Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Sun 22 March 2026 13:40, UK

James Garner was quick to praise Everton team-mate Beto after his brace against Chelsea.

The forward found the back of the net twice on Saturday, as the Toffees beat Chelsea 3-0 at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Matching his 2026 goal tally in one evening, Beto also registered his first assist of the season, though Iliman Ndiaye’s sensational strike will undoubtedly take all the praise.

Everton remain in the hunt for European football, with David Moyes’ side sitting eighth in the Premier League.

The win also leaves Everton just two points behind Chelsea, who sit sixth, while Garner’s message to the two-goal forward shows the incredible togetherness at Finch Farm as of late.

James Garner delivers two-word message following impressive Beto display

Looking to win back-to-back matches at Hill Dickinson Stadium for the first time since their move last summer, the Toffees started fantastically against Champions League chasers Chelsea, with Beto’s dinked finish giving the hosts a 1-0 lead heading into the second half.

Somewhat fortuitously, the striker would net his second of the evening as his strike inside the box crawled over the line via a poor piece of Robert Sanchez goalkeeping.

Taking to Instagram in celebration after the match, Beto said “UTFT”, before team-mate Garner delivered the message: “My brother”.

Since beating Newcastle 3-2 at the end of last month, Moyes’ side have won two out of three, with home wins against Burnley and Chelsea sandwiching the 2-0 defeat at Arsenal.

Heading into the season’s crunch point, the dressing room is clearly together, and this could be what fires them into a European position come May.

Everton have a strong base to build on – Europe would bring huge benefits

Since his return to the club last season, Moyes has instilled a belief at the club not seen since Carlo Ancelotti’s 2021 departure.

Garner’s message to Beto only emphasises just how together the dressing room is at the moment, while successive home wins will only fuel the confidence at Finch Farm.

Beto himself is someone who thrives when confidence is high, as shown in his all-action performance on Saturday, highlighted by his Sofascore graphic below.

The squad is full of character, and the tight nature of this years Premier League has seen Everton never fall too far away from the European spots.

With the mercurial talents of the aforementioned Ndiaye, the hopes of signing Jack Grealish permanently, and a squad well-suited to Moyes’ style, the Toffees have a strong base to build upon.

Should they secure a European spot, the level of recruitment over the summer could enter a new stratosphere, and it is hard to say that the supporters don’t deserve to watch that happen after multiple tumultuous years since the turn of the decade.