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Everton secured a third consecutive league victory as second-half goals from Abdoulaye Doucoure and a first in the Premier League for Lewis Dobbin earned a 2-0 success over Chelsea at Goodison Park.
It is a second home victory in four days for Sean Dyche’s side, and a third straight clean sheet, moving Everton four points clear of the bottom three.
How the match unfolded
Both sides enjoyed chances in the opening 45 minutes, with Jordan Pickford making a flying save to keep out a swerving 25-yard effort from Cole Palmer.
At the other end, Jack Harrison flashed a brilliant volley on the turn just wide of a post.
Chelsea were dealt a blow just before the half-hour mark when captain Reece James was forced off with what appeared to be a repeat of the hamstring injury that kept him out for two months earlier this season.
Everton then lost a defender of their own through injury, with Ashley Young being replaced by Nathan Patterson.
The hosts took the lead on 54 minutes from a fine counter-attack. After Armando Broja lost possession, Dwight McNeil surged forward and played in Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but after his shot was kept out by Robert Sanchez, Doucoure reacted quickest to strike into the corner.
It means Chelsea have now failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last nine Premier League matches.
Chelsea pressed for an equaliser, but were unable to convert their 72 per cent possession into goals, with the Everton defence, and Vitalii Mykolenko in particular, standing firm to several attacks from the visitors.
Mauricio Pochettino was forced into another change late on as goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic came on to make his Chelsea debut, with Sanchez no longer able to continue after injuring his knee.
Substitute Dobbin sealed the win two minutes into second-half stoppage time with a shot that went beneath Petrovic from the edge of the area.
A fifth home win in six matches against Chelsea moves 17th-placed Everton on to 13 points.
Chelsea drop to 12th on 19 points following a second successive defeat.
Everton report | Chelsea report
Match officials
Referee: Michael Oliver. Assistants: Stuart Burt, Dan Cook. Fourth official: Tony Harrington. VAR: Stuart Attwell. Assistant VAR: Adrian Holmes.
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