Chelsea missed the chance to close the gap on Premier League title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. After they relinquished a second-half lead, among other recent Premier League football news, Chelsea drew 1-1 with Everton at home.
The two teams played this fixture amid the growing impact of the COVID-19 Omicron variant on the Premier League. Here too, before kickoff, Tuchel revealed that Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner, and Callum Hudson-Odoi were all unavailable for selection. They had all tested positive for COVID.
As the match began, the hosts missed a succession of early chances.
However, Mason Mount finally found a way past Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the 70th minute.
But teenage defender Jarrad Branthwaite equalised for Everton just four minutes later.
Premier League Football News – Chelsea Drew 1-1 with Everton at Home
Chelsea dominated from kickoff but couldn’t secure an early lead because Reece James and Mount shot wide from good positions.
Pickford saved attempts from Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech as well as blocked a 25-yard free kick that James tried.
But the England No. 1’s best save of the opening half came 10 minutes before the break. Pickford’s outstretched right leg kept out a close-range shot from his international teammate, Mount, whom Antonio Rudiger had played through.
Later in the match, in the 70th minute, though, Mount broke through by scoring for the fourth straight league game.
After a rare Everton attack broke down, Chelsea counter-attacked and Mount took a pass from James to beat Pickford. It was the home side’s 20th shot of the game but one that finally led to a 1-0 home lead.
Four minutes later, though, Anthony Gordon’s free kick found Branthwaite at the far post. And the 19-year-old, who was making his first league appearance of the season, slotted in a shot past Edouard Mendy.
Chelsea then pushed for a winner, but struggled for the fluency they showed early in the game.
Thiago Silva had the best chance to restore the lead, but he too could find no way past Everton’s Pickford. The goalkeeper, in fact, made a fine save low to his right from the Brazilian defender’s header.
