Chelsea came away from the Hill Dickinson Stadium with a 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday in the seventh round of the Premier League. The afternoon brought a worrying injury to Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and two refereeing calls that had the Chelsea players surrounding the official.
Pedro Neto was the difference. The Portuguese scored both goals, in the 46th and 90th minutes, lifting Chelsea to 13 points and fourth place. Everton stayed frozen on 10 in sixth.
Trouble started in the 31st minute. Joao Pedro went down inside the Everton box after a collision with James Tarkowski and appealed for a penalty.
The Brazilian threw his arms up when nothing came, his team-mates waiting on the decision, convinced the contact was enough. Paul Tierney waved the appeals away and told Joao Pedro to get up and play on.
VAR offered Chelsea no comfort either, declining to send Tierney to the pitchside monitor. Play rolled on and the decision stood.
Worrying injury for Martinez
Concern swept the ground in the 66th minute. Martinez and Everton's Branthwaite collided heavily as a free-kick was taken, both players hit the deck and the referee stopped play to summon the medical staff.
Branthwaite was quickly back on his feet. The Argentine goalkeeper looked in far worse shape, motionless on the turf as medics gathered around him to treat him and check his condition carefully.
Sky Sports reported that the medical staff were still working on Martinez while a stretcher was readied in case he had to be carried off, a scene that unsettled everyone inside the stadium, not least because television showed no replay of the collision.
By the 70th minute, 21-year-old substitute goalkeeper Mike Penders was warming up as the treatment continued. Martinez left the pitch on a stretcher in the 73rd minute and Chelsea made the forced change a minute later, sending Penders on in his place.
For all the worry around Martinez's exit, the moment handed the young goalkeeper a milestone. At 21 years and 78 days, he made his Premier League debut and became the youngest goalkeeper to feature for Chelsea in the competition, according to the information provided in the coverage.
Fresh controversy over a penalty in the closing minutes
Another flashpoint arrived in the 81st minute. Chelsea appealed for a penalty when Rogers went down in the area after a challenge from Tarkowski.
Tierney gave nothing, VAR backed him, and Chelsea were left with a corner. The row over the officiating rumbled on.
Neto's double settled it in the end, and Chelsea banked an important three points in the Premier League race. Martinez's injury and those two refereeing calls were what lingered, well beyond the scoreline.