4.30pm Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's late Premier League kickoff as Everton host Chelsea at Goodison Park. Both sides have made contrasting starts to the new season, although neither have yet lost in the league this term. Let's start with a look at the hosts today...
4.32pm It has been a hugely disappointing start to the campaign for Everton, who should be sitting pretty level on points with Chelsea with a 100% record after two games. Instead, they have picked up just two points in that time, blowing leads in the last 10 minutes against both Leicester City and Arsenal. The latter will have been particularly painful as they saw a two-goal advantage slip against one of their rivals for a top-four spot.
4.34pm The positives for Roberto Martinez to draw from those results is that they have been worthy of their leads on both occasions, and look capable of scoring from sources other than big-money summer signing Romelu Lukaku. However, he will be desperate for his side to show greater concentration and see out victories in such scenarios, as the four points that they have already dropped from winning positions this term could prove to be crucial at the end of the campaign.
4.36pm In truth, fatigue looked to be the biggest factor in the draw against Arsenal. The defence looked like they were dead on their feet when Cazorla drilled the ball in for Ramsey to tap home Arsenal's first, with no pressure from the Toffees on the cross. Match fitness may not be up to scratch just yet, then, but Martinez will be confident that that will come as the season goes on.
4.40pm Another positive to take from the two draws is that Everton are still unbeaten this season - although it may not feel like it for the Toffees. Including pre-season, they are on a fairly poor run of form, failing to win any of their last seven outings. Of course, pre-season counts for very little when the competitive campaign gets underway, but it has often been said that winning is a habit, and Everton certainly aren't in the habit of picking up victories at the moment.
4.42pm They also have a good goalscoring record in front of their own fans having netted in all 12 of their home matches in 2014 so far. The last time they drew a blank at Goodison was back on Boxing Day. They have scored at least twice in each of their last seven home games, while only Manchester City from the top six beat Everton at Goodison last season.
4.44pm Incidentally, Martinez's first win as Everton boss came against Chelsea last season, and that followed three consecutive draws to kick off the campaign. That match also saw Samuel Eto'o make his debut for Mourinho's side and, while the veteran forward doesn't start for Everton today, he could make his debut for his new club having been included on the bench. Mourinho questioned Eto'o's age last season before letting him go, so the Cameroonian may well have a point to prove if he can get on today.
4.46pm Mourinho will be wary of being stung by his former players, with Lukaku also lining up against his side today, but he will be confident that he still has the quality in his ranks to come away from this match with all of the points. His side have certainly started well and remain favourites for the Premier League title after an impressive summer in the transfer market.
4.48pm Chelsea have won their first two matches of the season and are one of just four teams with a 100% record after two games. Both of those victories were fairly comfortable, but they did both come against newly-promoted sides that they were expected to beat. This afternoon will be the first real test of their title credentials, and it will be interesting to see how they cope with that.
4.50pm They can only beat what is put in front of them, however, and they have done so in impressive style so far. They fell behind against Burnley on the opening weekend after a sloppy opening 14 minutes, but they soon moved up a gear and played some lovely football on their way to a 3-1 win. Their second-half display was a shadow of the first, but Mourinho's side showed what they were capable of in the opening 45 minutes. A comfortable 2-0 win over Leicester followed, and that was a match you never felt like Chelsea would lose.
4.52pm They could well be buoyed by the news that Manchester City have lost at home to Stoke City this afternoon, creating a huge early shock in the title race. City had thrown down the gauntlet with a 3-1 win over Liverpool on Monday, but Chelsea now have the chance to steal an early march over their title rivals with a victory this afternoon. It would certainly be an unexpected advantage at this stage of the campaign.
4.54pm The ominous signs for the rest of the division are that Chelsea have added what they were missing in the final third last season. Their defence was by far the best in the league last term, but it was their failure to break teams down that was the problem. Diego Costa has made a fine start to his career, though, and with Fabregas and Hazard in support there is plenty of creative talent to make the breakthroughs this time around.
4.56pm They were impressive on the road last season, with only Liverpool and Arsenal picking up more points from their away games. Much of that success was down to Mourinho shutting up shop and preventing the opposition from playing their usual game, as shown by the fact they conceded just 16 times on their travels. Unsurprisingly, that was the best record in the division, and they were the only team to have conceded on average less than a goal per game away from home.
4.58pm Indeed, they have conceded just nine league goals in 2014 so far - the least of any ever-present Premier League side over that time period. Their unbeaten run in the league stretching back to last season is now five matches, while they have won each of their last four league away games.
5pm TEAM NEWS: The team news is in for both sides, and the strikers are stealing the headlines as usual. Lukaku has been passed fit to lead the line for Everton, while the same applies to Costa for Chelsea despite concerns over a hamstring injury. McGeady also comes in for the hosts, while Eto'o makes the bench. Ramires and Willian come in for Chelsea, meanwhile.
5.02pm EVERTON STARTING XI: Howard; Baines, Distin, Jagielka, Coleman; Barry, McCarthy; McGeady, Naismith, Mirallas; Lukaku
5.02pm EVERTON SUBS: Joel, Gibson, Besic, Osman, Stones, Alcaraz, Eto'o
5.04pm CHELSEA STARTING XI: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Terry, Cahill, Ivanovic; Matic, Fabregas; Ramires, Willian, Hazard; Costa
5.04pm CHELSEA SUBS: Cech, Luis, Zouma, Drogba, Mikel, Schurrle, Salah
5.06pm So, what can we make of those two lineups? Well, the Toffees will be delighted that Lukaku is fit and firing having been a doubt going into this game due to a toe injury. He, like Eto'o on the bench, will have a point to prove against his former club having never got a fair crack of the whip at Stamford Bridge. He started just one league game for the club before his £28m move to Goodison Park this summer. He can be a real handful when on form, and the battle between him and a powerful Chelsea defence should be fascinating.
5.08pm In midfield, the Toffees are still without the injured Ross Barkley, while Pienaar is also absent through injury, meaning there is a place for McGeady, who scored against Leicester on the opening weekend. The star of the season so far for Everton has been Naismith, though, with the Scot netting twice already. He has scored or assisted a goal in each of his last four league games, and also scored the winner in the corresponding fixture last season.
5.10pm Defensively, Everton will want to improve having conceded four goals in their opening two matches. Distin and Jagielka have a good partnership in the middle, while Coleman and Baines are among the league's best in their respective positions. The full-backs are a big threat going forward usually, but they will be wary of leaving their flanks too isolated today with the likes of Hazard and Willian on the field.
5.12pm Hazard has shown flashes of brilliance already this season, impressing on the ball against Burnley and scoring against Leicester last weekend. He has plenty of support alongside him, and if the trio behind the striker aren't quite working then Mourinho has no shortage of options on the bench. Schurrle has looked bright and is deemed fit enough for a place in the squad despite struggling with a leg injury, while Salah can also cause problems.
5.14pm In front of those three is Diego Costa, who has made a fine start to his Chelsea career. He has netted in both Premier League games so far, and has four goals in his last three including pre-season. Both of his league goals have been scrappy ones, but they are the types of goals that Chelsea didn't have last season. If the summer signing can keep up his form over the majority of the campaign then he could well be the difference in the title race.
5.16pm Arguably the standout performer for Chelsea so far this season has been Fabregas, who ran the show against Burnley and already has three assists to his name from two league games this season. His £30m fee is beginning to look like a bargain, even at this early stage in his Chelsea career, and he is likely to be key again today. He provides the creativity and guile to complement Matic in midfield, while he can also add a dangerous extra body to the attack when needed.
5.18pm It is in defence that Chelsea really shone last season, and once again it is that familiar back for of Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry and Azpilicueta that starts this one. Azpilicueta's continued inclusion is particularly interesting given how much Chelsea spent on Filipe Luis this summer, but Mourinho has clearly seen no reason to drop the Spaniard yet. Behind them, Courtois has made a very assured start to life back at the club and is already beginning to justify Mourinho's decision to start him ahead of Cech.
5.20pm PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes from kickoff at Goodison, which means that it is time for a prediction! This one really could go either way, with Chelsea facing their biggest test of the season so far. Goodison Park is certainly not an easy place to go, and if Everton can do to Chelsea what they did to Arsenal in the first half then they should come away with something. Mourinho always seems to have a plan for these sorts of games, though, so I'm going to go for a 2-1 Chelsea win.
5.24pm As I alluded to earlier, Everton did win the corresponding fixture last season, inflicting Mourinho's first defeat of his second spell in charge of the club. Naismith got the winner in a 1-0 victory to make it four wins for Everton in their last five home Premier League games against Chelsea. Only Manchester City have beaten Chelsea move often since the 2009-10 season.
5.26pm Safe to say, then, that this has not been the happiest of stomping grounds for Chelsea in recent years. Indeed, in four of their last six visits they have failed to even score at Goodison, including that defeat last season. This is probably the strongest side Chelsea have taken to Merseyside in that time, however, so they will fancy their chances of coming away with a victory today.
5.28pm The visitors will be wearing black armbands this afternoon im memory of former board member and life president Richard Attenborough, who died aged 90 earlier this week.
1 min KICKOFF: Here we go then! We're underway at Goodison!
1 min GOAL! Everton 0-1 Chelsea (Diego Costa)
1 min Oh my word, what a start for Chelsea! With around 30 seconds on the clock, the visitors have broken the deadlock, and it is Costa who has his third goals in as many games for the club. Fabregas was again the architect, playing the ball through for the striker, who drilled an effort under Howard.
3 min GOAL! Everton 0-2 Chelsea (Branislav Ivanovic)
3 min Incredible! Three minutes on the clock and Chelsea are two up against Everton! The ball is rolled across the edge of the box to Ramires, who slides a clever pass through for Ivanovic to drill an effort into the bottom corner. There is a question about offside, but the linesman kept his flag down and the goal stands.
5 min Wow, where do Everton go from here? Chelsea are so good at closing leads off that it is hard to see the hosts coming back into the match, even with 85 minutes still to play. Incredible start to this match.
7 min Everton's main priority right now might be to simply not concede for the next few minutes. They have responded fairly well to such a terrible opening, but another goal for Chelsea would make this game dead and buried in double-quick time.
8 min Oooh this is a close one for Howard! The American keeper came right out onto the edge of the area to collect a long ball forward, and when he picked the ball up he was a good yard outside of his box. The linesman gives him the benefit of the doubt, but by the letter of the law that should have been a free kick and a red card for the keeper.
10 min At least one thing has gone Everton's way in the opening stages of this match, then. Their miserable start to the game should, in truth, have been made worse by that incident. Howard is very fortunate to still be on the pitch, and his face after he was let off suggested that he knows that.
12 min It must be said that Everton have done quite well to collect themselves over the last 10 minutes. They surely can't know what's hit them in this game, but they have made a few dangerous breaks forward since Ivanovic's goal. It is a very open match at the moment.
14 min It is the away fans that are in good voice at the moment, and that is no surprise. They could not have dreamt of making such an incredible start to this match and, considering how good Chelsea are and holding onto leads, they will be confident that the three points are already in the bag.
16 min OFF THE BAR! Unbelievable! Everton think that they have pulled a goal back, but the linesman's flag is up! Lukaku dominated Terry in the air to power a header towards goal from a corner. His effort crashes off the crossbar and falls to Distin, who bundles it home from close range. However, the defender was just offside when the initial shot was taken, so it won't count.
18 min CLOSE! Everton are giving it a go now as they look to claw their way back into the match. Naismith turns and shoot from 25 yards, fizzing a powerful low strike just past the post. It was not far away, but Courtois looked to have it covered.
20 min This game has been a little more open than Mourinho would have wanted it since they took the lead. Everton have had enough encouragement to think that they are not completely out of this just yet, and that has raised the crowd as well.
21 min CHANCE! Another chance for the hosts as Coleman powers past Hazard into the box. He pulls the ball back nicely for Naismith, whose low strike is cleared by Terry right in front of Courtois.
23 min Very harsh decision from Jonathan Moss as Barry slides in to win a 50-50 challenge with Willian. It is a perfectly good challenge from the midfielder, but the referee opts to give the visitors a free kick.
25 min A slight worry for Everton here as Baines looks to have hurt himself while trying to hold off Cahill from a free kick. The left-back is holding his lower back, but looks like he will be fine to continue.
27 min Everton knock the ball around inside the Chelsea half and it eventually falls to McGeady in space. He winds up a shot from range, but is fortunate that his scuffed effort strikes Ivanovic and deflects over the Chelsea bar. That one could have gone anywhere.
29 min Naughty play from Mirallas here as he stands on Fabregas's arm while the Chelsea player is down on the floor. The Spaniard reacts angrily, but the incident takes place off the ball and out of the ref's view.
30 min CLOSE! Almost a third for the visitors as Matic steals the ball back in a good position. Fabregas takes over and creates space to shoot, firing a low effort off Distin and just wide. The Everton defender stuck a leg out there and very nearly turned it into his own net - Howard was beaten.
32 min Everton's main threat has come down the right flank so far in this match, with Coleman making his trademark runs down the wing. That is forcing Hazard back, which is also stunted his influence going forward for the visitors.
34 min Ivanovic does well to win the ball off Mirallas in a dangerous area, sparking a quick attack for Chelsea. Fabregas has the ball on the edge of the box but, for once, chooses the wrong pass. Credit must go to Baines for the way he got back to stop Hazard getting on the end of it, but Fabregas had other options there.
35 min SAVE! Mirallas is involved at the other end this time as he curls a really good, powerful and curling effort towards the top corner from 25 yards. However, Courtois simply plucks the ball out of the air, making it look ludicrously easy in the process.
37 min Everton have probably just about been the better team from the 10th minute onwards, but Chelsea are under no pressure to turn the screw following their lightning start to this match. It could be the case that they won this one inside three minutes.
39 min The hosts could really do with a goal before the break, but that isn't looking likely at the moment. Everton are seeing a decent amount of the ball, but Chelsea have just taken the sting out of what has been an action-packed first half.
41 min Everton have played well in this match so far and probably don't deserve to be trailing by two goals, but Chelsea's defence is so strong that the Toffees having forced Courois into a testing save yet. They have hit the bar, but in terms of shots on target it has been fairly comfortable for the Chelsea keeper.
43 min Big let-off for Jagielka as he loses the ball to Matic in a very dangerous area, leaving Distin exposed. The Everton defender takes the decision to step up, and it proves to be a good one as Costa is flagged for offside. The replays show that the Chelsea striker was, in fact, on, but he missed anyway, hitting the post having rounded the keeper.
45 min GOAL! Everton 1-2 Chelsea (Kevin Mirallas)
45 min HUGE goal for Everton, and it is exactly what they needed! Mirallas begins the move, working the ball out to the right flank. It eventually reaches Coleman, who picks out the Belgian with his cross. There is still a lot to do, however, and Mirallas's header is a superb one, glancing it into the far corner. Game on!
45+1 min There will be two minutes of added time at the end of this first half.
45+2 min HALF TIME: Everton 1-2 Chelsea
6.22pm Well, what an opening 45 minutes of football that was! It has been a very entertaining match at Goodison Park so far, with Chelsea leading Everton 2-1 at the break. That only tells part of the story, though, with dramatic events at either end of the half and plenty more talking points throughout. It really has been a cracking game so far, and if the second half is anywhere near as good then it could well be the game of the season so far.
6.24pm It was an incredible start to the match as Chelsea found themselves 2-0 ahead inside three minutes. Diego Costa broke the deadlock after 34 seconds, drilling an effort under Howard having been found by Fabregas's through-ball. Ivanovic doubled the advantage moments later, although he did appear to be offside when Ramires played the ball through for him.
6.26pm The complexion of the match completely changed just before the break, however, as Everton capped off a good response with a goal. It was Mirallas who got the goal, flicking a header into the far corner after some nice build-up play from the hosts. They will now fancy their chances of getting back into the game, whereas at 2-0 at half time it may have been game over.
6.28pm Everton have also hit the woodwork, with Lukaku thundering a header against the crossbar having beaten Terry in the air from a corner. The ball dropped to Distin, who put it in from close range, but the big centre-back was offside and his goal was subsequently disallowed.
6.30pm In truth, Everton's start to the match could have been even worse had the linesman not missed a blatant handball by Howard. The keeper was a yard outside his area when he collected a pass forward, but the linesman ruled that the American was just inside his box. Hazard was in close attendance and would have scored had Howard let it run, so it should have been a free kick and a red card for the keeper.
6.32pm There have been a number of other good openings for both sides in the match, and they will both be confident of finding the back of the net again in this match. Costa has hit the post for the visitors, although it wouldn't have counted as the striker had already been wrongly flagged for offside.
46 min KICKOFF: Everton get us back underway at Goodison as they look to complete the comeback against Chelsea here. Can they do it, or will Chelsea hold out? We will know in 45 minutes!
46 min SHOT! Bright start to the half for the hosts as Naismith holds the ball up well before finding Mirallas. The goalscorer tees up Lukaku, but the big striker blazes his effort well over from the edge of the box. He should have done better there.
48 min Everton are really looking to get about Chelsea now, pressing high up the pitch and giving the visitors very little time on the ball. That has raised the volume levels inside Goodison, and you can sense that the hosts' belief is starting to grow again.
50 min Everton have been on top in the opening stages of this second half, with Chelsea content to just sit off their hosts at the moment. The visitors need to get themselves on the ball to settle in this second half.
52 min CHANCE! Huge chance for Costa to restore his side's two-goal lead. The striker is left unmarked to run through on goal, with Distin's offside trap not working this time. Costa only has Howard to beat, but the Everton keeper makes himself big and makes a very good stop to deny the Spaniard.
54 min SAVE! More good play from the visitors as first Terry draws a save from Howard before Costa also works the keeper with a low shot from a tight angle. Both were fairly routine saves for the American, but they are the first signs of Chelsea threatening in this second half.
56 min YELLOW CARD! Costa is involved in a minor scuffle with Coleman, and a few Everton players take the chance to wind the striker up. He doesn't let go of it and eventually earns himself a booking, while Coleman continues to try to get under his skin. That one is bubbling nicely under the surface.
58 min SHOT! Quick break from Chelsea as Ivanovic wins the ball back on the halfway line. He and Fabregas link up to find Costa, who in turn slides the ball through for the marauding right-back. It is a tough ask for him to wrap his shot round it, however, and Ivanovic can only fire a powerful effort wide of the near post.
60 min Chelsea are looking a little shaken right now as Everton begin to gain momentum. The crowd is getting behind the home side and it is a good, open game at the moment. I would be surprised if we have seen the end of the scoring if it carries on like this.
62 min Everton have had 73% of the ball in this second half so far, which will delight Martinez. Chelsea have been more content to sit back in this second half than they were in the first - much like the Burnley match - but that is a dangerous game against an Everton side growing in confidence.
64 min YELLOW CARD! Ramires goes into the book for Chelsea having clipped the heels of Naismith as the Scot threatened to burst forward from midfield.
66 min The two right-backs have been quite brilliant so far today. Ivanovic has been a danger going forward and been solid at the back, while Coleman has been his usual buccaneering self.
67 min GOAL! Everton 1-3 Chelsea (Seamus Coleman og)
67 min Talk about the commentator's curse! It is great play from Hazard as he skips past McCarthy on the left before looking to drill a ball into the box. However, his cross deflects off Coleman and sneaks in at the near post. Very unlucky for the right-back.
69 min GOAL! Everton 2-3 Chelsea (Steven Naismith)
69 min Everton hit straight back! It is a superb goal from the Toffees as McGeady races forward from midfield before poking the ball through for Naismith. The Scot is unmarked after Lukaku took all of the defenders away with a clever run, and his finish into the bottom corner with the outside of his boot is perfect. What a game this is!
71 min EVERTON SUB: In the aftermath of that goal, Everton made a significant change as Samuel Eto'o comes on for his debut against his former club. He replaces McGeady.
72 min YELLOW CARD! There was also a moment of drama after the Chelsea goal, with Howard coming face-to-face with first Costa and then Azpilicueta. As a result, the keeper was shown a yellow card.
72 min YELLOW CARD! There was also a moment of drama after the Chelsea goal, with Howard coming face-to-face with first Costa and then Azpilicueta. As a result, the keeper was shown a yellow card.
74 min GOAL! Everton 2-4 Chelsea (Nemanja Matic)
74 min Chelsea restore their two-goal lead yet again, and it is an unlikely scorer. Matic picked the ball up on the edge of the box, and Distin is slow to close him down. The midfielder takes advantage of that, drilling an effort in off the post for his first goal for the club. Surely Everton can't hit back again?
76 min GOAL! Everton 3-4 Chelsea (Samuel Eto'o)
76 min Oh my word, what an incredible match this is! Of course Eto'o was going to come on and score against his former club here. He drops deeper than the rest to latch onto a Baines free kick, steering a fine header into the bottom corner. Superb finish.
78 min GOAL! Everton 3-5 Chelsea (Ramires)
78 min This is just non-stop! Chelsea are two goals ahead yet again as they respond to Eto'o's goal immediately. Matic pokes the ball through for Ramires, who finishes with aplomb from a tight angle on the right side of the box. This is one of the best games I have seen for a long time. Superb entertainment, for the neutrals at least!
80 min We still have 10 minutes to go in this match too - still plenty of time for more late drama! It has been a wonderful match so far, without doubt the best of the season, and you wouldn't rule out more goals still to come. This is certainly not what we are used to seeing from a Mourinho team!
81 min OFF THE POST! Everton are inches away from pulling another goal back! Courtois gifts the hosts possession in a dangerous position with a poor throw, and that allows Lukaku and Coleman to link up. Eto'o then exchanges passes with Coleman, who cross is flicked onto the post by Mirallas. It would have been a superb goal!
82 min YELLOW CARD! Fabregas goes into the book for a foul on Eto'o down the right channel.
83 min CHELSEA SUB: Filipe Luis finally makes his long-awaited debut for Chelsea, replacing Hazard. That is a move to just help Azpilicueta deal with Coleman down the right flank.
85 min Everton are pushing for another goal in these closing stages, but Chelsea are allowing them less room as they look to take the sting out of the game.
87 min Naismith flies into a challenge on Ramires, who crumples into a heap on the floor. It was certainly a full-blooded challenge from the Scot, but he won the ball and the referee rightly awards a throw to Everton rather than a free kick to Chelsea.
88 min Eto'o has already made a goalscoring contribution on his debut, and he almost turns provider here with a clever cross towards Lukaku at the near post. However, it is just a yard or so too far in front of his strike partner and runs through to Courtois.
89 min CHELSEA SUB: A late change for Chelsea as Fabregas makes way to be replaced by Didier Drogba.
90 min EVERTON SUB: Everton also make a change as Besic comes on for his debut, replacing Lukaku.
90 min GOAL! Everton 3-6 Chelsea (Diego Costa)
90 min Chelsea finally put this game to bed, and it is a nightmare for Besic. Having only just come on, his first touch as an Everton player is a ridiculous blind flick that gifts the ball to Mikel. He back-heels it to Costa, who shows good composure to take his time and fire into the bottom corner.
90+2 min There will be five minutes of added time at the end of this spectacular match.
90+4 min Cahill and Terry both go down simultaneously for Chelsea, which wastes a few more seconds at the end of this game. They will both be fine to continue, though.
90+6 min FULL TIME: Everton 3-6 Chelsea
7.26pm Jonathan Moss brings an end to a sensational match at Goodison Park as Chelsea run out 6-3 winners over Everton. It was a remarkable encounter and a thriller for the neutrals, but when the smoke clears it is Chelsea who have maintained their 100% record to the season, while Everton are still looking for their first win of the campaign.
7.28pm Chelsea were two up with three minutes on the clock courtesy of goals from Costa and Ivanovic, but Everton hit back right on the stroke of half time through a Mirallas header. The main drama came in the second half, however, as the game saw five goals in the space of 10 minutes, while Chelsea netting three times and Everton managing two. Costa then capped off the scoring late on, bringing an end to the best match of the season so far, by some distance.
7.30pm Right, that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what was a magnificent match of football. Chelsea make it three wins from three with a 6-3 victory over Everton at Goodison Park in a match that saw the momentum swing back and forth. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings - you won't want to miss them! From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
Source: Sportsmole