Everton's Mikel Arteta scored a late, deflected goal to deny Sunderland victory as the two sides fought out a 2-2 draw Monday at the Stadium of Light, dpa reported.
Danny Welbeck looked to have won it for the home side 20 minutes from time with his second goal of the game, but Arteta's shot cannoned off Phil Bardsley to clinch a share of the spoils.
The point lifted Sunderland up to seventh place while Everton moved up to 14th, just two points above the relegation zone.
Tim Cahill headed Everton into an early lead, but Welbeck equalized before half-time as both sides created a host of chances.
Sunderland took the lead against the run of play when Welbeck finished off a Kieran Richardson cross, though the left-sided midfielder looked to have been off-side in the build-up.
Everton poured forward in search of an equalizer and got it when Arteta's shot took a big deflection of Bardsley and into the Sunderland net.
Welbeck almost won it for Sunderland when in space late on but fired his shot wide, while in the dying seconds of injury time, Jermaine Beckford shot over for Everton from about 12 yards.
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