Martínez stretchered off with serious head injury as Chelsea win at Everton

Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez was carried off on a stretcher and taken to hospital after a serious head collision during Saturday’s Premier League match at Everton, which Chelsea won 2-0 thanks to a Pedro Neto double. The Argentine is reported to be unavailable for up to two months.

The incident occurred in the 65th minute. Kiernan Dowell-Hall delivered a set-piece into the Chelsea penalty area, where Martínez and Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite jumped for the same ball and clashed heads. Both players fell to the ground; Branthwaite recovered quickly, but Martínez required ten minutes of medical attention on the pitch before being removed on a stretcher. Substitute goalkeeper Penders had already replaced him in the 75th minute, with the club later confirming the severity of the injury.

The match itself had been tightly contested through the first half, with Everton — fifth in the table after six rounds and unbeaten on the season — forcing Chelsea into a physical, duel-heavy game. Chances were rare until the closing stages of each half. Jordan Pickford twice denied Chelsea before the break, first pushing a Caicedo shot onto the post and then clawing out a Neto effort that was heading under the crossbar.

Chelsea, managed by Xabi Alonso, took the lead just seconds into the second half. Rodgers played a pass down the left channel to the overlapping Chalobah, who cut into the box and squared for Neto to finish from close range at the far post. The Portuguese winger then spurned a second opportunity shortly afterwards before sealing the result in stoppage time, completing a 2-0 scoreline that moves Chelsea up the table.

The match was also notable for the volume of bookings: six Chelsea players and three Everton players were cautioned across the ninety minutes, reflecting the combative nature of the contest.

Elsewhere in England on Saturday, Liverpool completed a comeback in a match in which their opponents had two players sent off, while Manchester City extended their winning run at the start of the season to seven consecutive matches. Uzbekistan international Abdukodir Khusanov was introduced as a substitute in the second half of City’s game, replacing an injured teammate.