Neto dedicates Chelsea win to injured Martinez
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Pedro Neto dedicated Chelsea's Premier League win over Everton to injured goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
The Blues won 2-0 at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday, with Neto scoring twice in the second half to seal all three points.
Chelsea have won nine of the last 10 Premier League games when Neto has scored (L1), with the Portuguese player netting his first ever brace in the competition (187th appearance).
This was also Chelsea’s first clean sheet in 23 Premier League matches, since a 2-0 home win against Brentford in January, though they had to endure a goalkeeper change in the second half.
Martinez was stretchered off in the 75th minute after sustaining a head injury following a collision with Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite.
"We are really pleased. Shame for Emi [Martinez] but we wish you all the best. This win is for him," Neto told TNT Sports.
"We needed a clean sheet to be honest. I think we did a very good game. Emi deserved this, Mike [Penders] did as well.
"It's really important. We know it's tough to play away, even at home there are no easy games.
"We came here with personality, with good intentions to win the match and really happy with the result."
PN #CFC | #EVECHE
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 17, 2026
Everton had just six shots against Chelsea, their fewest in a Premier League game since last December against Arsenal (five).
The Toffees failed to score in a Premier League home game for the first time since February (1-0 against Manchester United).
Everton conceded in the opening minute of the second half before some poor defending led to Neto's second in the 90th minute.
"We knew the way they were going to get wide and pull the ball back a lot. In the first half, we dealt with that well," Everton defender James Tarkowski told Evertontv.
"We didn't manage to do that [for the first goal]. We didn't manage to get numbers back in the box – and we got punished for it.
"The second goal, it feels a bit flukey at the time – to defend a free-kick so well initially, and then to fall at their lad's foot.
"We got punished, and it's a shame because I didn't think there was a lot in the game."
