Ellis Simms scored his first Everton goal in the 89th minute at Stamford Bridge to claim a vital point in the Toffees’ relegation fight and halt Chelsea’s recent resurgence.
Chelsea had bounced back from a horrendous run of form at the start of the year by winning their last three matches in all competitions and they should have made it four in a row after twice taking the lead against Everton.
Joao Felix rolled the Blues’ first past Jordan Pickford via the post seven minutes after the break only for the hosts to allow complacency to creep into their game, resulting in Abdoulaye Doucoure glancing a header just over the line to level for the visitors in the 69th minute.
Chelsea managed to hit back through Kai Havertz seven minutes later when he converted a penalty after a foul on Reece James, but the Blues again threw it away, with Simms easily bursting past Kalidou Koulibaly before seeing his shot squirm past Kepa Arrizabalaga as the Toffees continued their spirited fight against the drop.
The Premier League now pauses for the international break, meaning Chelsea’s next game is at home to Aston Villa in the top flight on Saturday April 1 then Blues host Liverpool on Tuesday night April 4
Everton’s next game is at home to Tottenham in the Premier League on Monday April 3 before the Toffees travel to Manchester United on Saturday April 8 at the early kick off.
