Premier League: Chelsea held 1-1 by Everton, drops more points in title race

Chelsea dropped more points in the Premier League title race by conceding a 77th-minute equalizer to draw 1-1 with injury-hit Everton on Thursday.

Missing all of its strikers because of the coronavirus or illness, Chelsea struggled to break down Everton’s packed, makeshift defense until Reece James led a 70th-minute counterattack and fed Mason Mount to score for the fourth straight league game.

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However, Chelsea’s recent weakness in defense was exposed again as Jarrad Branthwaite — a 19-year-old defender only playing because of Everton’s injury crisis — poked in at the far post from a free kick.

Chelsea has only won two of its last five league games and has fallen out of the lead. The team is four points behind first-place Manchester City after 17 games.

Thomas Tuchel’s team drew at home to Manchester United and lost at West Ham in that five-game span, and only beat Leeds last weekend thanks to a stoppage-time penalty.

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Chelsea was without strikers Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner and winger Callum Hudson-Odoi after they tested positive for COVID-19. Kai Havertz, who might have filled in as a striker, was also missing after complaining of feeling unwell.

Everton was worse off in terms of absentees, with Richarlison, Andros Townsend and Seamus Coleman joining an already-long injury list this week. Rafa Benitez, a former interim manager at Chelsea, was forced to play youngsters Branthwaite, Anthony Gordon and Ellis Simms, who made his first-team debut up front.