stuttering Premier League champions Chelsea
crashed to a 3-1 defeat at Everton.
Naismith, a ninth-minute replacement for the
injured Muhamed Besic, scored twice within
moments of coming on as Everton turned up the
heat on Jose Mourinho's out-of-form side.
Nemanja Matic pulled one back with a fine strike
before half-time at Goodison Park but Naismith
rewarded the hard-working Toffees by completing
his treble after 82 minutes.
It was the first time a Mourinho Chelsea side had
conceded a hat trick and the result left them with
just four points from five games.
Further frustration for Mourinho was that John
Stones, the England centre-half he tried so hard
to buy over the summer, was outstanding in
Everton's back four.
The hosts' afternoon actually began badly as
Besic, making his first Premier League
appearance of the season, was hurt in an early
challenge by Kurt Zouma.
His misfortune proved a blessing in disguise for
Everton, however, as his replacement Naismith
ran the Londoners ragged.
There was an early warning for the visitors as
Naismith went close to getting on the end of a
dangerous Seamus Coleman cross.
That was not heeded as Naismith was allowed to
turn after 17 minutes, feed Brendan Galloway on
the left and then get in the box to head home a
return cross.
It could have got considerably worse for Chelsea
but goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, in for the injured
Thibaut Courtois, brilliantly saved from an Arouna
Kone header and a long-range James McCarthy
strike.
But Everton kept attacking and gained further
reward when Naismith found the target with a
powerful effort from distance.
Chelsea were rocking and there were possible
signs of frustration as Coleman caught a stray
arm from Diego Costa in the face.
The champions did eventually start to settle and
play some neat football up to the Everton box.
They hauled themselves back into the game with
a stunning long-range strike from Matic after 36
minutes - his first Premier League goal since
scoring in Chelsea's 6-3 win at the same venue
last year.
Eden Hazard then had two chances blocked and
John Terry, back from suspension, headed
narrowly over as Chelsea finished the first half in
the ascendancy.
Chelsea were a more forceful proposition after the
break and controlled much more possession.
But Everton's back four, superbly led by Stones
and Phil Jagielka, held firm and gave their side a
platform to launch some counter-attacks.
Romelu Lukaku broke away from Branislav
Ivanovic but shot at Begovic. Everton appealed
for a back-pass as the ball rebounded off the
keeper and back into his arms via Terry's feet but
referee Andre Marriner did not see it as deliberate.
Kone also tested Begovic on another counter-
attack, but principally their job became defending
as Chelsea probed for an equaliser.
But they still struggled to create clear-cut
chances and Tim Howard was well protected.
Nasimith applied the killer blow eight minutes
from time as he latched on to a through-ball from
the excellent Ross Barkley, took the ball wide of
Begovic and then fired home from a tight angle.
Stones ended the game at right-back after
Coleman went off injured but Everton held out.
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