It’s one Ell SIMMS POPS UP AT END TO HIT Of a finish POTTER’S EUROPE CHARGE
ELLIS SIMMS’ last-gasp leveller put a dent in Chelsea’s late bid to squeeze into Europe.
The Blues were on the brink of a win that would have moved them to within two points of the Europa League places after goals from Joao Felix and a Kai Havertz penalty, either side of Abdoulaye Doucoure’s equaliser.
But substitute Simms, who was on loan at Sunderland until January and who had been on the field for less than nine minutes, brushed aside Kalidou Koulibaly in the last minute of normal time to earn the visitors a draw.
It was harsh on Chelsea, who had dominated the ball and who, in truth, were the only side who really tried to win the game.
But struggling teams pick up points however they can and credit Sean Dyche’s men for hanging on long enough to give themselves a chance.
Chelsea came into the game with confidence, if not fully restored, then at least much higher than it had been until a couple of weeks ago.
They were looking here for their third successive Premier
League victory and fourth win on the spin in all competitions after beating Leeds, Borussia Dortmund and Leicester.
And they played the first half like a team free of pressure as they completely dominated Everton in terms of possession.
The stats made grim reading for the visitors with Chelsea enjoying the ball for threequarters of those first 45 minutes.
Although, truthfully, Everton rarely looked like conceding, some good defending combining with wastefulness from the home side when it came to the final pass.
Perhaps the best chance fell to
Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic but he volleyed wide when well placed.
And Enzo Fernandez, so impressive again in the middle of the park alongside Kovacic, might have tried harder to stay on his feet under a Dwight McNeil challenge on the edge of the box, but he went down rather than carry on his run into space in the box and the resulting free-kick was wasted.
Everton were functional enough but couldn’t muster a shot on target.
In fact the only thing they hit in the first half was Christian Pulisic’s head, the American felled by Demarai Gray’s bullet free-kick
with the noise reverberating around the stadium.
He was dazed but okay. The opening came when Fernandez sprayed a lovely pass across to Chilwell and his cushioned volley rolled teasingly into the Everton box.
Michael Keane tried to deal with it but managed only to feed Felix, who from 17 yards drove home a low effort across Pickford.
Kovacic’s effort then needed a good block from Seamus Coleman as the Blues looked to double their advantage.
It wasn’t until the middle of the second half that Everton finally enjoyed a spell at Chelsea’s end of the pitch that lasted more than a few seconds but, finally, they made and chance and Doucoure made it count.
A second corner in quick succession was headed goalwards by Tarkowski and his team-mate flicked it goalwards from just in front of Arrizabalaga.
Havertz thought he’d hooked it off the line but referee Darren England’s wristwatch buzzed and Everton were level.
Unsurprisingly, the away end erupted, although their delight didn’t last long.
Reece James burst into the box and was fouled twice in quick succession by Ben Godfrey and
Tarkowski, and Havertz (right) held his nerve after a long VAR check to send Pickford the wrong way.
Pickford had tried some mind games, so deserved the childlike stuck-out tongue and hand-wavingears Havertz gave him. It was a wonderfully puerile moment.
It was one that looked like it would win Chelsea the game but Dyche had other ideas as he threw Simms on late on.
And the 22-year-old duly repaid his manager’s faith with his first goal for the club.