Chelsea win goal filled thriller against Everton

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AFP
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Chelsea win goal filled thriller against Everton
LONDON: Chelsea overpowered Everton 6-3 in a remarkable game on Saturday to preserve their 100 percent record in the Premier League.

Jose Mourinho´s Chelsea led 2-0, 3-1, and 4-2, but Everton kept coming back at them and it was not until Diego Costa made it 6-3 with his second goal in the last minute that the home side finally admitted defeat at an enraptured Goodison Park.

Chelsea were 2-0 up inside three minutes, with Diego Costa tucking away a pass from Cesc Fabregas after only 36 seconds before Ramires teed up Branislav Ivanovic to drill a low shot past Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard.

But Kevin Mirallas reduced the arrears with a fine header on the stroke of half-time and when Everton right-back Seamus Coleman slid an Eden Hazard cross into his own goal in the 67th minute, it heralded a flurry of five goals in 10 minutes.

Two minutes later Steven Naismith hit back for the hosts to make it 3-2 and although Nemanja Matic then restored the visitors´ two-goal cushion, Samuel Eto´o marked his first Everton appearance since leaving Chelsea by heading home.

But Ramires gathered a pass from Matic and toed the ball past Howard to make it 5-3 and after Mirallas had hit the post, Costa exploited an error from Everton substitute Muhamed Besic to complete the scoring with a classy finish.

The result left Chelsea as one of only two teams to have won their first three games, along with Swansea City. "If the salt and pepper of football is goals, to have nine goals in a Premier League match is fantastic ingredients," Mourinho told Sky Sports. "I know Everton are a good offensive side and their movement is not easy to control, but we concede three goals -- it is too much." (AFP)