Chelsea title momentum stutters as Everton battle for a point
Disasi Ndiaye Chelsea's Everton's Fouls Byrne/pa Wire Axel Iliman Peter Picture:
Everton slugged out another valuable point in their battle to climb away from the Premier League drop zone to put the brake on Chelsea's winning run in a fiesty and scrappy battle at Goodison Park.
And it boosted the new mood of optimism around the Merseyside club following the take over by American consortium The Friedkin Group, with new executive chairman Marc Watts watching on.
It was certainly no classic but the blustery conditions made life difficult for both sets of players and Everton will be happier with the point than Chelsea, who knew that a win would have put them top of the table - at least until Liverpool's result at Tottenham was in.
This was a seventh clean sheet of the season - and a fifth goal-less draw - for Sean Dyche's battlers who became only the second side to stop Chelsea from scoring in the Premier League this season.
If it had not been for a vital and brave block by Tosin Adarabioyo from Illiman Ndiaye's close range effort Everton would have chalked up an unexpected win.
Everton's delight at another clean sheet was tempered by their failure to score gain - this was the ninth time in 17 League games they have failed to find the net.
And another setback was that Ashley's Young's booking means he is suspended for the Boxing Day trip to Manchester city.
But as long as they keep clean sheets going they are at least giving themselves a chance to stay out of relegation trouble.
Chelsea were the more dangerous team in the first half when Nicolas Jackson had three chances to give them the lead.
The first came from a Cole Palmer cross when Jackson saw his close range effort was saved by Jordan Pickford's legs.
Pickford saved again from Jackson as the Chelsea striker tried to life the ball over him as back-pedalled furiously after leaving his line to clear a long ball.
Jackson then headed against the far post after a corner had been flicked on with Pickford sprinting off his line to deflect Malo Gusto's follow-up shot behind for a corner.
Young sent a free-kick straight at Robert Sanchez but Everton had to wait until the 38th minute before their first serious threat when Orel Mangal's 25 yard shot was pushed round the post by Sanchez.
Everton should have taken the lead early in the second half when the unmarked Jack Harrison had a tame effort saved by Sanchez when he should have scored from Ndiaye's cross.
Ndiaye then looked certain to score when Sanchez could only push out Jesper Lindstrom's low cross but Adarabioyo threw himself at the ball to block the shot and leave Ndiaye in exasperation.
Sanchez saved from Mangala's long range shot as Everton pushed for a winner. But they surely would have taken a point and a clean sheet if they had been offered it before the game and fully deserved the result at the final whistle after a game that will not live long in the memory.
Pickford 8; Young 7 (Coleman 73, 6), Tarkowski 7, Branthwaite 7, Mykolenko 7; Mangala 7, Gueye 7; Harrison 5 (Lindstrom 73, 5), Doucoure 6, Ndiaye 6; Calvert-Lewin 5 (Bero 73, 5).
Virginia, Patterson, Keane, O'Brien, Chermiti, Armstrong.
Ndiaye, Pickford, Young, Beto.
Sanchez 7; Gusto 6, Adarabioyo 6, Disasi 6, Colwill 6; Caicedo 7, Fernandez 8; Neto 7 (Madueke 75, 6), Palmer 7, Sancho 6; Jackson 6 (Nkunku 75, 5).
Jorgensen, Felix, Casadei, George Acheampong, Guiu, Veiga.
Disasi.
Chris Kavanagh 7