Fabregas returned to the Chelsea midfield after suspension, while summer signing Tiemoue Bakayoko was on the bench. Meanwhile, Everton handed a debut to new signing Gylfi Sigurdsson, while Sandro Ramirez joined Wayne Rooney in attack, Everton set the tone for a physical battle when holding midfielder Idrissa Gueye felled Fabregas with a rough challenge in the ninth minute. The former Aston Villa man was fortunate only to be booked for the late and aggressive tackle.
Gueye's destructive work helped form the pattern for the opening 20 minutes, a period short of goalmouth action. Too often, Chelsea got the final ball wrong at the end of a flowing move, routinely missing out on chances to test Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
The hosts finally crafted their breakthrough on 27 minutes, when Fabregas combined brilliantly with Willian and then Morata before prodding Chelsea into the lead.
It was a well-worked goal that owed a lot to Morata's quality link play. As Squawka Football detailed, the former Real Madrid striker has consistently proved decisive in the final third through three matches:
Morata went one better five minutes before the break when he headed home after an astute cross from Cesar Azpilicueta. Having been thoroughly outplayed in the first half, Everton made a smart change when manager Ronald Koeman introduced the pace of Dominic Calvert-Lewin off the bench in the 63rd minute. The 20-year-old immediately increased the Toffees' threat, stretching the Blues back three for the first time.
Calvert-Lewin's runs into the channels continued to give Everton an outlet, but they still couldn't fashion clear-cut chances. Instead, Chelsea were comfortable at the back and remained slick going forward. Blues manager Antonio Conte was content enough to take off star man Morata for Michy Batshuayi with 12 minutes to play. There wasn't much chance for Batshuayi to make an impact, as Chelsea coasted through the final minutes of what proved to be a routine home win.
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