Nothing summed up the extent of Everton's collapse more than the fact that the players who tried hardest to stop Cole Palmer scoring were wearing blue.
Palmer, whose second hat-trick in as many home games moved him up to 20 goals and nine assists in his debut season in west London, was as bemused as anyone when Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke tried to take a second-half penalty off him.
Alfie Gilchrist completed the humiliation with his first senior goal and left Everton, two points above the bottom three, in trouble.
Perhaps that was why they began this game as if powered on by a sense of injustice. Backed by a noisy, indignant away end, who booed the Premier League anthem before kick-off, Everton made an enterprising start and seemed to have Chelsea rattled during the early stages.
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