Chelsea vs Everton LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction tonight

Live reaction from Stamford Bridge as Thomas Tuchel’s side failed to close the gap on leaders Manchester City

Chelsea: Thomas Tuchel reluctant to spend big on January signings

Follow live reaction as Chelsea were held to a draw by a depleted Everton side at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea were the dominant team throughout but failed to capitalise on their possession as Thomas Tuchel’s side slipped four points behind leaders Manchester City after losing ground in the the Premier League title race.

Mason Mount thought he had earned Chelsea the win when he finished past Jordan Pickford to give the Blues the lead in the 70th minute, but Everton hit straight back when 19-year-old defender Jarrad Branthwaite equalised from Anthony Gordon’s corner four minutes later. Pickford then made a crucial save to deny Thiago Silva’s header low down, but Chelsea were poor and unable to create any further chances.

Everton, who were missing 12 first-team players due to injury or illness, deserved their point after putting in a battling performance for under-fire manager Rafael Benitez. Chelsea were without Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi after they tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday.

Follow live updates and team news below:

Chelsea vs Everton

• Four more Premier League fixtures postponed, including Everton vs Leicester
• Lukaku one of four Chelsea players to test positive before Everton match
• 70’: Mount beats Pickford to fire Chelsea in front
• 74’: Youngster Branthwaite pulls Everton level

[16 December 2021 19:05 · Jamie Braidwood]

Chelsea vs Everton

Elsewhere, Liverpool have confirmed that Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Curtis Jones will miss tonight’s match against Newcastle with suspected Covid positives.

Chelsea have yet to announce any Covid absences, although Thomas Tuchel may reveal further details on why some of his first-team players are unavailable before the match.

[16 December 2021 18:58 · Jamie Braidwood]

Chelsea vs Everton: Team news

Everton, meanwhile, have been decimated by injuries and absences. They have as many as 10 first-team players out tonight, and have 20-year-old striker Ellis Simms and teenage defender Jarrad Branthwaite making their Premier League debuts.

Everton can only name seven substitutes on their bench, while Chelsea can only include eight - including two goalkeepers.

[16 December 2021 18:55 · Jamie Braidwood]

Chelsea vs Everton: Team news

There is no Romelu Lukaku, Kai Havertz or Callum Hudson-Odoi in the Chelsea squad tonight. They were not believed to be injury doubts and it was reported that Chelsea suffered three positive Covid cases in their squad overnight.

[16 December 2021 18:53 · Jamie Braidwood]

BREAKING: Four more PL games postponed

Four more Premier League games have been postponed due to Covid-19 this weekend, including Everton’s match against Leicester on Sunday.

All off:

West Ham v Norwich

Southampton v Brentford

Watford v Crystal Palace

Everton v Leicester

Manchester United v Brighton

[16 December 2021 18:46 · Jamie Braidwood]

Chelsea vs Everton: Team news

Chelsea: Mendy, Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Rudiger; James, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek, Alonso; Ziyech Mount, Pulisic

Everton: Pickford; Kenny, Godfrey, Holgate, Keane, Branthwaite, Iwobi, Andre Gomes, Doucoure, Gordon, Simms

[16 December 2021 18:41 · Jamie Braidwood]

Chelsea vs Everton: Predicted line-ups

Chelsea: Mendy, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Christensen, James, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek, Alonso, Mount, Pulisic, Lukaku

Everton: Pickford, Coleman, Holgate, Keane, Godfrey, Townsend, Doucoure, Allan, Gordon, Gray, Rondon

All will be confirmed in five minutes or so!

[16 December 2021 18:34 · Jamie Braidwood]

Chelsea vs Everton: Team news

Trevoh Chalobah and N’Golo Kante are injury doubts for Chelsea, while Mateo Kovacic is still out with Covid, and Ben Chilwell remains a long-term absentee. Former Toffee Romelu Lukaku and Blues defender Andreas Christensen will hope to start.

Everton remain hit by a number of injuries, including those suffered by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Tom Davies and Yerry Mina. Meanwhile, Lucas Digne may miss out amid reports of a dispute with Benitez, and Richarlison and Allan are doubts.

[16 December 2021 14:19 · Jamie Braidwood]

Chelsea vs Everton

Follow for live updates as Chelsea welcome Everton to Stamford Bridge in the Premier League. Thomas Tuchel’s side needed a last-minute Jorginho penalty to scrape past Leeds on Saturday and keep the pace with leaders Manchester City in the title race, and they will be looking to respond after the champions thrashed Marcelo Bielsa’s team 7-0 earlier this week to move four points clear.

Chelsea’s previously water-tight defence has shown signs of weakness in recent weeks and they have conceded eight goals in their last three fixtures in all competitions but they face an Everton side who are missing their biggest threats in Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin due to injuries. Rafael Benitez, who returns to Stamford Bridge having taken charge of Chelsea on an interim basis during the 2012/13 season, is under pressure after a run of just one win in Everton’s last 10 matches.

The Toffees’ 2-1 win over Arsenal last Monday may have briefly lifted some of the criticism of the under-fire Everton manager but that good will quickly evaporated following their 3-1 defeat at Crystal Palace at the weekend. Chelsea, who begin a run that sees them play Wolves on Sunday and Brentford in the EFL Cup quarter-finals next week, could be dealing with some additional absences after three players tested positive for Covid-19 overnight.