Pedro Neto's brace helped Chelsea secure a consecutive win after defeating Everton 2-0 at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday.

There were no early Chelsea goals this time. Everton proved disciplined in defence and did well in the first half to limit Chelsea’s in-form front three, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, and Joao Pedro.

Chelsea had more of the ball in the first 45 minutes, but only had one more shot attempt (5) than Everton (4). The closest the visitors came to scoring in this period was through Moises Caicedo, whose superb volley unfortunately hit the bar.

The Blues finally broke the deadlock early in the second half.

It began with a fine combination between Rogers and Jorrel Hato, who made the starting line-up following Pep Chavarria’s surprise training injury.

Rogers’ back-heel pass found overlapping Hato, who then sent a cross into the box. Cole Palmer cleverly let the cross through for Neto, who calmly beat Jordan Pickford to give Chelsea the important lead.

The cross took a slight deflection, so Hato was not officially credited with an assist. But every Chelsea fan knows his movement created that goal.

Chelsea were forced to switch goalkeepers after Emiliano Martinez sustained a head injury while trying to go for the ball and had to be stretchered off the pitch. Mike Penders made his Premier League debut, officially coming on in the 75th minute.

Neto eventually put the game to bed, scoring his second goal in stoppage time after a Henderson free-kick ricocheted into his path. Again, he showed composure inside the box, neatly slotting the ball into the far corner.

Here are five takeaways from Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday afternoon.

Martinez still had to make four saves and Penders one, but the team defended well to keep the hosts to just six shots and 0.45 xG.

Acheampong, in particular, deserved some praise after making 10 defensive contributions, including three tackles and one interception, the highest in the game.

It ended a 22-game Premier League run without a clean sheet, marking the Blues' first league clean sheet of the current campaign.

Neto effectively had the most freedom to attack outside the front three, so it was no surprise that when Palmer, Rogers, and Joao Pedro struggled to make a big impact, it was the Portugal international who came to the rescue.

That said, while the front three did not directly contribute to goals, they still drew most of the attention of Everton’s defenders. Rogers and Palmer, in particular, played their parts in Neto’s first goal.

It is incredible to see how Neto has adapted to his wing-back-winger hybrid role in Alonso’s 3-4-2-1 system.

There is an argument that some of referee Paul Tierney’s decisions were too harsh. However, that didn't change the fact that Chelsea received four yellow cards in this game, two of which (Neto and Palmer) were for dissent.

Having dealt with so many suspensions last season, including 11 red cards across all competitions, Chelsea will want to address this quickly, especially with captain Reece James on a long-term injury absence.

Penders is widely recognised as one of Europe's best young goalkeepers, and deservedly so. Still, he has very limited top-level experience, which is why Martinez remains ahead of him in the pecking order.

The Belgium international would eventually have to gain experience in the league at some point, but it has come earlier than planned. Depending on Martinez’s injury situation and concussion protocols, Penders may have to start in goal for Chelsea in the upcoming derby against Tottenham Hotspur.

The Chelsea manager previously expressed that he wanted his team to win games in which they do not rely on the individual brilliance of their attack.

This one arguably counts. Everton defended really well, but Chelsea stayed patient and waited for the opportunities to pounce. This time, it was Neto who delivered the blows.

It also ensured Everton's unbeaten league start came to an end.