Richard Keys has issued a pointed assessment of Everton’s 2–0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, insisting David Moyes will be left “scratching his head” after a performance full of quality but lacking the one thing Everton continue to struggle with: putting the ball in the net.
Everton travelled to London in superb form, having won four of their previous five Premier League matches. Confidence was high, and their play for long spells reflected that — but individual moments from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto condemned them to a sixth league loss of the season.
Keys: Everton were “really good” — but the same issue keeps costing them
Speaking on beIN SPORTS 1, Keys praised Everton’s approach but highlighted a painfully familiar problem.
“David Moyes will be scratching his head and wondering how because Everton were really good for large portions of that game. But same problem week in, week out — couldn’t score.” — Richard Keys
Everton created several openings, especially in the first half, but once they fell behind to Palmer’s tidy finish on 21 minutes and then conceded Gusto’s goal on the stroke of half-time, the task became steep. Chelsea shut the game down professionally, while Everton’s forwards struggled once again to find the decisive touch.
Striker struggles continue as Barry’s momentum stalls
Thierno Barry scored his first Everton goal last weekend against Nottingham Forest, with Moyes stating pre-match that the young striker had gained confidence from finally breaking his duck. One Toffees legend even tipped Barry to go on a scoring run.
But at Stamford Bridge, he drew a blank and was replaced after 68 minutes by Beto. Everton’s inability to convert chances — no matter how well they play in spells — remains the central issue threatening to halt their momentum this season.
Everton’s December tests get tougher
The defeat at Chelsea came at the start of a demanding run of fixtures that could define Everton’s festive period:
Everton’s Remaining December Fixtures
Arsenal (H) 20 December - Burnley (A) 27 December - Nottingham Forest (A) 30 December
Moyes will hope returning to Hill Dickinson Stadium brings some relief — but hosting Arsenal next will require Everton to be far more clinical than they were in London.
With the transfer window approaching, Everton are already preparing to strengthen. Moyes is expected to target a specialist right-back and could also push for attacking reinforcements to ease the goalscoring burden.
Everton’s structure under Moyes has been solid, their build-up much improved — but without greater cutting edge, performances alone won’t be enough to push them into the European race.
Keys is right — Everton’s forward line decides their season
In our view, some supporters may argue that Chelsea were simply more clinical, but Everton have shown this pattern repeatedly this season: strong in the build-up, resilient defensively, and energetic — but lacking ruthlessness in the final third.
From covering Moyes’ Everton, the structure is sound and the progression clear. But without consistent goals, Everton will always be at risk of losing matches they control for long periods.
Barry’s breakthrough could still lead to a run of form, and Beto offers a different profile, but Everton need more than potential right now — they need production.
Key Insights
- Richard Keys says Everton were “really good” but suffered the “same problem” — no goals.
- Barry failed to build on last week’s strike and was replaced by Beto.
- Everton’s December schedule intensifies with Arsenal next.
- Moyes expected to strengthen at right-back and possibly in attack in January.
- Everton’s performances strong, but finishing remains decisive weakness.
What’s Next
Everton return home to face Arsenal in a match that could either reignite their momentum or expose their attacking limitations further. Moyes will hope his forward line finds answers quickly.
👉 Everton fans — where does the blame lie: finishing, tactics, or squad quality?
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