Everton put themselves on the fringes of the race for the Champions League with a dominant 3-0 win over Chelsea as Liam Rosenior’s side lost for the fourth time in a row.
Beto scored in each half for the hosts as they secured back-to-back Premier League wins at the Hill Dickinson Stadium for the very first time. Iliman Ndiaye capped off a special night for the Everton supporters with a stunning third into the top corner.
Bolstered by a superb goalkeeping display from Jordan Pickford, the Toffees are up to seventh in the table. For Chelsea fans, the contrast between the two goalkeepers will have been impossible to miss. Robert Sanchez endured a nightmare at the other end.
Chelsea now find themselves out of the Champions League and struggling to earn a return there. They could have moved fourth with a win. Instead, they stay sixth - only two points ahead of Everton. In fact, David Moyes' team are only three behind Liverpool now.
Rosenior's side were sluggish from the outset, unable to match Everton's intensity, and Sanchez was fortunate to escape punishment when Beto caught him dallying early on. It set the tone, Jorrel Hato and Romeo Lavia also losing the ball in dangerous areas.
The breakthrough goal was all about Everton, however. James Garner, called into the England squad for the first time, threaded a wonderful ball through the defence and Beto had the acceleration and the quality to dink the ball over the onrushing Sanchez.
Everton still needed Pickford in form to take the lead at the break, getting a hand to Enzo Fernandez's firm effort from inside the box soon afterwards. A fingertip save from the same player on the hour mark underlined the importance of England's No 1.
Chelsea fans need no reminding of the value of a goalkeeper. Filip Jorgensen has struggled recently but this was Sanchez's turn. Idrissa Gueye played Beto in down the right channel and though his shot was struck firmly, it was straight at the Spaniard.
The failure to keep it out ended any real hope of a comeback. Ndiaye's goal put the seal on it. For a new stadium to feel like home, it requires special goals, moments and matches. This was all of that for Everton. Who knows where it might lead them now?
Everton's James Garner speaking to Your Site about his England call:
"I am so happy, I am over the moon. It is a dream. [Thomas Tuchel] rang me to say I will be involved. It has been a bit of a crazy week and to top it off with a win is even better.
"That was the best I have seen it in the stadium, and to top it off with a win - amazing. Since Beto has come back in the team, he's shown goals and all the things he does off the ball. Two goals and one assist today, top."
There were plenty of candidates with Pickford, Garner, Gueye and Ndiaye all excellent but Beto scored the first two goals and set the tone long before that. His flaws as a footballer are well known but the endeavour spurred his side on right from the start.
And what a finish, galloping onto Garner's pass before showing uncharacteristic deftness of touch to beat Sanchez. The second was at the goalkeeper but the movement was excellent again. It gets him chances, as Brentford's owner realises.
Matthew Benham attracted headlines when citing the Everton striker as an example of a striker who is often maligned for his misses but keeps getting into the positions. Beto can be untidy but just keeps making the runs. Those runs did for Chelsea on Saturday.
"I do not think that I am a hero but I think I am home," said Beto afterwards, when speaking to Your Site. "Playing for Everton is something unbelievable, you just want to give your all and help the team with goals, assists and good performances."
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior in the press conference:
"The most disappointing evening so far in terms of the things we've spoken about, not gifting goals away, 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."
Asked whether the players are trying: "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.
"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."
Asked about players being tired: "What I don't want to do, I don't want to be seen to make excuses. That was not good enough. The last week hasn't been good enough.
"I think if you're a logical thinking person and you look at the workload and the amount of games that the players have played, I think it's a pretty simple conclusion to come to."
Asked about the Chelsea supporters: "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, really good moment."
