Chelsea player ratings vs Everton: Enzo Maresca might have found his best defence
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Chelsea secured their first win in December with a convincing 2-0 Premier League victory over Everton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
As expected, Enzo Maresca fielded arguably his strongest available line-up to face Everton to put an end to Chelsea's four-game winless run, and it paid off.
Reece James is as reliable as usual in midfield amid Moises Caicedo's suspension.
The centre-back pairing of Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana also helped Chelsea record their eighth clean sheet of the season despite a few close calls.
Maresca's trust in Pedro Neto over the arguably more exciting Estevao also paid dividends as the Portugal international provided the assist for Malo Gusto's goal.
Pedro Neto also played a big part in Cole Palmer's opener with his brilliant run.
Meanwhile, Palmer was back on the score sheet in his first appearance at Stamford Bridge after his injury spell.
This was the England international's only second goal in the Premier League this term, and as long as he stays fit, there is no doubt that there will be more to come.
Gusto deserves most of the limelight, however, as he bagged a goal and an assist in a match for the first time in his career.
He looked very comfortable playing the inverted full-back role, having the freedom to roam in midfield and be involved in the build-ups.
The Blues are back in the top four, albeit likely momentarily, depending on the results of the other fixtures.
Here are the Chelsea player ratings vs Everton, according to SofaScore.
Starting XI:
Robert Sanchez: 7.3
Malo Gusto: 8.3
Wesley Fofana: 7.5
Trevoh Chalobah: 7.6
Marc Cucurella: 7.1
Reece James: 7.1
Enzo Fernandez: 7.3
Pedro Neto: 7.5
Cole Palmer: 8.1
Alejandro Garnacho: 6.1
Joao Pedro: 6.5
Substitutes:
Andrey Santos: 6.7
Jamie Gittens: 6.9
Estevao: 6.2
Gerry Crisandy is a freelance writer who has covered Chelsea for many years. His work has been published on The Chelsea Chronicle and Pride of London. He grew up idolising Michael Ballack and is a firm believer in expected goals.