Neto's double, but Dibu goes to hospital
Everton 0–2 Chelsea. Pedro Neto scored both goals and your team walked out of Hill Dickinson Stadium with three points and a clean sheet (1)(7). Then the match stopped mattering for a minute. Emiliano "Dibu" Martínez clashed heads with Jarrad Branthwaite and left on a stretcher (5).
He went to hospital conscious, and Xabi Alonso confirmed it: "Abandonó el estadio consciente y se encuentra en el hospital sometiéndose a pruebas preventivas" (2). Two wins in a row, four losses and a draw before that. Chelsea sit 4th on 13 points from 7 games (1).
The win is real. The mood is not.
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Dibu surgery went well, six weeks out
Martínez had surgery on a jaw fracture on Saturday evening (1)(8). Chelsea lose their first-choice keeper for around a month and a half (2). Jordan Pickford is the man in the Everton goal, so don't mix the two up when the team sheet drops.
Martínez posted from his hospital bed: "Gracias a todos por los mensajes, la operación fue bien. Lo mas importante es que ganamos y con arco en 0. En unas semanas volvemos ya" (10)(11). A clean sheet on a broken jaw. That is your keeper.
Argentina are watching him closely
AFA president Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia sent his own message to Martínez: "No tengo dudas de que vas a volver más fuerte que nunca" (3). The Argentina number one is not just a Chelsea problem right now, and his recovery is being tracked from Buenos Aires as well as from Cobham (3)(8).
Moyes admits he planned for a player who never played
David Moyes picked Merlin Rohl to deal with a Chelsea player who did not feature (4). Everton lost the game 0–2 and the admission did not help him (4). Take the win.
£101m double raid on Barcelona?
Chelsea are reportedly preparing a January move for Jules Kounde and Frenkie de Jong, with a combined £101m price tag (6). The report links it to Reece James' knee surgery and Enzo Fernandez's exit (6). Treat it as a report, nothing more.
Natan talks opened at €40m
Chelsea have opened talks with Real Betis over Natan (14). The centre-back would cost around €40m, and Barcelona and Manchester City are also in the race (14).
Wirtz has made up his mind
Florian Wirtz has reached a decision over a move to Chelsea and a reunion with Xabi Alonso, according to a source quoted in the report (12). Chelsea's push for a marquee midfielder rests on it.
Spurs at the Bridge on Saturday
Tottenham come to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, October 24 at 18:30 CEST (1). Manchester United follow on Saturday, October 31 at 13:30 CET. Two wins and a top-four spot. Now a derby, without your keeper.
Fan reactions
The mood on r/chelseafc is calm and bullish. One thread leads with Jordan Henderson's line that playing in this team is "an absolute privilege and honour", with praise for the talent around him and a sense the side is starting to take shape. Read the thread.
