According to a report by Football London on Monday, October 19, 2026, Chelsea continued their impressive run in the Premier League with a victory over Everton, as Pedro Neto scored twice to secure consecutive wins for Xabi Alonso’s side. The Blues also recorded a valuable clean sheet, highlighting their improvement in defence.

Everton struggled to create meaningful attacking opportunities during Saturday’s encounter. After the match, manager David Moyes admitted that Chelsea’s unexpected team selection affected his tactical preparations and forced his side to deal with a different challenge from the one he had anticipated.

Moyes had expected Pep Chavarria to feature at left-back, which influenced his decision to position Merlin Rohl on Everton’s right flank. However, Chelsea’s decision to start Jorrel Hato instead disrupted those initial plans.

Explaining his thinking, Moyes said: “We actually expected Pep Chavarria to play at left-back. We thought with his attacking work, and what was required, the person who we thought would be best to work would be Merlin Rohl in that position.”

Hato’s inclusion proved significant as Chelsea found opportunities to attack down the left side. His contribution helped create the opening for Neto, who went on to score twice and deliver another outstanding performance for the Blues.

Meanwhile, Rohl struggled to make a meaningful impact and eventually became Everton’s first substitution. Chelsea’s unexpected defensive selection appeared to disrupt Moyes’ original approach, while the visitors displayed greater efficiency in attack and better organisation at the back.

Hato will now face competition from Chavarria for Chelsea’s starting left-back position as the club prepares for important fixtures against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup and Manchester United in the Premier League.

Despite Hato’s impressive display against Everton, Chavarria provides a different attacking dimension through his crossing ability, forward runs and progressive movement with the ball. These qualities could give Chelsea an additional attacking outlet on the left flank while complementing Neto’s contribution in the final third.

However, Hato could remain Alonso’s preferred choice in matches where defensive discipline and stability are the main priorities, particularly during challenging away fixtures. The Chelsea manager will need to weigh both players’ strengths carefully to maintain the right balance between attacking threat and defensive solidity when choosing his starting lineup.