down low in the end, with Willian quick to air his grievances in his teammate's direction.
EVERTON SUB! Koeman makes his second change of the afternoon, and once again it is the one many expected. Calvert-Lewin replaces Sandro in attack, hopefully offering the Toffees a different route to goal because they have badly struggled so far.
Alonso with a dreadful delivery from the left, sending the ball behind the goal. Chelsea boss Conte, barking out instructions on the touchline, is still yet to turn to his bench with nearly three-quarters of the match now played.
Not been the most lively of second halves in West London. Pedro blasted wide from a good position and Moses fared only slightly better when testing Pickford down low, while Sandro Ramirez squandered the visitors' only opening.
Everton finally spring to life on the counter through Calvert-Lewin. The ball is worked into a central position, where Sigurdsson decided against taking on the shot but, from the next wave, Rooney did so with a poor effort well wide of goal.
YELLOW CARD! An increasingly frustrated Wayne Rooney becomes the second player to be shown a yellow card for dissent. Everton looking a little better over the past five minutes but not doing enough to pull a goal back.
A little over 15 minutes left to play at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea are looking as comfortable as ever. Courtois without a save to make all afternoon, which does not look like changing on the basis of what we have seen since the restart.
CHELSEA SUB! Pedro, who has been impressive for the Blues this afternoon, is replaced by Tiemoue Bakayoko for the closing stages - the Frenchman's home debut. Moses then picked up a needless caution once play resumed.
Good delivery from Sigurdsson, which we have not seen enough of so far, but Luiz was well positioned to clear the ball away. Up the other end, Pickford and Williams again look unsettled but the Toffees' keeper did what was required to collect the ball.
CHELSEA SUB! Michy Batshuayi, the scorer of an own goal in his last outing, is brought on in place of Morata. The outgoing Spaniard is actually the first player to score and assist a goal in each of his first two home Prem games.
BLOCK! Substitute striker Batshuayi should have done better with his pass to Willian as another Chelsea attack fizzles out. Still time for Everton to set up a tense finale, but Williams's looped attempt ends on the roof of the net.
EVERTON SUB! A third and final change from visiting boss Koeman, bringing on Aaron Lennon for Jagielka - a positive switch. All too little, too late, with Chelsea looking likely to get over the line with ease on home soil.
CLOSE! The Toffees ending the game the stronger of the two sides, winning a corner which Bakayoko got on the end of. Sigurdsson's cross is then glanced wide of target by Williams, who will perhaps feel that he should have done better.
SAVE! Courtois finally has something to do, keeping out Gueye's belter which may well have been heading over anyway. Lennon also had a shot blocked inside the box prior to that, with a punt forward paying dividends.
CHELSEA SUB! Azpilicueta is booked for his challenge and then Moses hooked off, with Christensen on in his place to provide some defensive steel. The Toffees keeping their best spell of the match for the closing stages.
SAVE! A late save for Jordan Pickford to make, keeping out Brazilian forward Willian's latest attempt. Three minutes have been added on at Stamford Bridge, so that will likely be the last meaningful attacking play for either side.
FULL TIME: CHELSEA 2-0 EVERTON
The full-time whistle sounds at Stamford Bridge, meaning a straightforward 2-0 win for Chelsea against a lacklustre Everton side. A busy week for the Toffees told in the end as they failed to turn up, going down to goals from Cesc Fabregas and Alvaro Morata in the first half.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events from West London. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while updates from the evening kickoffs involving Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley are under way elsewhere on the site. Thanks for joining!
