Everton 3-6 Chelsea - Match Report

Fabregas and Costa look like the real deal for Chelsea

For those you didn't watch the Saturday Night Game - ouch. It was one of the best games we have seen in a long while and Alex Johnson reflects on the nine goal thriller at Goodison.

Chelsea preserved their 100% start to the Premier League season with an astounding 6-3 win over Everton at Goodison Park.

The visitors came out of the blocks in scintillating fashion and were two goals up within three minutes. With only 30 seconds on the clock, Cesc Fabregas slid the ball through to Diego Costa and the striker made it three goals in three games when he fired a low effort underneath Tim Howard.

If the Chelsea fans were delighted with that start, they would have been over the moon two minutes later when Ramires poked a ball through to Branislav Ivanovic in the penalty area and the defender drilled a shot into the bottom corner. The Everton players protested that Ivanovic was offside, but the goal stood and the hosts were left chasing the game.

Things could have got even worse for Everton on eight minutes when Eden Hazard chased a long ball down and Howard came out to beat him to the ball. The Chelsea man claimed Howard was outside his box when he grabbed the ball and replays showed that was correct and the keeper was lucky to avoid an early bath.

Everton responded well to that terrible start and had a goal ruled out for offside as Sylvain Distin was ahead of the last defender when Romelu Lukaku's powerful header struck the bar and he prodded it home from close range.

Kevin Mirallas brought a good save out of Thibaut Courtois as the Toffees continued to be the better team and they got the goal their play deserved on the stroke of half-time. A neat move saw Mirallas spread the ball out to Seamus Coleman and his cross picked out the Belgian, who glanced a superb header into the corner of the net.

At the start of the second half Howard was on top form as he first thwarted Costa when the striker was through one-on-one and then the American keeper kept out efforts from both John Terry and Costa again.

The game then burst into life with five goals in little over 10 minutes. It started on 67 minutes when Hazard got past James McCarthy to the by-line and his drilled cross deflected off Coleman and in at the near post. Everton responded almost instantly as Aiden McGeady picked out Steven Naismith in the box and the Scottish striker found the bottom corner with a lovely finish with the outside of his foot.

Chelsea restored their two goal lead on 74 minutes when Nemanja Matic was given far too much time and space on the edge of the Everton box and he punished them when his low drive flew in off the inside of the post. Samuel Eto'o, who had come on for his Everton debut five minutes earlier, scored against his former club on 76 minutes when he flicked on a Leighton Baines free kick and steered his header past Courtois.

The goals kept on coming and Chelsea were two goals ahead yet again two minutes later when Matic slotted the ball through to Ramires in the box and the Brazilian lifted the ball over Howard from a tight angle. Mirallas almost had another goal back for Everton on 81 minutes when his flicked header saw Courtois tip the ball onto the post with his finger-tips.

As Everton flooded forward in the hope of getting back into the game, Costa put the game to bed with his second goal of the match on 90 minutes. John Obi Mikel sent Costa into the box and he showed composure to knock it past Howard and slide the ball into the net.

It was a remarkable game at Goodison Park as Chelsea continued their perfect record while Everton were left still searching for their first win of the campaign.