Rock-Solid Everton Pick Up Deserved Point Against High-Flying Chelsea

Everton got their reward against a Premier League title-chaser for the second time in eight days as they ended Chelsea’s eight-match winning streak in a 0-0 draw at Goodison Park.

While the Blues had to be dogged and resolute against Arsenal at the Emirates, they mixed attacking intent with more defensive steel against Enzo Maresca’s high-fliers, having chances to win the contest, especially in the second half from wingers Jack Harrison and Iliman Ndiaye.

In front of the Club’s new Executive Chairman, Marc Watts, Sean Dyche’s men made it three games unbeaten and registered a fifth clean sheet in six to move up to 15^th in the Premier League table.

And in a week full of positives which saw The Friedkin Group complete their takeover and the Club officially take charge of Everton Stadium, this was another reason to head into Christmas with the feelgood factor flowing for Evertonians.

Dyche kept faith with the same starting XI which drew at Arsenal eight days earlier, Dwight McNeil missing out again because of a minor knee injury.

Armando Broja, on loan from Chelsea for the 2024/25 campaign, was unable to feature against his parent club but there was a welcome return on the bench for fellow forward Youssef Chermiti, the Portuguese making a Men’s Senior Team matchday squad for the first time this term after sustaining a foot injury in pre-season.

A slow start to the contest in strong wind and heavy rain sparked into life on nine minutes when Abdoulaye Doucoure found Calvert-Lewin on the left side of the penalty area. The striker clipped a pass into the centre that eluded Jack Harrison but showed the Blues’ early attacking intent.

Dyche’s side were performing admirably in the opening exchanges to stifle Chelsea’s potent array of attacking talent while looking a threat themselves. Fresh from his free-kick goal against Wolves the last time out at the Grand Old Lady, Ashley Young was the next to threaten with another set piece from 25 yards out that the Club’s oldest-ever scorer did well to loft over the wall but into the arms of keeper Robert Sanchez.

Chelsea came into the contest knowing victory could take them top of the Premier League, for a short while at least, and the Toffees were given a reminder of just why with 25 minutes on the clock as a counter-attack saw Cole Palmer cross from the right wing and Pickford deny Nicolas Jackson’s first-time finish with a superb save.

The visitors went close again moments later, Enzo Fernandez whipping a corner to the far post that Jackson flicked onto the post before Pickford rushed out to block Malo Gusto’s follow-up.

Having soaked up pressure, Everton got Goodison rocking as what has fast become familiar sublime footwork from Ndiaye was followed up by the Senegalese threading a through ball into Doucoure to race up field. The midfielder squared to Mangala whose 20-yard drive was palmed away by Sanchez, only for the assistant referee to have his offside flag up, anyway.

It was the last meaningful action of a first half which saw the Blues further demonstrate the defensive steel and organisation that saw them come into this game boasting four clean sheets from their past five matches.

Everton should have hit the back of the net five minutes after the restart, though. A fortunate ricochet off Calvert-Lewin freed Ndiaye down the left flank and, after cutting inside, the summer signing curled a cross to the back post to pick out an unmarked Jack Harrison. The Leeds loanee had time to take a touch but couldn’t squeeze a finish beyond Sanchez as the Chelsea keeper made a crucial block.

As the hour mark passed by, the Londoners began to crank up the pressure, Fernandez stinging the palms of Pickford with a drive from outside the box, before the Argentina international went close again with a 20-yard free-kick that was deflected over the bar.

Everton showed fresh attacking impetus themselves with 20 minutes remaining, Harrison doing well to beat Gusto down the right touchline and send in a cross that Sanchez clawed away, Ndiaye just missing out on the follow-up. From that, the ever-dangerous Palmer counter-attacked, only to be thwarted on the right touchline by a brilliant slide challenge from his England colleague Branthwaite.

Soon after, Dyche made a trio of substitutions, Beto, Jesper Lindstrøm and Seamus Coleman coming on for Calvert-Lewin, Harrison and Young.

The Blues were left wondering how they didn’t have the lead with 14 minutes to go as two of the new faces combined. Beto caused havoc to win possession midway in the Chelsea half, enabling Mangala to slide a pass down the right channel for Lindstrøm. The Dane’s cross into the box was blocked but only as far as Ndiaye who applied the finish, only to be denied by Tosin Adarabioyo two yards out.

Ndiaye was in the thick of the action on 86 minutes, gobbling up a loose ball to try to twist and turn his way into the box. When his path was blocked, the stray ball was collected by Mangala whose rising 20-yard effort was saved by Sanchez.

Two minutes of added time were signalled but, in truth, Chelsea never looked like finding a way through the Blues' rock-solid backline as the Toffees ensured they went into Christmas with plenty of reasons to be positive.