LIVERPOOL — David Moyes, Everton’s steely-eyed manager, couldn’t hide his fury on April 16, as his side crumbled against Chelsea in a bruising Premier League defeat. The gaffer was caught on camera, red-faced and gesticulating, laying into £15m signing Amadou Onana not once, but multiple times during the 6-0 thrashing at Stamford Bridge. The Belgian midfielder, a towering presence at 6’4”, was meant to anchor the Toffees’ midfield. Instead, he became the lightning rod for Moyes’ wrath.
The match was a nightmare from the whistle. Chelsea’s Cole Palmer ran riot, slotting four goals, while Everton’s defense collapsed like a house of cards. Onana, signed from Lille in 2022 for a hefty sum, was tasked with shielding the backline and breaking up play. But he looked lost, misplacing passes and trailing Chelsea’s attackers like a man chasing shadows. Moyes, pacing the touchline, was seen barking instructions at the 23-year-old in the first half, his hands chopping the air in frustration. By the second half, as Chelsea’s lead ballooned, Moyes’ anger flared again, with cameras capturing him shouting at Onana after a sloppy turnover.
Everton’s woes weren’t just Onana’s fault—far from it. The team’s lack of cohesion was glaring, with missed tackles and wayward shots piling up. But Onana’s role as the midfield linchpin made his struggles stand out. He completed only 78% of his passes, a dismal stat for a player of his price tag, and won just two of six duels against Chelsea’s nimble midfield. Moyes, known for his no-nonsense approach, didn’t hold back, his animated sideline antics signaling a deeper discontent with his squad’s fight.
The defeat left Everton licking their wounds, hovering precariously above the relegation zone. Onana, once hailed as a coup for the club, now faces scrutiny over his consistency. Moyes, meanwhile, has a bigger mess to clean up as the season grinds on, with fans growing restless and the pressure mounting.
Amadou Onana was substituted in the 66th minute. Chelsea’s goals came from Cole Palmer (13’, 18’, 29’, 64’), Nicolas Jackson (44’), and Alfie Gilchrist (90’). Everton’s next match is against Nottingham Forest on April 21.