Everton 2-0 Chelsea: Lewis Dobbin's first Premier League goal seals Sean Dyche's side a third win in a row and piles pressure on Mauricio Pochettino

He has won multiple promotions and led Burnley to the Europa League, steered Everton to safety in the Premier League at the end of last season, but December 2023 is shaping up to be the best month of Sean Dyche’s illustrious managerial career.

They started the Christmas period in the relegation places, still reeling with fury at a 10-point deduction which they described as ‘disproportionate’. But after just four games, they have put daylight between themselves and the drop zone, nearly claiming those 10 points back already.

A fine 1-0 win at Dyche’s boyhood club Nottingham Forest laid the groundwork, before they thumped Saudi-owned Newcastle 3-0 on Thursday night. Three days later, they claimed a well-earned and hard-fought 2-0 win over Chelsea.

If it wasn’t for that 10-point loss, Everton would be four clear of the financial might of Todd Boehly’s Chelsea, and just four adrift of the Europa League spots. Clearly, money can’t buy you success.

Dyche has rarely had a penny to spend in his 11 months on Merseyside. He took over a squad that stunk of mediocrity. But in little under a year, he has assembled a group of players that live up to the ‘Dogs of War’ banner that hangs in the Gwladys Street End.

Abdoulaye Doucoure and young substitute Lewis Dobbin scored the goals but this victory was built on the foundations that have made Dyche so successful in the Premier League for more than a decade. Mauricio Pochettino’s expensively-assembled squad barely got a sniff.

That was down to an imperious defensive display from everyone in royal blue, from Dominic Calvert-Lewin up top to Jordan Pickford in between the sticks. Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitalii Mykolenko did not put a foot wrong all afternoon.

As against Newcastle, the Toffees saw little of the ball, but were so efficient when they did have it, counter-attacking in numbers and with pace. After scoring five goals from 124 shots at home before the Newcastle game, Everton have suddenly turned into a clinical machine up front.

It might have been a frustrating outing for Gareth Southgate, who could not see much of Raheem Sterling - he started on the bench - and Reece James limped off after 27 minutes. The injury-prone Blues skipper has started just 19 of 54 league games across the last two seasons.

Conor Gallagher had an satisfactory afternoon in Chelsea’s midfield to do his international team hopes no harm, and Cole Palmer looked like the best outlet for the away team, but Southgate might have been more pleased by Everton’s selection of Englishmen.

Jordan Pickford, whose No 1 shirt for his country is in no doubt if he is fit, made two smart saves in the first half as Palmer and Enzo Fernandez both tried their luck from distance. In front of him, Everton’s duo of English central defenders continued their imperious form.

James Tarkowski, wearing the captain’s armband again as Seamus Coleman missed out with a minor injury, has made more blocks than anyone in the Premier League. But young Branthwaite continued to shine as he kept Chelsea’s attackers quiet for large parts of this game.

The 21-year-old was born in Carlisle, as the RAF advert goes, but undoubtedly made by Dyche at Everton this season, via a stint at PSV Eindhoven last year. The 6ft 4in left-footed defender is a commanding presence, calm on the ball and has pace that belies his lanky frame.

Branthwaite, who captained England Under 21s on this ground in their last match, needed that burst of pace a couple of times in a cagey first half, with Armando Broja making threatening runs supplemented by Palmer and Mykhailo Mudryk’s pace.

But Everton’s staunch rearguard meant that Broja was limited to scraps in front of goal and Chelsea’s only real chances came from long shots. It saw Everton grow in confidence before half-time and they created a flurry of dangerous moments from James Garner’s corners.

Robert Sanchez was clearly targeted by Everton’s set-pieces, with many of them floated into a problematic area but the Chelsea goalkeeper dealt with them well. He made two brilliant saves at the start of the second half, too, first to deny Dwight McNeil’s powerful shot from 18 yards.

But despite a valiant attempt, the Spaniard was helpless to keep out Doucoure’s goal in the 55th minute. McNeil sped past Gallagher - despite attempts to pull him down - and beautifully poked Calvert-Lewin through on goal.

Sanchez closed down the angles perfectly and denied Calvert-Lewin, who tried to slot the ball underneath the keeper, but the rebound fell to Doucoure. The Mali midfielder still had a lot to do and needed composure to not rush his shot and pick a gap in between several Chelsea bodies.

Mauricio Pochettino acted quickly to send on a cavalry of attacking options in Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Jackson and the away side grew into the game slightly. Pickford needed good handling to save a Palmer free-kick, then Jackson found space in the box but blasted well wide.

Everton rode their luck at times - a loose ball fell kindly to Jackson in the six-yard box but he swung and missed with his shot - but it would be unfair to describe this as anything but a supreme defensive display.

And just as one wondered if Everton were slightly hanging on, Dyche made a brave decision to send on 20-year-old Dobbin. With one of his first touches of the football, the Stoke-born forward, who was on loan at League One Derby last season, drove in Everton’s second.