Chelsea claimed their ninth 1-0 victory of the Barclays Premiership season after James Beattie's moment of madness cost Everton dear at Goodison Park.

David Moyes bought the £6million striker to score the goals which might help Everton qualify for the Champions League.

But the former Southampton forward was sent off after just eight minutes for headbutting William Gallas, giving Everton an almost impossible task of halting the runaway league leaders with 10 men.

They put up a brave fight but a second-half Eidur Gudjohnsen tap-in put the visitors 12 points clear at the top and it will surely take a miracle now for anyone to catch the Blues.

Everton were without suspended full-back Tony Hibbert and midfielder Leon Osman, out with a knee injury, while Chelsea left top scorer Didier Drogba behind in London. His thigh injury had ruled him out while Joe Cole took over broken-foot victim Arjen Robben's role out wide.

Chelsea returned to their 4-3-3 formation with Cole on the right and Damien Duff on the left, and they dominated the early possession.

Everton had barely had a decent touch of the ball before they were reduced to 10 men.

Beattie chased a long ball down the left with Gallas obstructing his run. First the striker pushed the Chelsea defender and then moments later butted the back of his head, which left the Frenchman flat on the pitch.

Referee Mike Riley sprinted 20 yards to instantly show the red card - his 10th this season and a second from him for Everton after Duncan Ferguson was dismissed at Charlton.

Tiago should have scored when he took down Eidur Gudjohnsen's flick-on in the box but chipped his shot over the bar.

Everton were forced back again and again, and Chelsea controlled the ball as they searched for gaps.

But as the first half continued, Chelsea were unable to carve out clear openings although Nigel Martyn produced good saves from Gudjohnsen, Cole and Frank Lampard while Gary Naysmith and Alan Stubbs blocked drives from Duff and then Cole as the pressure mounted.

Everton's players and fans were becoming increasingly enraged by referee Riley's decisions and Tim Cahill and Kevin Kilbane, in particular, sailed close to the wind with a string of increasingly wild tackles.

Cahill was eventually booked for chopping down Claude Makelele, which means he is banned from next weekend's FA Cup clash with Manchester United - along with Beattie.

Chelsea continued their attacks after the break, but with more thought than before. Duff switched to the right to jink inside and fire a shot which was deflected but still blocked by Martyn, with Gudjohnsen unable to stab the ball home in the six-yard box.

Martyn continued his heroics when he turned away a Lampard drive and then, from a Duff corner, Cole's right-footed drive just cleared the bar.

But Chelsea still found it difficult to break down Everton's two banks of four men stretched across the pitch, defending deep in their half. The home side's work-rate underlined their approach to the whole season.

But their concentration apparently waned as they tired in the face of Chelsea's persistent attack and Everton eventually conceded a goal after 69 minutes. Paulo Ferreira's low cross fizzed into the box, Gallas hit the bar from close range and Gudjohnsen had a simple tap-in to score.

Chelsea sent on Jiri Jarosik for Cole after 71 minutes and two minutes later Duncan Ferguson replaced Naysmith, Bent moving to the right and Joseph Yobo into defence.

John Terry managed to get himself booked for dissent after 81 minutes and it almost cost Chelsea a goal. Riley moved a free-kick 10 yards closer, Kevin Kilbane curled it in and Petr Cech did well to save Lee Carsley's header.

Everton were doing their best to mount another of their late charges and sent on Mikel Arteta in place of Carsley after 84 minutes. Jumpy Chelsea were now defending in depth as the crosses started to rain in.

Chelsea sent on extra defenders in Glen Johnson for Tiago and Ricardo Carvalho for Duff while Jarosik was next into the book for dissent.

Chelsea finished with six defenders in a line across their area and Everton even sent Martyn up for set-pieces, but they could not manage to prevent another victory for Jose Mourinho's men.

Teams:

Everton: Martyn, Pistone, Weir, Stubbs, Naysmith (Ferguson 73), Yobo, Bent, Carsley (Arteta 85), Cahill, Kilbane, Beattie. Subs Not Used: Wright, Plessis, Gerrard.

Sent Off: Beattie (8).

Booked: Cahill.

Chelsea: Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Gallas, Terry, Bridge, Cole (Jarosik 72), Tiago (Johnson 90), Makelele, Lampard, Duff (Ricardo Carvalho 90), Gudjohnsen.

Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Smertin.

Booked: Terry, Jarosik.

Goals: Gudjohnsen 69.

Att: 40,270

Ref: M Riley (W Yorkshire).