LIVERPOOL, England — Pedro Neto scored a pair of second-half goals to lead Chelsea to a 2-0 victory over Everton on Saturday, Oct. 17, handing the hosts their first defeat of the season in a match overshadowed by a serious head injury to goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Martinez, the Argentine international and 2022 World Cup winner, was carried off on a stretcher and taken to a hospital after colliding head-on-head with Everton center back Jarrad Branthwaite at a set piece in the 66th minute. Martinez received treatment on the field for approximately 10 minutes before being replaced in the 75th minute by Belgian goalkeeper Mike Penders, who made his Premier League debut.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso stated after the match that Martinez remained alert following the incident. “As far as I know he left the stadium conscious. Right now he’s in the hospital doing some precautionary tests, so let’s see,” Alonso said, according to reports by USA TODAY Sports and Al Jazeera English. Branthwaite was able to remain in the game following a concussion assessment, ABC News reported.
Neto Sparks the Attack
Following a scoreless first half at Hill Dickinson Stadium that featured five yellow cards, Chelsea took the lead just 44 seconds into the second period. Defender Jorrel Hato drove toward the end line and delivered a low cross to Neto, who settled the ball and slotted a low shot past Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Everton struggled to respond despite creating chances earlier in the match, including a first-half header from Thierno Barry that Martinez stopped. Moises Caicedo had hit the crossbar for Chelsea late in the first half from a corner kick.
The long medical stoppage for Martinez added 11 minutes of stoppage time. Pickford denied Chelsea forward Joao Pedro with a sharp save, but Neto sealed the win in the 90th minute by steering a loose ball into the bottom corner after an Everton wall blocked a free kick from Jordan Henderson.
Defensive Milestone and Next Steps
The result marked Chelsea’s fourth victory in seven Premier League matches this season and lifted the club into the top four standings ahead of Everton. It also gave the Blues their first clean sheet in 23 league matches, a drought dating back to January.
Everton manager David Moyes conceded his squad was second best in decisive moments, telling reporters that Chelsea possessed superior flair and quality on the day. Neto dedicated his first Premier League brace to his injured teammate, telling TNT Sports that the squad wanted the clean sheet for Martinez.
Chelsea is awaiting the results of Martinez’s hospital evaluations before determining when the goalkeeper will be cleared to return to action.
