Emi Martinez' horror head injury marred Chelsea's fine 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday, October 17. Martinez suffered the injury during the second half at the hour mark after a collision with Everton's Jarrod Braithwaite, forcing a lengthy stoppage in the game.

The collision occurred as Everton prepared to take a free-kick, with Martinez and Branthwaite suffering a clash of heads while contesting the ball. Medical staff rushed onto the field to treat both players, but Martinez had to be carried off on a stretcher.

Martinez appeared conscious and was moving as medical staff took him off on a stretcher at Hill Dickinson Stadium, while Branthwaite recovered sufficiently to remain on the pitch.

Martinez's early exit paved the way for 21-year-old Mike Penders to make his Premier League debut. The young goalkeeper helped Chelsea secure their first league clean sheet since January, bringing an end to a 22-match run without one.

Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso confirmed that Martinez left the stadium conscious and was undergoing precautionary tests at a hospital in Liverpool.

"As far as I know, he left the stadium conscious; he's in the hospital doing precautionary tests.Let's see. This is all I know so far," said Alonso.

HOW THE MATCH UNFOLDED

Chelsea struggled to find their usual attacking rhythm in a combative first half against Everton, with the sides involved in several confrontations that resulted in five bookings. However, the visitors broke the deadlock just 43 seconds into the second half, as Jorrel Hato's cutback found Neto unmarked inside the box, allowing him to slot the ball into the bottom corner.

Neto struck again in the 90th minute to seal Chelsea's victory. The winger capitalised on the rebound after Everton's wall blocked Jordan Henderson's free-kick, calmly guiding the loose ball into the bottom corner to hand the hosts their first defeat of the season.

With the win, Chelsea moved to fourth on the points table.

- Ends