Chelsea tops Everton at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea beat Everton 3-1 in the Premier League on Saturday for its first win over David Moyes' team since the 2009 FA Cup final.
In a mostly dour game, Daniel Sturridge set the hosts on their way when he headed in Ashley Cole's first-time cross from the left in the 31st minute.
On the stroke of halftime, American goalkeeper Tim Howard failed to collect a cross and allowed Chelsea captain John Terry to nod in the second before Ramires all but sealed the win by converting Juan Mata's cross in the 61st.
Apostolos Vellios grabbed a consolation goal for Everton in the 81st only seconds after coming as a substitute.
Chelsea, which ended a six-game winless run against Everton, stayed third in the standings, three points behind leader Manchester City.
Mata was the inspiration behind the win in only his seventh game for Chelsea since signing from Valencia for 23.5 million pounds ($37.2 million) in the offseason.
''I think Mata's giving them a different dimension at the moment,'' Everton manager Moyes said. ''They're more flexible, Chelsea, than they've been in the past.''
Mata started the move for Sturridge's goal and set up Ramires for the third, although Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas chose to praise the whole team.
''It's all interrelated with his colleagues,'' he said. ''The talent in this squad is so immense and the technical staff's job is just to free the players.
''When they play with freedom of choice, they can express themselves a little bit better.''
Chelsea maintained its 100 percent home record for the season, leaving Everton to ponder a fourth loss that left Moyes' team 13th.
''We gave them, certainly, the first two goals. I thought our defending on the first one and second one was terrible and they didn't really have to work particularly hard,'' Moyes said.
''To lose a goal just before halftime made it a mountain to climb.''