Everton's Ellis Simms celebrates scoring their second goal
Sky Sports pundit Karen Carney has hailed Ellis Simms’ finish against Chelsea as ‘unbelievable’ as Everton managed to snatch a draw on Saturday evening.
The Lowdown: Simms snatches point
Simms managed to snatch what could be a vital point for Everton in their battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League down to the Championship.
The striker received the ball just outside Chelsea’s penalty area, before brushing aside central defender Kalidou Koulibaly and producing a fine side-foot finish into the back of the net, in what was his first senior goal for the Goodison Park outfit.
Considering how late into the match it was, and what was at stake, the finish was even more impressive, and prompted a lot of praise in front of the Sky Sports cameras.
The Latest: Carney praises ‘unbelievable’ finish
Speaking in her post-match analysis for Sky Sports (19:28), Carney hailed Simms’ finish as ‘unbelievable’, adding that he will now receive ‘massive’ confidence from it:
“It was an unbelievable finish. The turn, the composure, and so late in the game.
“The confidence flowing through Ellis Simms now will be massive.”
The Verdict: Earned a start?
With Dominic Calvert-Lewin continuing to struggle with ongoing injury problems, and Neal Maupay not being able to hit the ground running with just one goal over all competitions since moving from Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer, there is a striker spot in Sean Dyche‘s team that Simms could now make his own.
The 22-year-old has only played seven senior games for the Toffees over the course of his career so far, with his last start coming in the 2-0 loss away at Liverpool in the Merseyside derby back in February.
However, his record at youth level is simply phenomenal, with no fewer than 58 goals scored and a further four assists made in 85 matches in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).
He has also managed to score goals while on loan at Blackpool, Hearts and Sunderland, showing how much of a natural finisher that he is in front of goal, as exemplified by his finish against Chelsea.
As such, Simms deserves a chance to impress from the start again, with their next game coming after the international break at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, before matches against Manchester United and Fulham respectively to follow, with all three sides currently in the top half of the table along with Chelsea.
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