Chelsea claimed an important Premier League victory over Everton, with Pedro Neto scoring twice to secure a 2-0 win for Xabi Alonso’s side. However, the result was overshadowed by a worrying injury to goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who was stretchered off following a collision with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite.

According to a report by BBC Sport, the incident occurred in the 75th minute when Martinez and Branthwaite collided heads while challenging for the ball. The Chelsea goalkeeper required extended medical attention, causing the match to be halted for approximately 10 minutes.

Branthwaite was able to continue after receiving treatment, but Martinez had to be carried off the pitch on a stretcher. The 34-year-old was seen moving his arms as medical staff escorted him from the field before Chelsea introduced Mike Penders as his replacement.

The full extent of Martinez’s injury was not immediately known, leaving Chelsea supporters concerned about his condition. Further medical assessments will be required to establish the seriousness of the injury and determine when he might return to action.

Despite the distressing incident, Chelsea had already established their advantage through an impressive performance from Neto. The Portuguese winger opened the scoring shortly after half-time, finishing a move after Jorrel Hato’s cutback took a deflection and fell into his path.

Neto continued to threaten Everton’s defence and eventually doubled Chelsea’s lead late in the contest. His second goal came after Everton failed to make the most of a defensive situation following Jordan Henderson’s free-kick, allowing the winger to finish calmly into the bottom corner.

The brace proved decisive for Alonso’s side, who maintained their advantage until the final whistle to collect all three points.

The victory also marked Chelsea’s first clean sheet in the Premier League in nine months, providing an additional boost after a period of defensive difficulties. For Everton, the defeat represented their first league loss of the campaign.

Chelsea’s victory lifted them into fourth place in the Premier League table, while Everton remained sixth ahead of the other fixtures scheduled for the weekend.

Although the result strengthened Chelsea’s position in the standings, attention after the final whistle centred on Martinez’s condition, with the club awaiting further information following the goalkeeper’s concerning head collision.