Mount’s strike for the home side is cancelled out by Branthwaite, as Chelsea lose ground on the Premier League leaders!

Chelsea wasted the opportunity to narrow the gap on English Premier League (EPL) title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool, as they gave away a second-half lead, to draw 1-1 with Everton in West London.

After Thomas Tuchel’s hosts missed a hatful of chances, Mason Mount finally eventually beat Everton goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, 20 minutes from time. However, just four minutes later teenage defender, Jarrad Branthwaite, levelled the scores.

Chelsea were the better team from kickoff and looked odds on to take an early lead, but Reece James and Mount blasted wide from decent positions before Pickford foiled Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech, and James from a 25-yard free kick.

But the England man’s best save of the opening half came on 35 minutes when his outstretched right leg thwarted a close-range effort from his international teammate, Mount, who had been teed up by Antonio Rüdiger.

With the stadium clock showing 70 minutes, Mount broke the deadlock when a rare Everton attack broke down. Chelsea countered quickly and Mount latched onto a ball from James to beat Pickford.

Four minutes later, though, Anthony Gordon’s free kick found Branthwaite at the far post and the teenage centre-back, who was making his first EPL appearance of the season, stabbed the ball past Chelsea keeper, Edouard Mendy.

Chelsea looked for a winner, but couldn’t find the fluency they showed early in the game. Thiago Silva had the best chance to restore the lead, but he could find no way past Pickford either, who made a fine save low to his right from the Brazilian’s headed effort.

On the back of this result, Chelsea now sit 3rd in the EPL, on 37 points and 4 behind leaders, Manchester City. Everton, under boss Rafael Benítez, are 14th with 19.