It was a match which ended in the most unsavoury manner.

Everton's David Unsworth received a red card in injury time for a grappling bout with Chelsea winger Jesper Gronkjaer which saw Everton manager David Moyes step from the touchline to help separate the two players.

Unsworth was told to walk by referee Eddie Wolstenholme while Gronkjaer received the yellow card before proceeding to add the final nail in a depressing Goodison afternoon by racing away to add the third goal.

Mario Stanic and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink had supplied first half goals with Everton's Gary Naysmith providing Everton's consolation.

But forget the goals. This was a match which confirmed two things.

First, Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri has augmented the Londoners' trademark style with a measure of steel which has not been seen down the Kings Road for many years.

It is a blend which promises to bring Champions League football to Stamford Bridge even if the main domestic prize might prove too elusive.

Second, don't write off Everton. This might have been their third consecutive defeat and their first loss at Goodison this season but there is still much that is impressive about Moyes side.

What a pity it ended as it did, because it should have been an afternoon of celebration at Goodison as Unsworth accepted a gong for his 300th Everton appearance and Moyes celebrated his manager of the month award.

As so often happens, however, the party turned to tears as Everton were beaten for the second time in a week by a Chelsea side who confirmed themselves as title contenders by surging to second place in the Premiership.

At the end the Everton fans were left indignant at some bizarre refereeing decisions but there was no questioning the Goodison heart for a battle.

Moyes had moved teenager Wayne Rooney back to the substitutes' bench after his penalty miss in midweek - Kevin Campbell and Tomasz Radzinski resuming the striking partnership which has seen Everton look such a potent force this season.

For Chelsea, unbeaten in seven games and looking increasingly like title contenders this past month, the evergreen Gianfranco Zola - the Premiership's joint leading scorer with nine goals at the start of play - again occupied a striking position alongside Hasselbaink, who scored twice in their midweek triumph.

But it is the Chelsea defence which has been such a revelation under Ranieri this term and much of their solidity has been provided by captain Marcel Desailly and central defensive partner William Gallas, the pair referred to as 'a rock' and 'a hard place' by appreciative Chelsea fans.

As it happens it was Chelsea who took the lead after just five minutes when the Everton defence failed dismally to repel a Graeme Le Saux corner.

The inswinger swirled savagely into the six-yard box, took a fortuitous flick off Everton's Thomas Gravesen and popped up invitingly for Stanic, the 30-year-old from Sarajevo but signed from Parma, to head home past goalkeeper Richard Wright.

It was no more than Chelsea deserved after a bright and inventive start and while Everton proceeded to show the steel which Moyes has galvanised at Goodison it was Chelsea who cashed in on their superior invention after 27 minutes.

This time it was Frank Lampard who raced on to a loose ball at the edge of the area as Everton defenders ball-watched to allow the Chelsea midfielder to thunder a stinging 20-yarder at Wright.

So fierce was the shot that the Everton goalkeeper could only parry the ball in front of him and as it ran loose Hasselbaink was the first to react - the Dutch striker sliding a right-foot shot into the corner of the net to stretch Chelsea's lead.

The Everton soldiers of old might have laid down their arms at that point but not this commando unit Moyes has assembled at Goodison.

They merely dug in, formed a fresh bridgehead and then poured forward in increasing numbers.

Chelsea struggled to stem the onslaught and it was almost inevitable when the Merseysiders fashioned a toe-hold in the game just two minutes before half-time.

It was a swift interchange of passes on the edge of the box this time which put Naysmith one-on-one with Cudicini and the Everton midfielder took his time before guiding his angled shot past the Chelsea goalkeeper's out-stretched right-hand.

The Everton attitude in the second-half could not be faulted.

Moyes threw on Wayne Rooney for Radzinski in the 63rd minute for Radzinski and also introduced Scot Gemmill.

Soon after Campbell might have eased the home frustration when he launched himself at a Gravesen long throw but could not steer his header past Cudicini.

Moments later the big striker had an ever better chance, this time latching onto a loose ball inside the six-yard area and hitting his shot into the ground.

The ball bounced over Cudicini's arm and appeared goalbound, only for Le Saux to stick out his foot and clear off the line. Le Saux was on hand two minutes later with similar effect to deprive Carsley.

And after 71 minutes Campbell hit the post with a thrusting effort as Everton threw everything at Chelsea in a desperate effort to salvage a point.

With Rooney supplying a couple of weaving runs and Gravesen providing the energy it seemed Everton must equalise.

But, while Gallas and Desailly rode their luck, they prevailed until the final explosive moments saw Everton self-destruct.

It was never that sort of game. Rather it was a tense and frantic battle between two sides who will be there or thereabouts come May.

>B>Teams:

Everton: Wright, Hibbert, Yobo, Stubbs, Unsworth, Carsley, Tie Li (Gemmill 63), Gravesen, Naysmith, Radzinski (Rooney 63), Campbell.

Subs Not Used: Pistone, Weir, Simonsen.

Sent Off: Unsworth (90).

Booked: Stubbs.

Goals: Naysmith 43.

Chelsea: Cudicini, Melchiot, Gallas, Desailly, Le Saux, Lampard, Stanic (Gronkjaer 60), Petit, De Lucas (Terry 76), Hasselbaink (Gudjohnsen 84), Zola.

Subs Not Used: de Goey, Morris.

Booked: Stanic, De Lucas, Gallas, Hasselbaink, Lampard, Gronkjaer.

Goals: Stanic 5, Hasselbaink 28, Gronkjaer 90.

Att: 39,396

Ref: E Wolstenholme (Lancashire).