Nicolas Jackson's rocket fires Chelsea to crucial victory over Everton

The win stretched the Blues' unbeaten home league record against the Toffees to an impressive 30 matches, boosting their hopes of securing a UEFA Champions League spot for next season.

The hosts came out with intent, knowing three points were vital to climb back into the top five. Everton, however, showed early threat, with Beto testing Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez in the opening exchanges. The Toffees' defence stood firm, thwarting several Chelsea advances, including a dazzling run from Noni Madueke, whose low shot was brilliantly pushed wide by Jordan Pickford.

Chelsea's pressure paid off in the 27th minute. Trevoh Chalobah intercepted a loose ball from Beto, and Enzo Fernandez quickly fed Jackson. The striker, who had not scored since mid-December, turned sharply and unleashed a powerful shot into the bottom corner. "It's a massive goal for Nico and for us," Chelsea's official account posted on X shortly after.

The Blues kept pushing before halftime. Fernandez saw a shot blocked by Jake O'Brien, while Madueke's header drew another save from Pickford. Everton had a rare chance through Abdoulaye Doucoure, but he failed to convert, leaving the hosts ahead at the break.

After the restart, Madueke continued to torment Everton's defence, outpacing Vitaliy Mykolenko only to be denied by Pickford's sharp reflexes. The Everton goalkeeper then spared Nathan Patterson's blushes, racing out to clear a poorly judged backpass before Jackson could pounce. "Huge let-off for Everton," the Liverpool Echo posted on X, highlighting Pickford's heroics.

Everton grew into the game, with David Moyes' triple substitution injecting energy. Beto nearly equalised with a fierce strike, only for Sanchez to produce a stunning low save. Idrissa Gueye also tested the Chelsea keeper, but Sanchez stood tall. At the other end, Pickford remained defiant, stopping Madueke's curling effort and tipping over a header from Marc Cucurella.

Late drama saw Jackson's second goal disallowed for offside, but Sanchez ensured the clean sheet with a superb stop from Dwight McNeil's snapshot. "A big three points in our quest for Champions League football," a Chelsea fan account posted on X, reflecting the mood at Stamford Bridge.

The victory propelled Chelsea to fourth in the Premier League, at least temporarily, setting a positive tone for their upcoming UEFA Conference League semi-final against Djurgarden and a demanding run of fixtures.

Everton, meanwhile, slipped to back-to-back defeats, despite losing only one of their previous 12 league games. Moyes, who has never won a Premier League away match against Chelsea in 19 attempts, will look to regroup quickly.

Chelsea's resilience and Jackson's decisive finish underscored their determination to return to Europe's elite competition.