Player Ratings: Everton vs Chelsea

Howard had a solid match against Chelsea, putting in a handful of crucial saves and clearances to keep Everton ahead. He had no chance with Nemanja Matic’s rocket of a shot, particularly when the Serbian was given so much space to work with.. Goalkeeper. . TIM HOWARD. 8

Coleman performed as expected of him week-in, week-out. He is one of the first names on the team sheet for Everton and demonstrated his talented against the Londoners. Suffering an injury late into the match will make Everton fans nervous, showing how important he is to them.. Right Back. . SEAMUS COLEMAN. 7

Centre Back. . JOHN STONES. 9. Stones was by far the standout performer for Everton’s back four, putting in a number of perfectly timed tackles, showing his strength in holding off players such as Diego Costa and generally just being in perfect positioning for most of the match. He truly showed Chelsea what they missed out on this summer.

Centre Back. . PHIL JAGIELKA. 7. Jags performed well during the match, making a couple of important clearances to keep Chelsea away from the Everton goalmouth. One particular header cut out a threatening Chelsea attack and the captain played with authority, as he should.

8. Returning from injury isn’t easy, but Galloway certainly made it look that way. He was targeted heavily by Chelsea early on, but he adapted quickly and was one of the best performers on the pitch for the rest of the match. Assisted Steven Naismith for his first goal with a perfectly placed cross.. Left Back. . BRENDAN GALLOWAY

-. Besic is an unfortunate player, much like Bryan Oviedo, and struggled with injuries throughout last season. Finally returning to the starting line-up recently, he suffered an injury in the 4th minute and was substituted 5 minutes later. No score given due to how little he played and how little he made an impact during that time.. Centre Midfield. . MUHAMMED BESIC

7. McCarthy had a fairly quiet match against Chelsea, maintaining a strong presence in the centre of the pitch whilst not making any spectacular plays.. Centre Midfield. . JAMES MCCARTHY

8. Barry was certainly the unsung hero for Everton against Chelsea. Despite being 34-years-old, Barry played as if he was as young as anyone else on the pitch. He was crucial in support of the defence and he helped get the ball forward cleanly throughout the match, making last ditch tackles and winning the majority of them to maintain possession for Everton.. Centre Midfield. . GARETH BARRY

Attacking Midfielder. . AROUNA KONE. 8. This season has seen the revival of Kone, and not as a striker. Kone seems to have found himself playing either as a left winger or an attacking midfielder for Everton in recent weeks and he appears to be very comfortable in the position. He made a number of threatening runs against Chelsea and could easily have gotten on the scoresheet once or twice had things gone his way.

. ROSS BARKLEY. 9. Barkley had a fantastic game against Chelsea. He was threatening to score on a number of occasions and he made runs and passes that clearly showed weaknesses in Chelsea’s defence. Unlucky not to get on the scoresheet, but provided plenty of things for fans to be happy about.. Attacking Midfielder

. ROMELU LUKAKU. 7. Lukaku broke away a few times and should have bagged a goal against Chelsea with the way he kept finding space in the box. Outside of a few missed chances and his general presences in attacking positions, Lukaku had a quiet game.. Striker

. STEVEN NAISMITH. 10. By far the best player on the pitch for Everton, his hat trick will be remembered by fans for many years to come and he has now made a roaring shout to be in with a chance of starting Everton’s next match. He was ever-present, after coming on in place of the injured Besic, and was rewarded for his fine positioning. A perfect game for the Scot.. Attacking Midfielder

. AARON LENNON. 7. Lennon made his second debut for Everton in this match, having joined the club permanently in the summer, and he showed the pace he can provide Everton in the coming weeks. Did not have too long to impress, but he was solid and got forward plenty of times while Everton were searching for the winning goal.. Right Winger

7. Mori’s debut came at a disheartening time, as he replaced the injured Seamus Coleman late into the match. Mori played inside and looked solid in the short time he was given. He will likely work to replace Jagielka as time goes on, hopefully forming a strong partnership with John Stones.. Centre Back. . RAMIRO FUNES MORI