Everton 3-6 Chelsea (2014): Nine-Goal Goodison Classic

The Football Documentary Channel · Published 30 August 2026

Contents

Everton 3-6 Chelsea (2014): The Nine-Goal Goodison Park Classic

Everton 3-6 Chelsea, on Saturday 30 August 2014, was nine goals of pure Premier League mayhem at Goodison Park. Diego Costa struck after just 35 seconds and again on 90 minutes, while Branislav Ivanovic, a Seamus Coleman own goal, Nemanja Matic and Ramires completed Chelsea’s six. Kevin Mirallas, Steven Naismith and Samuel Eto’o answered for Roberto Martinez’s Everton, but never drew level. Jose Mourinho’s side went top on goal difference, delivering one of the season’s wildest afternoons in our On This Day series.

What follows is how nine goals arrived at Goodison, why both defences fell apart after the break, and the deep-cut detail that made Eto’o’s afternoon so pointed.

Key Facts

Played on Saturday 30 August 2014 at Goodison Park, a 5:30pm kick-off in front of 39,402, matchday three of the 2014-15 Premier League season. The referee was Jonathan Moss.
Chelsea won 6-3. Diego Costa scored on 1 and 90 minutes, Branislav Ivanovic on 3, a Seamus Coleman own goal on 67, Nemanja Matic on 74 and Ramires on 77.
Everton’s three came from Kevin Mirallas on 45 minutes, Steven Naismith on 69 and Samuel Eto’o on 76.
Diego Costa opened the scoring after 35 seconds, before Everton had settled on the ball. Per Sky Sports, only Adrian Mutu had previously found the net in each of his opening three league games for Chelsea; Costa now joined him.
Samuel Eto’o had joined Everton from Chelsea four days earlier, on 26 August 2014, and scored against his former club on his debut, as Sports Illustrated reported.
The result lifted Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea to the summit of the division on goal difference. It was Everton’s heaviest concession since Arsenal in August 2009, the Guardian noted.

Watch More Football History

The Football Documentary Channel

SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE

How Nine Goals Arrived at Goodison Park

Two Goals Inside the First Three Minutes

The game was half-decided before most of the 39,402 had sat down. Diego Costa met a loose ball inside the Everton box and finished with 35 seconds on the clock, before the hosts had properly touched it from kick-off, as Sky Sports reported. Two minutes later Branislav Ivanovic prodded in a second, and Mourinho’s side were two up inside three minutes against a shell-shocked Goodison. The Guardian later flagged that Ivanovic’s goal was marginally offside, a small mercy Everton could point to but not undo.

Everton were not passive, though. Tim Howard handled outside his area inside the opening ten minutes and somehow stayed on the pitch, and Romelu Lukaku had a header ruled out before the break. On 45 minutes Kevin Mirallas dragged Roberto Martinez’s team back into it, halving the deficit to make it 1-2 at the interval and setting up a second half nobody at Goodison saw coming.

Five Goals in Ten Minutes

The chaos proper came just past the hour. A Seamus Coleman own goal on 67 minutes deflected an Eden Hazard cross past Howard for 1-3, only for Steven Naismith to answer within two minutes for 2-3. Nemanja Matic then drove a left-footer in from 20 yards on 74 for 2-4, Samuel Eto’o headed home a Leighton Baines free-kick on 76 for 3-4, and Ramires restored the two-goal cushion on 77 for 3-5. The Guardian summed up the stretch neatly: “the two sides shared five goals in 10 minutes.” Diego Costa had the last word on 90 minutes, sweeping in his second for the 3-6 final and, per Sports Illustrated, a fourth goal in his first three Chelsea games.

How the nine goals unfolded:

1′ Diego Costa finishes after 35 seconds, Everton 0-1 Chelsea.
3′ Branislav Ivanovic prods in the second, 0-2.
45′ Kevin Mirallas pulls one back before half-time, 1-2.
67′ Seamus Coleman turns a Hazard cross into his own net, 1-3.
69′ Steven Naismith responds for Everton, 2-3.
74′ Nemanja Matic drives in from 20 yards, 2-4.
76′ Samuel Eto’o heads home a Baines free-kick against his old club, 3-4.
77′ Ramires restores the two-goal cushion, killing the comeback, 3-5.
90′ Diego Costa completes his brace, final score Everton 3-6 Chelsea.

Eto’o’s Pointed Afternoon and Costa’s Flying Start

The subplot ran through Samuel Eto’o. He had left Chelsea when his contract expired that summer and signed for Everton on 26 August 2014, four days before this fixture, as Sports Illustrated reported. His debut brought a goal against the club he had just departed, a header that briefly made it 3-4 and gave Goodison a flicker of belief. At the other end, Costa’s afternoon capped a startling first fortnight in English football: two goals here on top of his earlier strikes, and a place in Chelsea’s record books alongside Adrian Mutu for scoring in each of his opening three Premier League games, according to Sky Sports. The win sent Chelsea top on goal difference and set the tone for a title-winning campaign.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Everton 3-6 Chelsea (2014)

What was the score in Everton v Chelsea on 30 August 2014?

Everton lost 3-6 to Chelsea at Goodison Park on 30 August 2014. Diego Costa scored twice for Chelsea, with Branislav Ivanovic, a Seamus Coleman own goal, Nemanja Matic and Ramires adding the others. Kevin Mirallas, Steven Naismith and Samuel Eto’o replied for Everton in a nine-goal Premier League game.

Who scored in Everton 3-6 Chelsea on 30 August 2014?

For Chelsea, Diego Costa scored on 1 and 90 minutes, Branislav Ivanovic on 3, Nemanja Matic on 74 and Ramires on 77, plus a Seamus Coleman own goal on 67. For Everton, Kevin Mirallas scored on 45 minutes, Steven Naismith on 69 and Samuel Eto’o on 76. Nine goals in all at Goodison Park.

How quickly did Diego Costa score in Everton 3-6 Chelsea?

Diego Costa scored after just 35 seconds, before Everton had settled on the ball, as Sky Sports reported. It put Chelsea 1-0 up inside the opening minute at Goodison Park. Costa then added a second on 90 minutes to complete the 6-3 win for Chelsea.

Where was Everton 3-6 Chelsea played, and who refereed it?

Everton 3-6 Chelsea on 30 August 2014 was played at Goodison Park in front of 39,402, a 5:30pm kick-off on matchday three of the 2014-15 Premier League season. The referee was Jonathan Moss. Chelsea were the away side, with Everton at home, so the scoreline reads Everton 3-6 Chelsea.

Why did Samuel Eto’o scoring against Chelsea matter?

Samuel Eto’o had left Chelsea that summer and signed for Everton on 26 August 2014, four days before this fixture, as Sports Illustrated reported. His header on 76 minutes came on his Everton debut, against the club he had just departed. It briefly cut Chelsea’s lead to 3-4 before Ramires restored the cushion.

How many goals did the second half of Everton 3-6 Chelsea produce?

The second half produced seven of the nine goals, five of them inside a ten-minute spell from the 67th to the 77th minute. The Guardian described the two sides sharing five goals in ten minutes. That run took the game from 1-2 to 3-5 before Diego Costa’s late second made it 3-6.

Was Everton 3-6 Chelsea a record defeat for Everton?

It was Everton’s heaviest concession since Arsenal in August 2009, the Guardian noted, rather than an all-time record. Everton conceded six at Goodison Park and scored three, losing 3-6 to Chelsea. The margin was three goals in a game that still yielded nine in total.

What did the Everton 3-6 Chelsea result mean for the Premier League table?

The win moved Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea first in the table, ahead on goal difference, according to Sports Illustrated. It was their third game of the 2014-15 season, which they would go on to win. For Everton, the 3-6 home defeat was a chastening start to Roberto Martinez’s second campaign in charge.

Which goal effectively settled Everton 3-6 Chelsea?

Ramires’ goal on 77 minutes, restoring a two-goal cushion at 3-5, effectively settled it. Samuel Eto’o had just pulled Everton back to 3-4 a minute earlier, so Ramires’ strike killed the comeback. Diego Costa then added a ninth goal on 90 minutes to finish the scoring at 3-6.

What record did Diego Costa set in Everton 3-6 Chelsea?

Costa joined Adrian Mutu as the only Chelsea players to have found the net in each of their opening three league games for the club, according to Sky Sports. His two goals at Goodison Park took him to four in three games for Chelsea. It marked one of the fastest starts by a Chelsea signing in Premier League history.

Did Everton ever lead in the 3-6 defeat to Chelsea?

No, Everton never led against Chelsea on 30 August 2014. Chelsea went 2-0 up inside three minutes and stayed in front throughout, with Everton twice cutting the gap to a single goal without drawing level. The closest Everton came was 3-4, after Samuel Eto’o’s header on 76 minutes.

Why is Everton 3-6 Chelsea remembered as a classic?

Everton 3-6 Chelsea is remembered as a classic because nine goals arrived in wild bursts, two inside three minutes and five in a ten-minute second-half spell. It carried a fast Diego Costa opener, a returning Samuel Eto’o scoring against Chelsea, and a title-bound side finally tested at both ends. Few 2014-15 fixtures packed as much drama into 90 minutes.