LONDON: Chelsea beat Everton 2-0 on Saturday to return to the Premier League top four as well-worked first-half goals from talisman Cole Palmer and France fullback Malo Gusto stemmed a run of four games in all competitions without a victory.
Palmer, back in action this month after missing most of the season through injury, drilled the ball between goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and the near post after Gusto’s pinpoint pass.
Gusto switched from provider to scorer in the 46th minute when he poked a Pedro Neto cross home after the Portuguese winger outpaced marker Vitalii Mykolenko.
“It was important for us to come back, with a clean sheet it was even better,” Gusto told Sky Sports.
The right-back said he trusted Palmer to score from his pass. “He knows I like to pass the ball to him, it was a great run for him and he scored, so I’m happy for him and me too.”
The result lifted Chelsea to 28 points, five behind leaders Arsenal, who host bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers later on Saturday, and two ahead of Crystal Palace who welcome second-place Manchester City on Sunday. Everton fell to eighth on 24.
The visitors, who had won four of their previous five games, looked bright at the start and matched Chelsea for intent and work rate but they failed to take their chances, with Jack Grealish, James Tarkowski and Idrissa Gueye going close.
Iliman Ndiaye hit the post in the 87th minute but by then the game had run away from Everton, although coach David Moyes remained an animated presence in front of the dugout.
For Chelsea it was a welcome three points after they drew with Arsenal and Bournemouth and lost to Leeds United in the Premier League, as well as
going down 2-1 against Atalanta
in the Champions League on Wednesday.
“It’s important to win games after two or three we didn’t win,” Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca said. “It’s important for the players. We are happy.”
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Chelsea return to top four with 2-0 home win over Everton
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Chelsea return to top four with 2-0 home win over Everton
- Palmer drilled the ball between goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and the near post after Gusto’s pinpoint pass
- The result lifted Chelsea to 28 points, five behind leaders Arsenal
Sunderland earn 1-0 win over Newcastle thanks to Woltemade own goal
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Woltemade scores own goal to give Sunderland win
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Sunderland remain unbeaten at home this season
SUNDERLAND: Sunderland secured a 1-0 victory over Newcastle United thanks to Nick Woltemade’s unfortunate own goal on Sunday which settled the derby in dramatic fashion as the fierce North-East rivals met in the Premier League for the first time in nearly a decade.
Woltemade’s header a minute into the second half proved decisive as fans who marked their calendars after Sunderland’s promotion were treated to an entertaining game that lived up to its billing as one of English football’s fiercest clashes.
Woltemade’s mistake marked just the second Premier League own goal in the Wear-Tyne derby, extending Sunderland’s unbeaten run against their rivals to 10 Premier League games.
Sunderland remain unbeaten at home this season and the win lifted Regis Le Bris’s side to seventh on 26 points, two points off the top four. Newcastle slipped to 12th on 22.
“Derbies are here to win, it doesn’t matter how. I know how painful it was ... losing here,” Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka told Sky Sports, referring to their 3-0 defeat by Newcastle in the FA Cup third round in January 2024.
“They (the fans) motivate us, because of this, much more than before. This team deserves much more than this respect because where we are is amazing. We work very hard and deserve to be where we are.”
FRANTIC FIRST HALF
A lively but scrappy first half failed to produce shots of note, though neither team shirked from physical challenges during 45 frantic minutes.
The half was marred by an injury to Newcastle defender Dan Burn, who took a knee to the chest from Sunderland’s Nordi Mukiele while sliding in for a clearance.
The towering Englishman returned to the field after treatment but signalled to come off less than five minutes later, clearly in pain. The club later said Burn had been taken to hospital.
With barely any goalmouth action in the first half, Sunderland broke the deadlock a minute into the second when Woltemade attempted to clear a cross into the box but headed the ball into his own net as the Stadium of Light erupted.
SUNDERLAND ENERGISED
The goal energised Sunderland and they pressed high as Newcastle were pegged back into their own box under sustained pressure, desperately making clearances to catch their breath.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe had seen enough and made a triple substitution around the hour mark to bring on Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy and Joe Willock but Sunderland continued to pile on the pressure.
Sunderland’s top scorer Wilson Isidor, also introduced in the second half, gave the home side their first shot on target when he chested down a long ball and acrobatically fired an effort that was palmed away by Aaron Ramsdale.
Sunderland fans gave Woltemade a standing ovation when the Newcastle striker was substituted but soon after they had a heart-in-mouth moment when his replacement Yoane Wissa nearly got on the end of a deflected cross.
Tempers flared in added time when Sunderland keeper Robin Roefs bravely went up to catch the ball and fell heavily on his back when Willock attempted to challenge him, causing both teams to square up as the referee produced four yellow cards.
But when the final whistle blew, it was Sunderland who sealed all three points in their first Premier League meeting with Newcastle since 2016.
“I don’t think it was our finest game. I think the endeavour and the effort was there, but the quality was missing today,” Howe said.
“A game of really few chances for both teams. It was decided on a bit of a freak goal from our perspective that we didn’t defend well enough.”
Woltemade scores own goal to give Sunderland win
*
Sunderland remain unbeaten at home this season
SUNDERLAND: Sunderland secured a 1-0 victory over Newcastle United thanks to Nick Woltemade’s unfortunate own goal on Sunday which settled the derby in dramatic fashion as the fierce North-East rivals met in the Premier League for the first time in nearly a decade.
Woltemade’s header a minute into the second half proved decisive as fans who marked their calendars after Sunderland’s promotion were treated to an entertaining game that lived up to its billing as one of English football’s fiercest clashes.
Woltemade’s mistake marked just the second Premier League own goal in the Wear-Tyne derby, extending Sunderland’s unbeaten run against their rivals to 10 Premier League games.
Sunderland remain unbeaten at home this season and the win lifted Regis Le Bris’s side to seventh on 26 points, two points off the top four. Newcastle slipped to 12th on 22.
“Derbies are here to win, it doesn’t matter how. I know how painful it was ... losing here,” Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka told Sky Sports, referring to their 3-0 defeat by Newcastle in the FA Cup third round in January 2024.
“They (the fans) motivate us, because of this, much more than before. This team deserves much more than this respect because where we are is amazing. We work very hard and deserve to be where we are.”
FRANTIC FIRST HALF
A lively but scrappy first half failed to produce shots of note, though neither team shirked from physical challenges during 45 frantic minutes.
The half was marred by an injury to Newcastle defender Dan Burn, who took a knee to the chest from Sunderland’s Nordi Mukiele while sliding in for a clearance.
The towering Englishman returned to the field after treatment but signalled to come off less than five minutes later, clearly in pain. The club later said Burn had been taken to hospital.
With barely any goalmouth action in the first half, Sunderland broke the deadlock a minute into the second when Woltemade attempted to clear a cross into the box but headed the ball into his own net as the Stadium of Light erupted.
SUNDERLAND ENERGISED
The goal energised Sunderland and they pressed high as Newcastle were pegged back into their own box under sustained pressure, desperately making clearances to catch their breath.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe had seen enough and made a triple substitution around the hour mark to bring on Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy and Joe Willock but Sunderland continued to pile on the pressure.
Sunderland’s top scorer Wilson Isidor, also introduced in the second half, gave the home side their first shot on target when he chested down a long ball and acrobatically fired an effort that was palmed away by Aaron Ramsdale.
Sunderland fans gave Woltemade a standing ovation when the Newcastle striker was substituted but soon after they had a heart-in-mouth moment when his replacement Yoane Wissa nearly got on the end of a deflected cross.
Tempers flared in added time when Sunderland keeper Robin Roefs bravely went up to catch the ball and fell heavily on his back when Willock attempted to challenge him, causing both teams to square up as the referee produced four yellow cards.
But when the final whistle blew, it was Sunderland who sealed all three points in their first Premier League meeting with Newcastle since 2016.
“I don’t think it was our finest game. I think the endeavour and the effort was there, but the quality was missing today,” Howe said.
“A game of really few chances for both teams. It was decided on a bit of a freak goal from our perspective that we didn’t defend well enough.”
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