Everton move to within three points of potential Champions League qualification with a 3-0 win over Chelsea
Beto of Everton celebrates scoring the opening goal for Everton against Chelsea
Beto of Everton celebrates scoring the opening goal for Everton against Chelsea(Image: Photo by Matt West/Shutterstock)
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Injured team-mate Jack Grealish offered his seal of approval for Beto after his inspirational match-winning display for Everton against Chelsea.
Taking to social media, the first £100million English footballer told his over eight million Instagram followers: “So happy for this guy. One of the most hard-working players I know. Gwarnnnnn Beto.”
Evertonians have always loved their number nines and they also appreciate a trier who wears his heart on his sleeve, so with this vintage display, Beto showed he’s far from done yet in a royal blue jersey.
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Despite being handed the most coveted of Everton shirts last summer when Dominic Calvert-Lewin quit Merseyside to return across the Pennines, the Guinea-Bissau international has spent prolonged periods of this term playing understudy to a Premier League rookie.
But while Thierno Barry finally came good either side of the turn of the calendar year after taking 17 games to break his scoring duck, Beto has now emphatically moved back into pole position when it comes to leading the line. Moments after he departed the field to a standing ovation, the Frenchman took to the field to some audable boos from the otherwise jubilant home fans following an incident he spoke out about in the away end at the Emirates Stadium the previous week.
Beto, who became the first Blues player this season to bag a brace, showed that for all his limitations, he’s a terrific focal point to an attack on his day and as well as displaying brute force, there was also subtlety with his opener. It also served as a lesson for Chelsea substitute Liam Delap who was offered the chance to spearhead Everton’s attack this season but instead was reduced to another bit-part outing as the hosts ran riot.