Simms equaliser for Everton stops Chelsea winning run

Everton rookie Ellis Simms 89th minute goal gives Everton hope in their relegation battle and ends Chelsea winning run.

EQUALISER:Ellis Simms 89th minute goal shares the spoils for Everton with Chelsea. Pic: Clive Rose/Getty Images

CHELSEA 2 (Felix 52, Havertz pen 73) EVERTON 2 (Doucoure 69, Simms 89) 

CHELSEA'S recent resurgence under Graham Potter came to a halt as Everton rookie Ellis Simms scored an 89th minute equaliser to end the Blues run of three successive victories and give Sean Dyche's men hope in their relegation battle.

Chelsea looked set to continue with their winning ways after Joao Felix gave them the lead shortly after half-time, and even though Everton equalised through Abdoulaye Doucoure, Kai Havertz restored the home side's lead from the penalty spot.

But Dyche has already instilled a never-say-die spirit in Everton since taking over in January, and they got a deserved point when Simms scored his first goal for the club in the closing minutes.

Chelsea started with great attacking intent and could have been two or three goals ahead by half-time. Mateo Kovacic missed a simple chance in the 15th minute, slicing his volley wide from a central position inside the penalty area, and Havertz had a curling shot saved by Jordan Pickford, who then saved at the feet of Felix after a flick from Ben Chilwell.

It was mostly one-way traffic, and Everton did not manage an effort on target in the first half. Demarai Gray, Everton's most impressive did smack a free-kick into the face of Christian Pulisic, which poleaxed the American and left him needing treatment for several minutes.

This led to a clutch of Chelsea substitutes to warm up on the touchline, including the fit-again Ngolo Kante, whose presence brought the biggest cheer of the first-half from home supporters.

Within seven minutes of the restart, Chelsea took the lead. Enzo Fernandez lofted a crossfield pass to the left, and Ben Chilwell smartly sent the ball back towards goal with a sidefooted volley. Michael Keane made a hash of his clearance, which fell to Felix on the edge of the penalty area, and the Portuguese forward drilled a low left-footed shot through the legs of James Tarkowski and in off the far post.

That was the cue for Chelsea's supporters to start celebrating, and they thought they had scored again four minutes later when a Felix backheel teed up Pulisic to curl a shot past Jordan Pickford. But the assistant's referee's flag went up to indicate Felix had been offside in the build up. Minutes later, Everton should have equalised. Kalidou Koulibaly fouled Alex Iwobi on the right of the penalty area, and when Demari Gray fired in a free-kick, the ball whistled past the head of Keane in front of goal. One touch from the Everton man would surely have beaten Kepa Arrizabalaga, but incredibly Keane failed to make contact.

Doucoure made no mistake when he had a similar chance ten minutes later, however. Dwight McNeil swung in a corner from the left, Tarkowski knocked the ball back towards goal with the top of his shoulder, and Doucoure nodded it over the line from close range. Although Havertz thought he had made a goalline clearance, referee Darren England got the buzz on his wristwatch to alert him to the fact the ball had gone in.

Everton were emboldened to go forward in search of more, but Chelsea hit back quickly. Reece James darted into the penalty area, Tarkowski's clumsy challenge sent him tumbling, and England awarded a penalty. Angry Everton players confronted James, accusing him of diving, but the penalty stood and Havertz put it away after his trademark stuttering run-up, sending Pickford the wrong way.

Everton were not disheartened through and went for another equaliser. McNeil drove a shot just wide of the far post and substitute Simms had a powerful shot blocked. The tall forward, who had been on loan at Sunderland until January, then scored his first goal for Everton in the last minute of normal time, holding off a feeble challenge from Koulibaly to drive into the penalty area and hit a shot that Arrizabalaga should have saved, but merely diverted into the net with his left hand.

Chelsea had a furry of corners in the a tense final five minutes of stoppage time, but could not find a way through and it was Everton’s supporters celebrating most loudly at the final whistle.

CHELSEA 3-4-3: Arrizabalaga 6; Fofana 7 Chalobah, Koulibaly 6, Badiashile 7; James 8, Kovacic 7 (Loftus-Cheek 82), Fernandez 7, Chilwell 8; Pulisic 7 (Gallagher 62), Havertz 7, Felix 7 (Chukwuemeka 86) Subs not used: Betinelli, Mudryk, Kante, Cucurella, Madueke, 

EVERTON 4-5-1: Pickford 7; Coleman 6 (Mykolenko 84), Keane 6, Tarkowski 6, Godfrey 7; Iwobi 6, Onana 7, Gueye 6 (Simms79), Doucoure 7, McNeil 7; Gray 8 Subs not used: Begovic, Holgate, Mina, Coady, Maupay, Davies, Garner 

Referee: Darren England 7/10