Leicester City and Everton remain in the relegation zone after a 2-2 draw in a bottom-of-the-table battle at the King Power Stadium on Monday in a heated atmosphere.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s first goal since October, a 15th-minute penalty, gave Everton the lead but Leicester equalized seven minutes later through a Caglar Soyuncu shot. Jamie Vardy put Leicester ahead in the 33rd minute before a turbulent end to the first half in which Everton missed two open goals and Leicester playmaker James Maddison had his penalty saved by Jordan Pickford.

Alex Iwobi gave Everton a volley equalizer nine minutes into the second half and both sides battled for the win which would have given their survival hopes a huge boost.

In the end, both teams had to settle for a point, which is more significant for Leicester as they climb out of the relegation zone and climb back to 16th place with 30 points from 34 matches. Everton, who have not left the top flight for 69 years, remain penultimate with 29 points in 34 matches. They are behind Nottingham Forest, Leeds and Leicester by one point. “It is true that we know that we are always in the last three and that it is very tight at this level. We are rolling up our sleeves and continuing to work hard with a fighting spirit.”

If there was a relegation match, it was the one between 18th and 19th place in the standings, which took place during the public holiday. Everton, who have not won for 13 away games, started with a lot of energy and Iwobi were pushed back by a superb save from Daniel Iversen.

Calvert-Lewin, the Everton striker often overlooked due to his long spells in the treatment room, then gave his side the lead from a clinical penalty after being pushed around by Timothy Castagne. Everton’s lead was short-lived, however, as their defense failed miserably from a set piece and Soyuncu swung past Pickford with a half-volley on the ball. Maddison spotted veteran Vardy’s run with an exquisite pass and the ever-reliable forward rounded Pickford in composure to put his side ahead.

The end of the first half was incredible: Everton twice squandered golden chances to equalise. Dwight McNeil was pushed back by a reflex save from Iversen, then Calvert-Lewin failed to convert a tap when the goal was empty, deflecting the ball straight into Iversen’s legs.

He was also the first to realize the magnitude of the task before him and the magnitude of the task before him, especially in the field of education. “I double-bluffed and took advantage of him,” Pickford said.