The Blues started positively in a must-win game for their UEFA Champions League (UCL) hopes, but Beto wasted no time in making himself known to Robert Sánchez and his backline.
The hosts were also met by a resolute Toffees defence that made a number of vital interventions in their own box, although Noni Madueke glided past Nathan Patterson before hitting a threatening shot that Jordan Pickford palmed wide.
The goalkeeper then got an unconvincing punch on a free-kick delivery that saw the ball fall to Marc Cucurella, but the left-back could only send his attempt wide.
Even so, Chelsea didn’t have to wait much longer for their opener, as Trevoh Chalobah pickpocketed Beto and Enzo Fernández found Jackson, who emphatically fired into the bottom corner for his first goal since mid-December.
The Blues continued on the front foot and Jake O’Brien blocked Fernández’s attempt before Madueke saw his header saved, yet Abdoulaye Doucouré had a chance at the other end that he couldn’t capitalise on before the break.
Madueke spun Vitaliy Mykolenko in the box after the restart, but Pickford was equal to his shot, and the goalkeeper then saved Patterson’s blushes by rushing out to reach his underhit backpass ahead of Jackson.
Jack Harrison found Beto shortly after the hour mark, and he hit a venomous strike that Sánchez got down well to save, before the striker came off as part of a triple change from David Moyes.
Sánchez then held an equally powerful hit from Idrissa Gueye, before Pickford did brilliantly to deny Madueke again and saved Cucurella’s header from the ensuing corner.
Jackson had a late goal ruled out for offside, but Sánchez did superbly to save Dwight McNeil’s instinctive effort and ensure Chelsea recorded back-to-back victories, jumping up to fourth for now.
That sets the desired tone for their UEFA Conference League semi-final and an unforgiving PL schedule with a top-five place at stake.
In contrast, Everton have suffered consecutive defeats after losing just one of their previous 12 league games, although all three of those losses have come against teams who could be in the UCL next term.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea)
