Enzo Maresca's Chelsea, who are now inside the top four after picking up three points, go back to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over David Moyes' Everton. Malo Gusto, Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer – who scored his first goal since September – were among those who impressed for the west Londoners. But the same cannot be said for everyone.
Searching for their first win in the Premier League since beating Burnley 2-0 in mid-to-late November, the silverware-chasing Blues opened the scoring in the 21st minute through the brilliance of Palmer, whose left-footed finish beyond Jordan Pickford and subsequent trademark celebration sent the home fans into raptures.
Gusto, scoring just his second goal for Chelsea since moving from Olympique Lyonnais in the summer of 2023, then doubled the home side's lead on the stroke of the half-time interval after marauding up from right-back and latching onto a pass from Pedro Neto. They continued to push and prod in the second half, but it was no thanks to Alejandro Garnacho.
Alejandro Garnacho Flatters To Deceive in 2-0 Win Over Everton
alejandro garnacho
Thanks to the free-spending nature of owner Todd Boehly and the like, Chelsea have plenty of attacking options at their disposal. So much so that Estevao – widely regarded as one of the best teenagers in world football – managed to pick up just nine minutes of action against the Toffees. The aforementioned Garnacho, though, started on the left flank.
The Argentine has been a divisive figure in the Stamford Bridge echo chamber and his latest display will only harm his attempts to endear himself to the supporters.
Formerly of Manchester United, Garnacho's £40 million move to west London raised eyebrows. A player capable of making a difference, of course, but his end product has been criticised for many years – and Chelsea coughing up such a hefty fee was, albeit expected, a bit of a gamble. Especially with Jamie Gittens also among the summer additions.
And that was proved in his 68-minute cameo against Everton. Statistically, the 21-year-old missed three big chances (just the fourth player to do so in a Premier League match this campaign; as seen above) and zero of his four shots were on target. Elsewhere, he won none of his duels and six of his 32 touches were inside Everton's box.
Garnacho, rated 3/10 in GIVEMESPORT's player ratings, can count himself very lucky to be on the winning side on Saturday afternoon – and it may be the last time for a while that he starts in a Premier League match. He recently insisted that moving from Old Trafford to Stamford Bridge was not regretful but those of a United persuasion will certainly feel the same.
At the time of writing, the Madrid-born youngster has plundered three goal contributions (one goal and two assists) in the league this term. He's started just 50% of his side's matches so far, but his latest display perhaps proved that he's better off entering the fray later on against leggy defenders. Regardless, Maresca has a tricky decision to make. Fans are certainly not happy to see him starting.
Alejandro Garnacho – Statistics vs Everton
Minutes
Touches (in opposition box)
Total Shots
Chances Created
Big Chances Missed
Accurate Passes
Ground Duels Won
Overall Rating
"Garnacho has no business whatsoever to do at Chelsea. I don't think he will succeed," one said on X (formerly Twitter) while another added: "How the hell did we see players like Ndiaye and Semenyo and went on to spend £40m on Garnacho? Now I understand what Manchester United fans said."
"Garnacho, my god… I see why United fans weren’t broken up about losing him."
"Until I'm proven wrong, which I doubt would ever happen, the Garnacho buy was beyond stupid, it's a sackable offense," another claimed as a final fan added the winger – widely regarded as one of the best young players in the Premier League – is not at the required level of a player in England's top flight. They wrote: "Garnacho isn’t cut out for this level. Abysmal player."
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Inside Enzo Maresca's Bizarre Post-Match Comments
chelsea enzo maresca
Garnacho aside, Chelsea have now been lifted back into the top four of the Premier League for the time being. Maresca, still, claimed to be unhappy with the recent support – or lack thereof. When asked about Gusto scoring and assisting in today’s victory, the Italian boss claimed that players like the Frenchman are performing despite tough circumstances.
“This is the reason why I praise the players because with so many problems they are doing very well after a complicated week," Maresca said, per The Athletic, before suggesting the last 48 hours have been his worst since he moved to Chelsea.
"Since I joined the club the last 48 hours has been the worst 48 hours since I joined the club because many people didn’t support us. So very happy for Malo in that moment that the effort from Malo and the rest showed that they are all there and want to help this club.”
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Digging for an extra nugget of detail, the reporter then asked him what he meant. “Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn’t support me and the team," Maresca replied. Up next for the former Leicester City manager is Cardiff City away in the League Cup before travelling to St James' Park to lock horns with Newcastle United.
All statistics per FotMob - correct as 13/12/2025