Thomas Tuchel's facet had been with out Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi after the latest Covid-19 outbreak to rock the Premier League. Ben Chilwell, currently injured, additionally examined superb, whilst Kai Havertz was not able to play after feeling unwell earlier than the match. The Blues had been already without Mateo Kovacic as the Croatia midfielder recovers having contracted the virus earlier in December.
Shorn of so many key gamers, Chelsea laboured to interrupt down stubborn Everton till Mason Mount netted halfway through the second half at Stamford Bridge. Despite dominating from begin to finish, Chelsea have been punished for switching off on the returned when Jarrad Branthwaite grabbed Everton's equaliser with 16 minutes left. It changed into the 19-yr-antique defender's first goal for Everton in just his 1/3 Premier League begin.
Failing to beat a suffering Everton side decimated by using injuries and infection become a hammer blow on a difficult day for Chelsea. Having led the table for numerous weeks, Tuchel's 1/3 located crew are now four factors at the back of leaders Manchester City. Chelsea have received only two of their ultimate five league video games as they lost ground on City and 2d located Liverpool.
With 5 video games scheduled for this weekend called off due to Covid cases, and 4 others postponed at numerous instances in the last week, Tuchel insisted he did not push for Chelsea's sport to be cancelled. "I don't lose any concentration or electricity with questions like this," he stated. "At a few factor it is getting hard in phrases of overuse of gamers, but I became now not worried in these mind."
The struggling with draw turned into a welcome sight for underneath-fireplace Everton boss Rafael Benitez, whose team have received simplest one of their final eleven league video games. A banner studying "Benitez - get out of our club" become unfurled by Everton lovers before kick-off. But it turned into the Chelsea supporters who had been booing at full-time after their aspect's latest irritating end result.
Reece James ought to have placed Chelsea ahead within the establishing mins, however the defender blasted over after sprinting onto Jorginho's bypass. Jordan Pickford repelled James' unfastened-kick earlier than Mount had a golden possibility to reward Chelsea's blistering start. Mount gathered Antonio Rudiger's bypass six yards from purpose, yet once more Pickford got here to Everton's rescue as he stored along with his out-stretched foot. Chelsea finished the half of with eighty one percentage of the ownership and it changed into a similar tale after the c programming language.
Mount's deflected effort became clawed to safety by the over-labored Pickford, who breathed a sigh of relief when Ruben Loftus-Cheek glanced the ensuing nook over from close variety. When Rudiger headed James' free-kick extensive, Tuchel had seen enough of Chelsea's profligacy. He sent on Ross Barkley and Saul Niguez for Alonso and Loftus-Cheek and the modifications reaped a right away praise in the seventieth minute.
In a flash, Barkley observed James and he slipped a deft pass to Mount, who timed his run into the location flawlessly earlier than planting a composed end beyond Pickford at the near publish. The 22-12 months-antique's seventh purpose this season become his fourth in his closing 4 Premier League appearances.
That ought to had been the spark for Chelsea to finish the task but a lapse in attention allowed Everton to equalise towards the run of play four minutes later. Anthony Gordon's loose-kick looped toward the far publish and Branthwaite sneaked in in the back of the dozing Chelsea defence to poke domestic from near variety. Pickford ensured Everton held on as the person of the fit made a outstanding prevent from Thiago Silva's header.
