Everton suffered a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Pedro Neto scored the opening goal of the game just seconds after the second half began, so it was really poor game management from David Moyes‘ side.

Neto then added a second in stoppage time to kill the game and hand Everton their first defeat of the season.

The Toffees just didn’t show enough ambition going forward, and there was little in the way of chances created for the frontman Thierno Barry.

With that said, here are the two key things we learned from the game.

Jack Grealish looks a yard off the pace

Grealish has endured a difficult 2026 as he’s been on the sidelines for most of the year following foot surgery in February, so he’s only just getting back up to match fitness.

The 30-year-old looked neat in possession of the ball against Chelsea, but he did look quite slow and ponderous at times.

The Manchester City loanee may have lost a yard of pace since his injury, which is a slight concern. Or, perhaps he just needs a few more games under his belt to get that sharpness back and acceleration over five yards.

Moyes shouldn’t be too slow to bring in one of the talented wingers if Grealish continues to perform below his usual high standards.

David Moyes still doesn’t trust Tyrique George in the big games

It seems whenever Everton are against one of the better sides in the division, Tyrique George is dropped to the bench.

Moyes opted to start Merlin Rohl on the right wing this afternoon, and the German failed to make an impact, which is understandable considering he’s a midfielder by trade.

The Toffees boss has been criticised for having the handbrake on too often – and this was another example of a decision that was far too pragmatic.

George or Tyler Dibling should’ve started on the right flank today.