Everton snatched a late draw against Chelsea thanks to Ellis Simms’ opening goal to give the club a boost to their chances of survival.
The Toffees put on a hearty display at Stamford Bridge to come from behind twice in the second half.
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Simms proved to be Everton’s hero as his side drew 2-2 against Chelsea
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The Blues led the Toffees twice, but failed to hold on to all three points
But it was a performance to forget for the Blues, whose three-game winning streak in all competitions came to an end.
It was the best spell of form under Graham Potter for Chelsea since October, but it ended in a four-goal thriller on Saturday.
After a turgid first half, the game lit up after the break when Joao Felix scored his first Stamford Bridge goal since joining from Atletico Madrid on loan.
But Everton fought back after poor defending from a corner that saw Abdoulaye Doucoure nod past Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Moments later, however, Reece James was fouled by James Tarkowski in the box as Kai Havertz kicked in a cool penalty.
And there was more drama to come when Simms, who was recalled from his loan spell at Sunderland, was thrown in by Sean Dyche as the final roll of the dice.
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Felix broke the deadlock at Stamford Bridge in what was his second goal for the club
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Everton twice came from behind to earn a deserved run in west London
But the gamble paid off when the 22-year-old passed Kalidou Koulibaly before passing Kepa with breathtaking composure in the 89th minute – his first goal for the club.
It could end up being a crucial result for Everton, who remain 15th in the table in what is becoming an incredibly congested piece of relegation.
Just four points separate 20th and 12th and with ten games to go for the Toffees, every point counts – especially in big games like at Stamford Bridge.
As for Chelsea, they return to 10th in the table in what has been a season to forget for the west London side with just the Champions League to play for.