Chelsea hosted Everton this Saturday, at Stamford Bridge, for the 28th round of the English Premier League, and had to settle for a 2-2 draw. João Félix and Kai Havertz scored for the home side. Doucouré and Simms scored for the visitors with a goal 45 minutes into the second half.
With the result, Chelsea ended their three-game winning streak, missing out on a chance to move anywhere near the qualifying zone for European competition. Everton, meanwhile, have secured an extremely valuable point in their fight against relegation.
Chelsea are back on the field next Saturday, against Aston Villa, again at Stamford Bridge. Everton take on Tottenham at Goodison Park, Liverpool on 3 April.
The game
Chelsea had no trouble dominating the first half, making the “home factor” count, but Everton did everything to make life difficult for the goal-seeking hosts. João Félix was the Blues’ most active player in attack, but goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who started the England squad, was smart enough to make the necessary saves.
In the second half, however, Chelsea managed to take their chances after just three minutes, when Havertz received a cross and headed down, requiring another good defense from Pickford, Everton’s highlight at Stamford Bridge.
But after six minutes, there was no way. After much persistence, João Félix ended up claiming the goal early in the second half when he took the rebound entering the box, straightened it and hit it for a corner, watching the ball hit the crossbar before dying in the back to the net, giving Chelsea the lead on the scoreboard.
Everton barely had time to digest their conceded goal and Chelsea scored again. Pulisic receives from João Félix and scores a nice shot in the drawer, but the referee had already correctly marked the offside of the Portuguese, responsible for the away assist.
Needing to fight back, Everton leveled it at 23 in a dead ball game. After a corner kick, Tarkowski deflected it with a header and Doucouré completed it, again with a header, for the goal. The Chelsea defense still crossed the line, but the ball had already crossed the line.
But shortly after the equalizer Chelsea had a penalty in their favor after Reece James was brought down inside the box. Kai Havertz went to the spot and didn’t waste it, displacing Pickford to restore the home side’s lead on the scoreboard.
What Chelsea didn’t expect was that Everton would still have the strength to look for an equalizer in the 45th minute of the second half. Simms, as soon as he entered the game, performed a great individual action, leaving Koulibaly behind, invading the area and touching the goalkeeper’s exit, guaranteeing a draw with a taste of victory for the guests and a very precious point for the team fighting against relegation.
Source: Terra
