Chelsea has taken a strong and determined step towards the Premier League title with a hard-fought 3-0 victory over Everton at Goodison Park, inspired by a moment of Pedro brilliance.

In what was billed as Chelsea's toughest test of its run in, an Everton team — on its best home run since it last won the title in 1986/87 — matched Chelsea for the first hour of the match.

With Tottenham breathing down its neck, a Chelsea win at Goodison would go a long way to securing the trophy, but a moment of brilliance was be required if the deadlock was going to be broken.

Fortunately for Chelsea, it was Spaniard Pedro who provided it, turning onto his non-preferred left boot and letting fly with a rasping drive into the top corner of Maarten Stekelenburg's net.

The celebrations were of a team freed of pressure, and so the game would pan out. A fortunate second — in which Eden Hazard's free kick was meekly parried by Stekelenburg onto the knee of an unknowing Gary Cahill — sealed the result soon after.

Knowing its fate, Everton offered little resistance after the second had gone in and substitute Willian added a third to add some polish to the win.

The 3-0 scoreline suggests Chelsea dominated the match, but until Pedro's moment of individual inspiration, it could have gone either way.

The news would have been a blow for Spurs before their North London derby against Arsenal, but the in-form side did not let it stop them keeping the pressure on the top with a 2-0 win.

But try as Tottenham might, Chelsea now knows wins against three of Middlesbrough, West Brom, Watford or Sunderland will be enough to win the league regardless of what Spurs might do.

A luxury they may not have been afforded had Pedro not taken a chance on his left boot.