Saturday 23 December 2017 16:38, UK
Everton manager Sam Allardyce praised his players for digging deep to earn a hard-earned point against Chelsea at Goodison Park on Saturday.
The home side had to endure large amounts of pressure against the Premier League champions to extend their unbeaten run to seven games in all competitions, six of which have come their under new boss.
Despite creating next to nothing - Everton failed to have a shot on target in the game - Allardyce was still happy with his team's work.
"In terms of effort, commitment and defensive organisation, and we have played against a hugely talented front five, and we had a little bit of luck here and there, especially with the one that came off the bar," he said.
"But when needed Jordan Pickford is in the right spot for us and we have really rolled up our sleeves today and dug it out.
"I changed the shape of the team at half-time and went two up top to try and put more pressure on Chelsea's back three, but we did not really deliver enough quality and that disappointed me.
"I felt that with just one up, we were getting nowhere in the first half. So I put two up to stop their centre-halves coming out with the ball and also to get down the side of their centre-halves.
"But we did not deliver enough quality, until the end when we could have actually snatched it from a corner with Michael Keane's free header. But it is a well-earned point and really well grated out by the players.
"And it keeps the undefeated run going and that is a point against Liverpool and Chelsea and they are in the top four. And home or away, if you get a point against the big boys, you have to respect that and be very satisfied with what you have done today."
Chelsea had 25 efforts on goal while Everton's failed to have a shot on target in a Premier League home match for the first time since December 2011 against Stoke City.
However, the Allardyce knows his team can, and will, create more going forward in future games.
"We can work and get better at that," Allardyce said. "These are footballers playing in the Premier League and they have ability on the field and the training ground.
"But we have to convert that ability from the training ground on to the pitch when under pressure. And they have to deal with that pressure and deliver the qualities and the skills that they have, but it is always difficult against the top boys.
"You do have to do that defending right first, but yes quality let us down today. Overall though the effort from the players - not just the 11 who started, but the three subs as well - was outstanding against a team who have won eight out of their last 10.
"So yes we are well satisfied with a point moving forward with an undefeated run intact, four clean sheets out of six and we go on to try and develop more and try and be better in possession. But we were playing against a team who are very, very good defensively and in terms of their creation."
