Everton 5-0

Independent:

Chelsea 5 Everton 0

Five-star Blues go top of the table as Eden Hazard inspires thrashing of Toffees
Hazard leads rout of Ronald Koeman's side to prove Chelsea's title credentials must be taken seriously

Glenn Moore Stamford Bridge

For the first time since they lifted the title in May 2015 Chelsea are top of the Premier League, reaching the summit in style with this thrashing of an abject Everton. Should either Arsenal or Liverpool win on Sunday they will be deposed, but that may be temporary too for, make no mistake, Chelsea are championship contenders.

Since Antonio Conte changed formation in the wake of the late September drubbing at Arsenal they have won five successive league matches scoring 16 goals without reply. They have been unchanged the last four matches with Eden Hazard rediscovering the form that made him Footballer of the Year in 2014-15, Pedro the elan of his Barcelona days, and Victor Moses finally looking as if he belongs at this level. Defensively they are sound, in midfield they are nicely balanced, everywhere they are confident. And players such as Cesc Fabregas, Oscar, John Terry, Michy Batshuayi and Willian are not even in the starting line-up. Unlike their rivals Chelsea are also unencumbered by the commitments of European competition, which in the long slog of English football could prove decisive.

Everton, however, had any pretensions to challenge blown away. They have not won a league match at the Bridge in 22 years and never looked like ending that barren run. Ronald Koeman changed formation to match up Conte’s but it proved a grievous error. Chelsea dominated from the start and two goals in a minute early in the first half, by Hazard and Marcos Alonso, put them in total command. Once Diego Costa added a third shortly before the break it became just a matter of how many. Five proved the answer, Hazard scoring a second and Pedro chipping in. The humiliated visitors were relieved it was not more. Their exalted front trio, Romelu Lukaku, Ross Barkley and Yannick Bolasie, may as well not been on the pitch for all the impact they had.

The match was preceded by fireworks, launched from the stadium roof. An explosion of a different kind seemed likely once the game kicked off as Coleman, seeking to compensate for a poor first touch, lunged studs-first into the shins of Diego Costa drawing blood. Fortunately for the Irishman he got enough of the ball to persuade Bobby Madley there was no foul, never mind a booking, but Costa glared darkly at the culprit when he limped back on after treatment. There is a history of enmity between the two and the prospect of Costa extracting revenge seemed high.

In the event the Spanish international kept his cool, though Everton would not go unpunished. With 18 minutes gone and Everton making what was already a rare foray forward, Gareth Barry was caught in possession. The ball was switched via Costa to Hazard on the left. His first touch was poor, but the rest were sublime. Cutting in he drifted across Ashley Williams and Coleman before shooting inside the far post. Maarten Stekelenburg looked at fault, but argued he was distracted by a run, from an offside position, by Pedro.

Once the celebrations had ceased Everton kicked off - 24 seconds later they were two down. This time Hazard was the supplier, spinning away from Barry and Williams on the halfway line to drive into the heart of Everton’s defence. He fed Pedro on the right and while the Spaniard’s cross was behind Costa it rolled perfectly for Marcos Alonso to drive through Stekelenburg’s legs.

Everton were shell-shocked. Phil Jagielka was booked for dissent, Bryan Oviedo nearly gifted Hazard another goal with a blind back-pass, Victor Moses lashed against the post from Alonso’s clever cross.
Koeman had seen enough. Oviedo was hauled off, Kevin Mirallas came on, and the visitors reverted to a conventional back four. It made no difference. Chelsea’s constant pressure forced a corner, Nemanja Matic flicked it on and Costa, unmarked, made a difficult volley look easy.

This was in keeping with the whole Chelsea performance. With the points secure they began to add artistic flourishes, but always with an end product. In the 56th minute Pedro played a backheeled one-two with Hazard who again bewildered Williams before driving inside Stekelenburg’s near post. It was Hazard’s seventh goal of the season, exceeding last season’s entire haul. Nine minutes later Costa nutmegged Jagielka then released Hazard. Stekelenburg parried his shot, but Pedro was on hand to complete a five-star show.

“Fantastica” [wonderful] was the verdict of Conte on the 5-0 win over Everton that took Chelsea to the top of the Premier League. He was not, however, allowing himself or his players to get carried away. “We don’t want to send a message out to other teams, we want to send a message to ourselves,” said the Italian. “It is important to be focussed on our work. We want to improve and are working a lot to do so.

“I am very pleased. It is important to win, but to win this way with the good football is sweet. It is good for confidence.” Of man-of-the-match Hazard he added: “Eden is a player with great talent but he is also working very hard which is very good for the team.”

Hard work, or rather, the lack of it from his players, was also uppermost in Koeman’s mind. “I expect more from my team,” he said. “There was a big difference in every aspect of football. They showed us how you need to press, they had the quality, the movement, the mentality to win the game.  Five is a high score, but really totally deserved.

“Chelsea showed a very high level in every aspect of football. They were very aggressive in winning second balls, there was a big difference between the sides. I did not expect that.

“It is good for everyone to see how quality technical players also run and work and press, they can learn from that.” Adding, darkly, that “I can change my players” the Everton manager said: “Everyone is very disappointed. It is only three points, but we need to react. We need to show this is not our level."

Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Courtois; Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill (Terry, 85); Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso; Pedro (Oscar, 71), Hazard (Batshuayi, 80); Costa.

Everton (3-5-2): Stekelenberg; Williams, Jagielka, Funes Mori; Coleman, Cleverley, Barry (Davies, 66), Barkley, Oviedo (Mirallas, 36); Bolasie (Lennon, 60), Lukaku.

Referee: R Madley.
Attendance: 41,429
Man of the match: Hazard
Match rating: 7

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Observer:

Chelsea 5 - 0 Everto

Eden Hazard inspires Everton thrashing as Chelsea top the Premier League

Jacob Steinberg at Stamford Bridge

The fans in the Matthew Harding Stand spent the second half bellowing Antonio Conte’s name, making it perfectly clear that they have a new hero at Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea were so dominant they could even afford to give one of their reserve centre-backs a brief cameo towards the end of this ruthless evisceration of Everton. John Terry enjoyed a suitably warm reception from the locals as he ran on and the club captain’s reduced role was a reminder that Chelsea are quickly building a new identity under the manager who has breathed fresh life into a side that improbably flirted with a relegation battle a year ago.

They never quite got over José Mourinho when his first spell in charge came to a bitter end nine years ago. This time, however, nobody at Chelsea is pining for Mourinho.

For all that these remain early days, they will challenge for the title if they continue to hit these heights. While Ronald Koeman was critical of Everton’s failure to match their opponents’ aggression in those crucial early stages when the game slipped from their grasp, he spoke admiringly of the winning mentality that Chelsea are developing under Conte.

Nothing epitomises their resurgence more than the way that Diego Costa and Eden Hazard have rediscovered their zip and poise after drifting aimlessly through last season. Costa took revenge for a dangerous early tackle from Séamus Coleman that left him with a bloody right ankle and an even bigger scowl than usual by pulverising Everton’s ragged defence, while Hazard had a hand in all five of Chelsea’s goals and scored twice, taking his tally to seven from his first 11 league matches.

Conte insisted that it is not important that Chelsea’s victory lifted them to the Premier League’s summit, pointing out that Arsenal and Liverpool have opportunities to overtake them on Sunday. Yet any side that puts together a run of five consecutive wins and clean sheets should not be underestimated. “Fantastica,” Conte said when he was asked to sum up Chelsea’s performance with an Italian word.

Chelsea have certainly come a long way since their thrashing by Arsenal at the end of September, when the talk was of crisis and a side that would struggle to qualify for the Champions League. Conte had seen enough after that humiliation in north London, switching to a 3-4-3 system, and it has not taken long for Chelsea to feel the benefits of the Italian’s proactive repair job.

“I have never seen a team so strong playing this system,” Koeman said. “The movements of Hazard and Costa, it is difficult.”
Everton’s manager flattered Conte with an imitation of his system, Phil Jagielka’s return to the side allowing the visitors to line up with three centre-backs, but his ploy had no effect. Nine minutes before half-time, Koeman ditched Plan A and brought on Kevin Mirallas for Bryan Oviedo. Six minutes later, Costa scored Chelsea’s third, finishing confidently after Nemanja Matic flicked on Hazard’s corner.

Chelsea have made a habit of blowing their opponents away with blistering starts in recent weeks and they took control of the game inside the first 20 minutes thanks to two moments of brilliance from Hazard. Everton had started with intent, the fireworks that lit up the darkening sky in west London before kick-off matched by the sparks that flew on the pitch when Coleman’s studs raked Costa’s right ankle. Blood seeped through Costa’s sock and the Everton defender somehow got away with it, although he might have preferred an early bath given how the match unfolded.

The punishment began in the 19th minute. Missing the calming touches of the suspended Idrissa Gueye, Everton’s midfield was overwhelmed by Matic and N’Golo Kanté. Gareth Barry lost possession in the middle, Hazard broke down the left, beat Ashley Williams and aimed for the far corner, the unsighted Maarten Stekelenburg allowing the Belgian’s crisp drive to beat his dive.

There was barely time for Everton to gather their thoughts before Hazard was bursting clear again. Pedro rolled the ball across the area for Marcos Alonso, who slipped a low finish through Stekelenburg’s legs for his first Chelsea goal. “If they get the space, they will kill that,” Koeman said.
A win would have lifted Everton into fifth place but they never troubled Thibaut Courtois. Romelu Lukaku fed off scraps against his former club and the Everton forward could only watch as Hazard ran riot at the other end, a slick exchange with Pedro creating the space for him to dart inside from the right and fire inside the near post.

“He is playing great football,” Conte said. “The most important thing is Eden is fantastic with the ball and without the ball.”
Chelsea refused to stop. Costa instigated another attack, turning superbly before finding Hazard.

Stekelenburg saved his curling effort this time but Pedro scored on the rebound from close range.
Celebrating wildly, Conte did not realise that the fans were singing his name until one of his assistants told him. He looked at the crowd, beamed and clenched his fist.


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Telegraph:

Chelsea 5 Everton 0: Sensational Blues move top as they put five past sorry Toffees
Sam Wallace

This time last year Chelsea suffered their seventh league defeat away to Stoke City, their then-manager banned from the stadium, their team spirit absent without leave and the title defence already over – all of which makes the current transformation even more remarkable.

Top of the league on Bonfire Night and Everton’s defence still gently smouldering long after referee Bobby Madeley had called time on what was Antonio Conte’s team’s third successive league win, with 12 goals scored and none conceded. Led by the incomparable Eden Hazard who punched holes through this Everton team all over the pitch, and scored twice, Chelsea are the form team of the Premier League.

It was a dismal performance from Ronald Koeman’s Everton but vindication for his opposite number Conte who, with the help of a few signings, has tactically reimagined the Chelsea team from the shambles that Jose Mourinho left behind. Diego Costa, Pedro and Hazard were sensational in this demolition and their creativity and energy spoke volumes for the new 3-4-3 formation.

Conte has, so far, done exactly what was asked of him – renewing a Chelsea squad that the club always considered fit for purpose even in spite of their severe slump under Mourinho. They had the game won by half-time and they did not even get a moment’s trouble out of Romelu Lukaku, the old boy who destroyed them in the FA Cup in March.

Hazard conjured two fine goals but it was something else that caught his manager’s eye. “Eden is playing great football and he is showing his talent,” Conte said, “but the most important thing I’m seeing is that he is fantastic without the ball. He works very hard for the team, Eden, Diego and Pedro. The other players see their commitment when they don’t have the ball.”

The attitude of Costa, now the top goalscorer in the Premier League with nine, was notable especially given that an early tackle from Seamus Coleman cut his ankle deep enough for the blood to seep through his sock. The man from Brazil never wasted time getting retribution from Coleman but instead went about the more serious business of winning the game.

It was a bad day at the office for Koeman who called the game wrong tactically and his team, who seemed easily overawed, now find themselves with one win in their last six league games. There was not much you could easily recall Ross Barkley contributing to the game and Gareth Southgate will not have to linger long over the clips of the young Englishman’s key interventions.

Whatever it was that convinced Koeman to imitate Conte’s 3-4-3 formation, one could safely assume that 10 minutes into the game he was having his doubts and by the half-hour he had made up his mind to abandon it completely, although by then it was too late. Conte said later he had noticed Everton had tried to match his players up with their system but he was too polite to point out how badly it had turned out for them.

“Chelsea have shown us a very high level of football in every aspect,” Koeman said, “how aggressive you need to play, quality on the ball, winning second balls. A big difference. I did not expect that on the pitch but it happened ... it’s my job to change the team or the players and it is a big lesson for everyone.”

Koeman used a three-man defence in his team’s draw away at Manchester City, who he said at the time were the best side he had managed against, and on this occasion he defended his choice of system. “Everyone is very disappointed but it is only three points we lost. We need to react, we need to show that this is not our level. We can be better.”

His goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg was poor, letting the first one from Hazard past his left hand much too easily and Marcos Alonso’s second went straight through the Dutchman’s legs. Nevertheless, Koeman will have recognised that this three-man Everton defence was unable to defend down the flanks where both the opening goals came from.

Hazard doubled back on Ashley Williams and Coleman for the first and lashed a right-footed shot in the far corner. From the restart there were just 24 seconds before Alonso converted a cross from Pedro from the opposite side which had eluded Costa.

On that occasion it was the swiftness with which Chelsea switched the ball to the flanks, starting with Hazard who turned in the centre and then spread the ball out right to Pedro who crossed low. The Belgian was superb, turning sharply to dribble between Williams and Gareth Barry to begin the move.

The third goal was plain bad defending by Everton when they failed to deal with a corner flicked on by Nemanja Matic right to the feet of Costa who lashed the ball past Stekelenburg. By then, Koeman had substituted poor old Bryan Oviedo, his left wing-back, in favour of Kevin Mirallas. He moved Ramiro Funes Mori to left-back and set up as a conventional back four.

Hazard’s second was the best of them all, starting with an exchange with Pedro in which the Spaniard flicked a back-heel in the direction of his team-mate. Hazard cut in on his left foot past Williams again and took the shot early, beating Stekelenburg at his near post. The fifth came when Costa drove forward on 65 minutes, played in Hazard and when his shot was saved, Pedro tidied up.

Later on, John Terry came on for his first league appearance since his ankle injury against Swansea City on Sept 11. The only time that Conte took his eye off the match was to applaud all four sides of the ground as they sung his name. Later he was asked for one word in Italian to describe the performance and paused to think for just a moment. “Fantastica,” was the verdict.

How Chelsea thrashed Everton 5-0 and why Eden Hazard can be one of the world's best
Matt Law

Koeman got it wrong

Everton manager Ronald Koeman went like-for-like against Antonio Conte by switching to a back three to try to deal with the triple threat of Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Pedro.
But the plan did not work, as Phil Jagielka, Ashley Williams and Ramiro Funes Mori were all at sea in the new-look backline.

Hazard did brilliantly to open the scoring, but the Belgian was given far too much space to cut in from the left and unleash a shot. Just 70 seconds later, Everton were two goals behind and Koeman was forced to ditch his plan after 36 minutes, when he replaced Bryan Oviedo with Kevin Mirallas and reverted to a back four.

It was already too late, however, as Chelsea had the game won by half-time and Koeman only had himself to blame for showing the Blues too much respect in his starting line-up.

Conte really is the head coach

It was significant that Chelsea gave Conte the title of head coach, rather than manager, when they appointed him as successor to Jose Mourinho.
The Blues wanted a man who could get the best out of their under-performing stars and Conte has certainly done that. Eden Hazard and Diego Costa are the most eye-catching examples of the work the Italian is putting in on the training ground, but it is goalscorer Pedro who has perhaps enjoyed the biggest turnaround in fortunes.
The Spaniard failed to bring his Barcelona form to Chelsea last season and did not start the season under Conte. But after being given a chance when Willian returned to Brazil, Pedro has come to life and his assist for Hazard’s second goal was his fourth in four Premier League games – more than he managed in his first 35 appearances.

Boring, boring Chelsea

Chelsea fans ironically adopted the ‘boring, boring Chelsea’ chant during their last title-winning season under Jose Mourinho after Arsenal supporters branded their team ‘boring’ in a goalless draw at the Emirates.
The Blues faithful did not care that their team was not the most pleasing on the eye when they were winning trophies, but they are certainly enjoying the exciting brand of football Antonio Conte has brought to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are irresistible at the moment 

Chelsea are not just winning games, they are playing wonderful football and tearing their opponents to pieces. Italian coaches are not renowned for their attacking intent, but, by switching to three at the back, Conte has let Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and Pedro off the leash.
With Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso bombing on, the Blues often have five players swarming over the opposition. So when the chant of ‘boring, boring Chelsea’ rang around Stamford Bridge against Everton, Conte could take it as a big compliment.

Man of the match

Eden Hazard – Antonio Conte said before this match that Hazard can be one of the best players in the world. On the evidence of the Belgian’s latest brilliant performance, Chelsea’s head coach may well be right.

What Chelsea must do next

Pick up where they have left off. Five successive Premier League victories have put the Blues right in the title race. The international break will not be welcomed at Stamford Bridge, but if they can show the same form when they restart against Middlesbrough, Chelsea will be tough to stop.

What Everton must do next

Regroup. This was a painful experience for Everton and manager Ronald Koeman. He must take his fair share of the blame for getting the formation wrong, but defenders Ashley Williams and Phil Jagielka had games to forget. They will need to beat Swansea when the Premier League restarts to bury the memory of this thrashing.

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Mail:

Chelsea 5-0 Everton: Eden Hazard nets double and Marcos Alonso, Diego Costa and Pedro also score to put Blues top of the Premier League

Chelsea ran riot at Stamford Bridge on Saturday night with a 5-0 victory over Everton
The victory puts the Blues top of the Premier League table on 25 points, one ahead of Manchester City
Antonio Conte's side scored twice within a 70-second period through Eden Hazard and Marcos Alonso
Diego Costa added a third before the break and Hazard later got his second goal of the night
Pedro capped a stunning performance as Ronald Koeman's side were thoroughly beaten

By ROB DRAPER FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY

So this wasn’t in the script. Certainly not six weeks ago when Arsenal swept past an inept Chelsea and bookmakers decided not to take bets on Antonio Conte’s future.

Maybe at the start of the season a brave few contended that the team responsible for the worst-ever defence of the title might do considerably better this season.

Still, not many had them top of the league by Bonfire Night. And fewer still imagined they would be there playing the kind of joyful, stylish football which Roman Abramovich has always craved. In the stands, the owner smiled down on it all.

Chelsea were magnificent and Everton simply couldn’t cope. Since being swatted aside by Arsenal, which prompted Conte to switch to a back three, Chelsea have won five Premier League matches, scored 16 goals and conceded none.

This season feels like a stab in the back to Jose Mourinho. The Manchester United manager may be surprised to learn that Eden Hazard has returned from his sabbatical year fresh and well. He was utterly superb. Mourinho might also be intrigued to learn that he had a certain Victor Moses in his squad who, it turns out, is an unplayable wing back; that Nemanja Matic is once more a combative, driving force in midfield and that the warrior spirit of Diego Costa has been revived.

They weren’t alone in their heroics: add N’Golo Kante and Pedro to that list. Chelsea are playing with swagger, liberated from an oppressive leader. Even at their best, Mourinho’s Chelsea rarely topped the joyfulness that this team produced and Stamford Bridge echoed to the chants of ‘Antonio’ on Saturday night. Breaking up is so much easier to do when you find your new special one.

‘Fantastica,’ pronounced Conte afterwards. ‘When you have this type of performance, you’re very happy. It’s important to win but when you win this way playing good football with good intensity, it’s great. It’s important to win with style. You can win but you have to show that you win with the idea of playing good football. It’s important to put these great players in the best situation to exploit their talent. And today there was a great atmosphere with our supporters.’

There was indeed. Conte is chief cheerleader, conducting proceedings from the bench with a manic intensity. At the end they played the Madness hit ‘One Step Beyond’, although some caution might be urged. Arsenal will resume the lead if they beat Tottenham on Sunday and Conte will need trophies to displace Mourinho as the truest love.

Ronald Koeman was bold. Everton took Chelsea on at their own game, playing a back three with a twist, with two up front in Yannick Bolasie and Romelu Lukaku. It seemed like a good idea, less so when you concede possession cheaply. They lasted 35 minutes before they switched to a back four, although much good that did them.

Koeman measured his generous praise of Conte’s team with criticism of his own. ‘I’ve never seen a team as strong playing this system,’ he said. ‘This system is very difficult to play against: the movements of Hazard, Pedro, Costa.

‘The manager has brought a winning mentality to the players. They are looking very hungry and if they keep that they will fight for the title for sure. The way they work, run and press — you can learn from that and it’s my job to change the team if I need to or change the players. It’s a big lesson.’

The first goal came in the 19th minute and the trajectory of the game was set. Gareth Barry, who endured a miserable afternoon, was robbed by Matic, who fed Costa, who played on to Hazard. Both Ashley Williams and Seamus Coleman failed to disrupt his progress. Even so, Maarten Stekelenburg should have done better when Hazard had his shot and the keeper will claim he was unsighted by an offside Pedro rushing in.

Twenty four seconds from the kick off, Chelsea were celebrating again. Gary Cahill stole the ball and fed Hazard. His delightful turn left both Barry and Williams standing and Pedro then crossed for Marcos Alonso to nutmegged Stekelenburg for his first Chelsea goal.

In the 42nd minute Matic flicked on a corner and Costa was on hand to sweep it home. On this occasion Everton had more reason to feel aggrieved in that David Luiz was in an offside position and obstructing Stekelenburg’s view. Hazard’s second and Chelsea fourth came on 56 minutes: a little touch to Pedro, a back-heel from the Spaniard and a sprint from Hazard across the Everton back line. He cut inside Williams and shot from the edge of the box. By now the away end was thinning out rapidly, though in fairness, the players had surrendered long before the supporters did.

Costa won the ball in the centre circle on 65 minutes, strode away from his man and released Hazard to shoot. Stekelenburg denied the Belgian a hat-trick but Pedro was following up to make it 5-0.
Barry was immediately substituted and, given how ragged he had been run all afternoon, it was almost like that moment when the corner man throws in the towel to spare his man more blows. But it wasn’t Barry alone who was responsible.

The entire team needed similar treatment just to spare them more indignity.

CHELSEA (3-4-3): Courtois 6.5; Azpilicueta 8, Luiz 7.5, Cahill 7.5 (Terry 84, 6); Moses 8, Kante 8, Matic 7.5, Alonso 8.5; Pedro 8.5 (Oscar 71, 6.5), Costa 8.5, Hazard 9 (Batshuayi 80, 6)
Subs not used: Begovic, Ivanovic, Chalobah, Aina
Goals: Hazard 19' 56', Alonso 20', Costa 42', Pedro 56'
Manager: Antonio Conte 8.5

EVERTON (3-5-2): Stekelenburg 4; Williams 5, Jagielka 4.5, Funes Mori 4.5; Coleman 5, Barry 4.5 (Davies 66), Barkley 5, Cleverley 5, Oviedo 4 (Mirallas 36, 4.5); Bolasie 5 (Lennon 60, 5), Lukaku 5
Subs not used: Robles, Deulofeu, Valencia, Holgate
Booked: Jagielka, Barry, Bolasie
Manager: Ronald Koeman 4

Referee: Robert Madley 6.5
Attendance: 41,429
Man of the Match: Eden Hazard
Ratings by SAMI MOKBEL

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Mirror:

Chelsea 5-0 Everton: Eden Hazard dazzles as five-star Blues go top of the league - 5 things we learned

BY DARREN LEWIS

The brilliant Belgian grabbed a double with Marcos Alonso, Diego Costa and Pedro also scoring to send out a warning shot to their Premier League rivals

Five-star Chelsea demolished Everton to move top of the Premier League with a devastating display.
Two-goal Eden Hazard produced a man of the match performance while goals from Marcos Alonso, Diego Costa and Pedro also left Ronald Koeman’s men in pieces.

Hazard opened the scoring on 19 minutes when he curled an effort around Toffees’ keeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
Alonso doubled the advantage just a minute later when he rifled Pedro’s cross under the body of Stekelenburg and into the net.

Chelsea were 3-0 up on 42 minutes when an unmarked Costa smashed the ball home from a corner. Hazard added his second 11 minutes after half time, sending a low shot into the bottom corner after Pedro had back-heeled into his path.
Pedro grabbed the goal his impressive performance deserved when he tucked the ball away after Hazard’s 65th-minute shot was saved.
Here are five things we learned from Stamford Bridge:

1. Brave Koeman got it wrong

The Everton boss tried to go man-for-man with Conte’s in-form Chelsea in a bid to succeed where others have failed. He got it horribly wrong. Everton’s three-man back line just could not cope with the movement and the cutting edge of the Chelsea attack. They panicked in possession and went to pieces under attack.
At set-pieces players were left unmarked (Costa had the freedom of the box to score the third) and Chelsea should have been even further ahead by half-time. Koeman still has a right to be unhappy with his players though. But he will know he is just as culpable as they are.

2. Who needs Lukaku?

Diego Costa showed the Belgian who was boss in the battle of the strikers.
The Brazil-born Spain striker proved in some style that Chelsea were right not to meet Everton’s staggering £75million asking price to bring back Lukaku.
The answer to their goalscoring woes has been right under their noses.
Costa has now scored 12 goals in 16 matches for club and country. By this stage last season he’d scored just three.
He had clearly fallen out of love with Jose Mourinho who went on to lose the faith of the entire dressing room.

Conte has managed to get his prize asset back on side - even allowing for their bust-up in the Leicester game when Costa dared the Italian to take him off. It says a massive amount for Conte’s man-management skills that he continues to inspire the level of performance that has kept Costa top of the Premier League scoring charts and favourite for the top-flight Golden Boot.
Lukaku could only look on forlornly at what might have been as Chelsea tore his side apart.

3. Manchester United must be wishing they moved for Conte!

How on earth has the Italian produced this run from the ashes of Chelsea’s 3-0 demolition at Arsenal back in September?
It wasn’t just that they were able to punish Everton’s sloppy defending. Chelsea were faster, sharper, far more hungry and industrious. They should have been even further ahead by half time and would have been had Costa not blown a gilt-edged opportunity in the minutes leading up to the break.

This is now five Premier League wins on the bounce to go top. All for the loss of zero-goals. While Mourinho at Manchester United appears to be dithering over the problems holding his expensively-assembled team back, Conte has been decisive in producing a dynamism in his Chelsea side that nobody could have predicted.

4. Conte appears to have inspired the real Pedro to stand up.

The £22million Spaniard looks a different player. His goal was the least he deserved for an outstanding performance. The Chelsea faithful showed their appreciation when he was taken off with 20 minutes left.
Before this run the Barcelona cast-off looked a passenger. An expensive mistake.
Manchester United, who had also been in for him, would certainly have considered themselves to have dodged a bullet.

Conte appears to have restored his confidence in some style. His impressive performance was summed up by his sumptuous back-heel into the path of Eden Hazard for Chelsea’s fourth.
It was from Pedro’s cross that Alonso buried his effort to make it 2-0. He is puffing his chest out again and
Willian may not be around to work his magic on the right and, before this run you would in no way have believed Pedro to be an able substitute. He is now.

5. Yes, Chelsea are title contenders again

Back in September you wouldn’t have given a bean for their chances.
They couldn’t defence, they were embarrassed at Arsenal and Conte looked to have had a massive job on even to get them into the top four.
Suddenly they are top and look a match for anyone. Spurs may have the best defence in the Premier League but right now they can’t score. Chelsea can. For fun. Yes, Everton were awful and will want to get this footballing disaster out of their system as quickly as possible. But Chelsea were seriously impressive here, keeping their collective foot on the throat of their opponents even at 5-0 up. They have won back the confidence lost after that shambolic defeat at the Emirates. They have convinced those who questioned the quality of their wins against a poor Hull side and a Manchester United team in transition. Chelsea have set themselves a new standard. And are now setting the pace in the Premier League.

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Express:

Chelsea 5 - Everton 0: Antonio Conte's men humiliate Toffees at Stamford Bridge
EDEN HAZARD’s double inspired a brilliant Chelsea to a 5-0 win over Everton – and to the top of the Premier League.

By MIKE CAREY

Chelsea knocked five goals past Everton at Stamford Bridge
Marcos Alonso, Diego Costa and Pedro were also on the scoresheet in a crushing performance from Antonio Conte’s side at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are back on top of the table for the first time since they were crowned champions in 2015.
And manager Antonio Conte secured a fifth consecutive Blues win in the league – the first time in nearly three years for Chelsea.
Hazard has been an integral figure in that run and the Belgium international had a hand in every goal.
Conte believes Hazard is back on the right path to becoming one of the world’s best players after a lacklustre campaign last term.
Conte said: “Eden played an impressive game. We all know he is a talented player, I see he is working a lot for the team and his team-mates are very happy for this.

The rout started, naturally enough, when Hazard found himself in plenty of room on the left-hand side after good work from Costa.
The forward then cut in on his right foot before bending the ball past a helpless Maarten Stekelenburg to land the game’s opening blow after 18 minutes.
It was Hazard’s fourth goal in as many league matches, which marked a career first for the Belgian.
The Chelsea fans had barely got their breath back when Alonso doubled the home side’s advantage moments later.
Offiially two minutes separated the goals, but in fact Alonso’s strike – his first for the club – came just 23 seconds after the game had re-started following the opener.

Hazard stole possession on the halfway line before playing in Pedro on the right.
The Spaniard’s cutback fell to an unmarked Alonso who drilled the ball through Stekelenburg’s legs.
Everton had no answer and Victor Moses came within inches of making it three when his effort hit the post.
On Friday, Conte insisted he had no regrets over his failed summer pursuit of Romelu Lukaku and following Costa’s scoring streak this term, it is hard to blame him.
The Brazil-born forward bagged his ninth goal in 11 matches, and Chelsea’s third of the night, three minutes before the interval when Nemanja Matic flicked on Hazard’s corner and Costa made no mistake from eight yards.
It was a destructive opening 45 minutes from the home side and the second half continued in a similar vein.
           
Ten minutes after the interval, Victor Moses found Hazard on the right-hand side.
A neat backheel from Pedro followed before the Belgian burst into the area to double his tally and extend Chelsea’s lead to four.
With 65 minutes gone Costa won the ball just inside the Everton half before laying the ball off to Hazard.
His right-footed effort was fumbled by Stekelenburg, but Pedro was there to prod home from a matter of yards.
A stoical Everton boss Ronald Koeman said: “It was not about the system, the difference was the mentality to win the game. You have to accept sometimes in life your opponent is by far the better team.”
With steely focus, Conte had the last word: “We have to continue as Everton is now in the past.”

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Star:
Chelsea 5 Everton 0: Eden Hazard and Diego Costa send Blues top of Premier League
HE might not be able to shout it – but his smile and dance said it all.

By Tony Stenson
Chelsea superstar Eden Hazard scored twice as the Blues hammered Everton at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte warmly celebrated a five-match winning streak that saw them go top of the table.
And also without conceding a goal.

The little Italian, who surely one day is going to have a touchline heart attack with his frenzied antics, has to send home for special lozenges to ease his throat.
He shouts so much that his vocal cords give up after games.
His wife thinks he sounds sexy.

Chelsea fans think their football is just as inviting.
They are in dreamland. Even cheekily chanting, ‘Boring, boring Chelsea’ as the goals flowed, although they sooned turned to, ‘We are top of the league’ at the final whistle.
Two goals from man of the match Eden Hazard was the icing on the cake.
There was also time for a late cameo role for skipper John Terry.
Heady days. Chelsea fans thought nothing could get much worse than last season.
Little did they realise that a revolution was about to happen.
They watched Chelsea get off to a flyer and had their mouths opened further with two goals inside 70 seconds from the 19th minute.

A third before half-time and it was all over.
Chelsea let off fireworks from the top of a stand then proceeded to match them on the pitch.
Even David Luiz, a player they believed had left his best days behind, is reborn.
He no longer gives Chelsea fans kittens with his once wayward and nonchalant approach.
He is now top cat. Here is a defender on top of his game and spraying long, raking passes that often carried sting.
And in Hazard they must surely have the most complete player in the Premier League.

He not only makes goals but scores beauties.
This was Chelsea in full flow and Victor Moses was unlucky with a thunderous shot that rocked an Everton post in the 34th minute.
At 2-0 down Toffees boss Ronald Koeman was forced to make a tactical change as he brought on Kevin Mirallas for Bryan Oviedo to try and stop the one-way flow. It failed.
Chelsea added a third in the 42nd minute with Nemanja Matic heading on Hazard’s corner and Diego Costa was left to drive home his 41st goal in 65 games.
Everton didn’t come to be makeweights and ferociously threw themselves into tackles but they were totally outplayed by a side that had not conceded a goal in their previous four games.
Chelsea always held the aces and they inevitably took the lead.

Pedro won the ball in midfield and fed Costa who then passed to Hazard.
With three Everton defenders around him, the Belgian magician managed to cut inside and squeeze a shot beyond Maarten Stekelenburg.
Then just over a minute later it was two after wingback Marcos Alonso had started and finished the move.

He won the ball in his own half, passed to Costa, who moved it on to Pedro and his cross was met by… Alonso who had raced 50 yards to hit home his first goal for the club.
Conte’s decision to reshuffle his side’s defensive strategy a month ago has worked like a dream.
When you add that sort of defensive solidity to the attacking verve being shown by Hazard, Costa and a superconfident Moses then you can see why they are menacing title challengers.
Conte has also got Costa’s head in the right place as the sulky petulance of last season is being replaced with a regular flow of goals from the Spain star that has him at the head of the scoring charts.

He was subject of a dreadful ankle-high tackle from Seamus Coleman that needed medical attention but ref Robert Madley saw nothing despite being only yards away.
There was little Everton could do to stem the tide.
They offered heart but could never match Chelsea and Hazard added a fourth in the 56th minute after a clever Pedro backheel.
Pedro then got in on the act, turning home in the 65th minute after Costa and Hazard had carved the opening and forced Stekelenburg to palm the ball out.

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Sun:

FAMOUS FIVE Chelsea 5 Everton 0

Blues storm to top of the Premier League with five-star drubbing of sorry Toffees

An Eden Hazard double, Diego Costa, Marcos Alonso and Pedro all netted for Antonio Conte's side who played some incredible football to totally overpower Toffees

BY GARY STONEHOUSE AND FRED NATHAN

CHELSEA are top of the Premier League and will take some stopping if the performance against Everton is anything to go by.

A quickfire double inside the first twenty minutes blew the Toffees away at Stamford Bridge as the Blues recorded a 5-0 victory.

Antonio Conte’s men have now reached the summit thanks to goals from Eden Hazard and Marcos Alonso.

The Belgian magician got the action started on 18 minutes. After picking up possession from Diego Costa, he was allowed to drift in from the left into the area and rifle home a low right-footed drive across goal into the far corner.

And Hazard was at the heart of it again seconds later. After turning past two men, he fed the ball into Pedro down the right of the box. The former Barcelona star pulled the ball back across goal and found left wing-back Marcos Alonso, who ran onto the pass and smashed home.
It got even better before the break. Chelsea's Diego Costa, who was a thorn all afternoon for the opposition defence, rifled home from ten yards after a flick from a corner.

Hazard added a fourth in the second half as the shell-shocked visitors struggled to come to terms with the new league leaders, and Pedro went on to make it a fabulous five for the Blues.

Talk about a bogey ground. It’s been 22 years since Everton last tasted victory at Stamford Bridge. Despite 10 draws, including last season’s memorable 3-3 clash, in that time the Toffees’ winless run in west London now stretches to 23 games.

It must be a mental thing with the Merseysiders and the Blues. This was the first time they had conceded five or more goals in a match since conceding six against Chelsea in 2014.
Eden Hazard is Chelsea’s trump card. When the Belgium star is on form, so are the Blues. The trickster was at his magical best for this clash in west London, tormenting the Toffees backline and midfield throughout.
And his two goals were thoroughly deserved. He only bagged four times last season… He is already on seven this campaign.

And continuing with Hazard. His first goal ensured that he had found the net for his fourth consecutive Premier league game – the first time he has ever done that.
Starting well. And boy, did the Blues start well. Ronald Koeman’s side were simply no match throughout for Chelsea, but they were restricted from even having one single shot in the first half.

70 seconds. That’s all there was between Hazard’s opener and the Alonso’s second. A miserable minute and a bit for Koeman and his men.

Diego Costa is back to his best. FACT. The Spanish international has been involved in more league goals than any other player this season. He has scored nine goals and assisted three.

Clinical. That’s exactly what Conte’s men were as they left visiting keeper Maarten Stekelenburg with no chance. There first four goals came from their first four shots on target.

Attack. Much has been discussed about Conte’s defence and his preference to play three at the back. But his men are equally impressive up top. They’ve found the net 26 times this season – one more than Manchester City.

Pedro was majestic and should be rivalling Eden Hazard for the man of the match award. His goal and two assists were the icing on the cake for the wide man. And he will no doubt be delighted to know that is the first time since an appearance for Barcelona at Rayo Vallecano in 2012 he has assisted twice in one game.