Chelsea 2-2 Everton: Late Simms strike stuns Potter´s Blues

Ellis Simms stunned Chelsea with a late leveller as the striker’s first Premier League goal gave Everton a dramatic 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Joao Felix had opened the scoring with his second goal in the competition since arriving at Stamford Bridge in January, with Chelsea looking good to brush off opponents who had offered very little going forward.

Everton surprisingly got level when Abdoulaye Doucoure nodded in from a corner, but a penalty from Kai Havertz restored Chelsea’s lead.

A home win looked all but assured, yet Everton grabbed an 89th-minute equaliser when substitute Simms strode through and beat Kepa Arrizabalaga, halting Chelsea’s three-game winning run.

Mateo Kovacic smashed an early shot wide, and Havertz planted a header off target from a corner when he might have expected to test Jordan Pickford.

Joao Felix was proving a pest to Everton. Although much of what he was trying was not coming off, he looked up for this one while coming in for some heavy treatment.

Everton, in their striking away kit, were rarely pretty in pink. They looked to be relying on getting a set-piece in a dangerous area and defending like mad, by fair means or even foul.

Their luck ran out in the 52nd minute when Joao Felix fired across Pickford from 16 yards and in off the foot of the left post.

Christian Pulisic had the ball in the Everton net again moments later, but Joao Felix had been offside in the build-up so the strike was disallowed.

Everton’s leveller came in the 69th minute, predictably from a corner, when James Tarkowski’s header towards goal was helped over the line by Doucoure.

The Toffees came unstuck in the 73rd minute when Ben Godfrey and Seamus Coleman combined to send Reece James to ground, referee Darren England pointing to the penalty spot.

Havertz stared down Pickford and beat the goalkeeper from 12 yards. Chelsea maybe thought that was enough, but substitute Simms had other ideas, scoring a memorable goal after Doucoure chested the ball into his path.