Beto The Devil You Know

There are some nights where everything works like magic. Where every player plays well and everything goes according to plan. And the opposite happens for the opposition. Well this was exactly that. Everton; while going OK; were still decided underdogs against a powerful Chelsea side.

In the end though; it was the exact opposite. Chelsea; already reeling from 3 consecutive losses that saw them torpedoed out of the Champions League by reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain on a 2-8 aggregate; should have smelt something fishy happening. Liam Rosenior is in trouble and the team know it.

And the way they started was symptomatic of it all. Too casual; and too careless. Robert Sanchez looked a bundle of nerves in goal; and he wasn't helped at all by a sloppy defence and midfield that saw Jorrel Hato and Romeo Lavia also giving away cheap balls in possession.

Everton on the other hand; were everything Chelsea were not. Hungry and energetic in possession; they pressed well and found the moves when it mattered. The pleasant surprise was Beto; so lambasted this season for his lack of goals and commitment; came up trumps in both; first with a coolly-dinked finish; then a decisive shot that surely Sanchez had to take the blame.

By the time Iliman Ndiaye did his trademark run and jink and arrow into the top corner; it was done & truly dusted. It was one of the greatest Everton performances ever seen; one that made a superstar team like Chelsea look very ordinary indeed. Everton are now remarkably just 2 points behind Chelsea and 3 behind Liverpool; with Champions League qualification now a distinct possibility. While Chelsea stay mired in 6th and in danger of losing everything this season.