Pedro Neto scored his first Premier League brace on Saturday, firing Chelsea to a 2-0 victory over Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. The win, however, was overshadowed by a serious head injury sustained by Chelsea goalkeeper Emi Martinez, who was taken to the hospital for precautionary tests.

Neto opened the scoring in the first minute of the second half and later secured the three points during the 11 added minutes, which followed a lengthy period of treatment for Martinez. The Argentinian international was involved in a severe head clash with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite.

Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso confirmed Martinez left the stadium conscious and was undergoing precautionary tests. "As far as I know he left the stadium conscious. Right now he’s in the hospital doing the precautionary tests, so let’s see," Alonso stated. The victory marks Chelsea's first away win of the season and lifts them above Everton into the top four. It also ended their 23-game wait for a Premier League clean sheet.

Alonso emphasized the importance of the win, saying, "We needed one of these wins away. We have played very professional, very serious, looking solid. It is a very good win." He added, "We need to get many more clean sheets for the rest of the league games but for sure the first one of the season feels good and now we need to keep going this way."

The match, described as fiery-tempered, saw its first yellow card early in the first half following a tackle by Everton midfielder Harrison Armstrong on Josh Acheampong. This challenge seemed to energize the home crowd and spurred Everton's best period of the game, though Thierno Barry missed a headed opportunity from a Jack Grealish cross.

Chelsea, known for fast starts under Alonso, only threatened in the 41st minute when Moises Caicedo's shot hit the crossbar. Everton were left frustrated when Morgan Rogers avoided a second booking before halftime after a clash with James Garner, a decision that proved significant.

In the second half, Chelsea came out strongly. Jorrel Hato created the opportunity for Neto's opener, with the winger controlling the ball before firing past Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. Despite Martinez's absence, with Belgian Mike Penders replacing him for his Premier League debut, Everton struggled to create clear chances.

Everton boss David Moyes acknowledged Chelsea's superiority, stating, "I just felt that Chelsea had that little bit more flair and ability which we didn’t possess at the right moments today." Pickford made a save to deny Joao Pedro before Neto sealed the victory with his second goal.