Premier League: Chelsea 1-1 vs. Everton – Everton manage to fight back in second half to draw game
Chelsea were looking to take on Everton at Stamford Bridge in a game that was reported to be one of the hardest fixtures for Chelsea to play so far. Prior to the game, Chelsea had managed just one win in the last five games that
they had played and were hoping that things would turn out differently on the night.
The good news for Chelsea was that both Michael Essien and John Terry were back and fit to face Everton.
Using the return of two of the team’s star players as an incentive to perform better, the team were taking the game to Everton from the very first minute. Chelsea were creating countless chances left, right and centre. However,
the team needed the help of a penalty to finally get the breakthrough and break the deadlock on the night. Phil Neville played a back pass which found its way to Nicolas Anelka. The striker then tried to stride past Tim Howard, but the keeper ended up bringing
the Frenchman down instead of really making contact with the ball and as a result the referee had no option but to point to the spot. Didier Drogba took the resulting penalty and smashed his effort into the back of the goal.
Everyone expected Chelsea to continue in the same manner in the second-half as they did in the first, but they were quite surprised to see that things were playing out quite differently in the second period of the match.
Everton had managed to somehow contain Chelsea and turned the lions into lambs. In fact, Everton looked to be playing like the home team instead for major portions of the second half and Chelsea were simply being outplayed.
Disaster struck for Chelsea in the seventy-second minute as Tim Cahill tried to get on the end of a through ball, but ended up striking Petr Cech on the head instead. The keeper seemed to be out of it for about seven minutes, but
then managed to get back to his feet and back in goal.
However, with the keeper now a little groggy, Everton looked to use this to their advantage.
The team succeeded at doing just that, as Leighton Baines danced around three Chelsea players before crossing a ball onto the far post for Cahill to head into the path of Jermaine Beckford and then the player who was signed from
the Championship at the start of the season managed to get his name noted down in Everton history as he scored the equalizing goal from close range via his head. The goal came on the eighty-sixth minute and it was more than certain that the points would be
shared on the night.
Despite the addition of seven extra minutes, Chelsea really couldn't do anything and were forced to end the game at a stalemate. The draw eventually saw Chelsea drop to the third spot in the Premier League table and the title race
is now once again blown wide open.
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