A double from Beto and a pinpoint strike from Iliman Ndiaye condemned Chelsea to a crushing away defeat to Everton, leaving their Champions League qualification hopes in the balance.
After a slow start, a sublime pass from James Garner allowed Everton striker Beto to dink the ball over Robert Sanchez with 33 minutes gone.
Sloppy passing in the second half enabled Idrissa Gueye to steal the ball in his own half and gallop forwards to Chelsea’s penalty box. He found Beto, whose shot squirmed between Sanchez’s legs and just over the goal line. Ndiaye added the final blow after curling his shot into the top corner with 15 minutes left.
The result means Chelsea are in sixth, a point behind Liverpool, who lost to Brighton earlier in the day, and just two ahead of David Moyes’ team.
Here, Simon Johnson breaks down the key talking points from the game…
Defensive difficulties
Chelsea will not salvage anything from this season if they do not become more careful at the back.
No matter who Rosenior picks in his defence or as his goalkeeper, they cannot stop the opposition from scoring. Chelsea have kept just one clean sheet in their last 15 matches in all competitions, and that was against Championship side Hull City in the FA Cup. They have conceded 14 goals in five games.
Against Everton, Robert Sanchez struggled again (Darren Staples / AFP via Getty Images)
You have to go back to Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Brentford in January for the last game they prevented a Premier League team from scoring. That was Rosenior’s first league game in charge, and anyone who was there will remember that it was more by luck than judgement as Keith Andrews’ side wasted chances.
Their porous defence has already cost them in the Carabao Cup, where they lost 4-2 on aggregate to Arsenal. Being beaten 3-2 in the first leg at home left them too much to do. The humiliating 8-2 loss on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 of the Champions League, their joint-heaviest defeat in the competition, was full of gifts in both legs.
It does not seem like they are learning their lessons either. In the 1-0 defeat against Newcastle United last weekend, a simple ball through the middle was enough to break them down. A similar move was their undoing for Beto’s opener. Goalkeeper Sanchez provided another present for Beto and makeshift right-back Moises Caicedo did not do enough to stop Ndiaye’s strike.
Chelsea have seven Premier League games left to qualify for the Champions League. They also have a winnable FA Cup quarter-final against Port Vale on April 4.
But to achieve either of those aims, their defence needs to improve.
The Lavia conundrum
Chelsea are in a bit of a quandary as far as Romeo Lavia is concerned.
The talented 22-year-old started just his second Premier League game of the season this evening, his first for five months.
Lavia is still working his way back to match sharpness after straining his thigh five months ago. It is not as if he has played much football since joining from Southampton in 2023 due to a variety of issues. The Belgium international has yet to complete 90 minutes for the club.
Romeo Lavia battles with Garner (James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
This was his seventh appearance since his latest attempt at a comeback, and inevitably, the rust is showing.
He is still lacking a yard of pace, that key second of reaction time, and it contributed to Chelsea’s sluggish start at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Lavia helped assist Everton’s opening goal for all the wrong reasons. His inability to close down Garner quickly enough to exert any pressure allowed the 25-year-old lots of time and space to provide the perfect pass for Beto.
What makes Lavia such an asset for Chelsea is his ability to pass through the lines, and there were several examples when the visitors enjoyed their best spells.
It was no surprise that he was brought off in the 57th minute for Andrey Santos. He was never going to see out the match.
Now the only way Lavia can get back to his best is to get more minutes. However, there could be more prices to pay while he gets up to speed.
Champions League hopes dashed
Rosenior will be feeling the pressure mounting on his shoulders.
The honeymoon period is over. After losing two of his opening 12 games, a run that included eight wins, Chelsea have suffered four straight defeats in all competitions.
Remarkably, they are still just one point off fifth place, which will be enough for a Champions League spot. But the way Chelsea are playing, they should be looking over their shoulders at the threat being posed. Everton are just two points behind them, and are playing with far more confidence.
West London rivals Brentford (three points) and Fulham (four) are within touching distance too. Brighton & Hove Albion trail by just five.
There is a danger that Chelsea might not just miss out on Champions League football but a place in European competition altogether next season. Chelsea set themselves a minimum target of qualifying for the Champions League again in 2026-27. It will take some turnaround for them to achieve it.
Usually, clubs and their fans don’t like the international break because it upsets the momentum. The timing of this one could not be better for Rosenior and his players.
What did Rosenior say?
What are your initial thoughts on the defeat?
“Yeah, the most disappointing evening so far in terms of the things we’ve spoken about, not gifting goals away and making sure we’re in the game, getting control of the game. It wasn’t there, and it turned into a really, really difficult evening where the result and performance was nowhere near what we expected or wanted.”
In the context of Enzo Fernandez’s comments, even though you cleared that up, do you think the players are trying at the best level? Are they working at the best level?
“I know when you look at a team that are 3-0 down, you’re trying to press and get your way back into the game. And it looks like the distance has become really, really big. For me, I don’t think there’s a lack of effort. I don’t think there’s a lack of belief or determination in the team. In fact, I felt like Enzo kept going until the very, very last minute today. So, I’m aware when you’re on a run of defeats that we’re on, and when you’re on a run of performances that we’ve had, those things get levelled at you. But I don’t think that’s the issue in this moment.”
Did you feel you had to go and acknowledge the away supporters at the end?“For sure. They pay their money, they love this club and they’ve come a long way. It’s a disappointing time for the club at the moment in terms of the way we lost in the Champions League and the way we’ve lost the last two games. My job, it hurts. Regardless of your position, it hurts to lose games of football. In terms of moving forward and having this time is to look at the bigger picture. We’re one point away from the Champions League position. We need to keep working in this way. We need to keep giving the players as much confidence as possible and hopefully this break of games now for us comes at a really good moment.”
What next for Chelsea?
Saturday, April 4: Port Vale (Home), FA Cup quarter-final, 5.15pm UK, 12.15pm ET