Brighton & Hove Albion 0 – 1 Everton
Iliman Ndiaye scored a very fine penalty to give Everton 3 points that they had to defend brilliantly as Brighton threw everything at them, reducing them to 10 men for the last 17 minutes of David Moyes’s 700th Premier League game as a manager.
Moyes stuck with the same line-up that beat Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park last weekend but James Garner was fit enough for a place on the bench, with Martin Sherif stepping back down.
The home side kicked off and immediately went into a slow possession-based game, waiting to draw Everton out to press them and open up space. But O’Brien gave Lamptey a little too much space down the Brighton left and he got in to fire across goal.
With Everton having some of their own possession, they slowed it down too but rather messed up the subtle art of playing it out from the back and Brighton finally advanced but Gruda was caught offside. Branthwaite looked to lob one up to Calvert-Lewin but Dunk was more than equal to it.
Lamptey popped in a cross that Pedro headed behind. The ball up to Calvert-Lewin saw him pull up, and going down clutching his hamstring after just 10 minutes, before Beto took his place.
But Beto was half asleep when the ball was played to him, confusion among the Brighton defenders gifting Everton a corner that was dealt with at the far post.
Veltman was giving Ndiaye absolutely nothing down the Brighton right, halting him each time, although Ndiaye got his own back, stealing the ball off him as he tried to advance.
Doucoure was back well to halt Mitoma but Everton could only hoist the ball upfield and out of play. Everton tried to build until Doucoure lost the ball very easily but Gueye won to back. Ndiaye seemed to become less expansive in his play, passing the ball off before Veltman could snap at him.
Mykolenko got forward but his cross was dealt with. Lindstrom had been well contained. Mitoma stole the ball off Gueye. Tarkowski had to block Joao Pedro’s shot at source.
Lamptey beat Lindstrom who was quick to foul him just outside the Everton area. The free-kick was punched away by Pickford but Brighton worked it around until they wasted it with a daft cross.
Everton again built slowly, going from the final third back to Pickford as they probed for an opening. Mitoma clipped Lindstrøm and Tarkowski launched the free-kick forward but Beto could not make much of it.
O’Brien did well to halt progress down the Brighton left again, and the Everton defence had on the whole done extremely well to keep the Seagulls away from their goal.
VAR looked at Veltman’s handball under pressure from Beto, and it looked rather deliberate. Tim Robinson took a long long look at the monitor… and gave the penalty! The Brighton players were livid, but it was a clear penalty – the referee was originally unsighted – and there was no push in the back, as they claimed.
Iliman Ndiaye stepped up with the ball, and slotted it brilliantly just inside the post, and just beyond the despairing dive from Verbruggen. Ndiaye got a yellow card for flapping his arms in celebration!
The game finally became more of a contest, with Brighton snapping at the Everton players at every opportunity in considerable frustration. Balebea barged Ndiaye off the ball into touch and he went in the book with 7 minutes added onat the break. Mykolenko’s free-kick was horrendous, as usual! Massively overhit.
Brighton seemed to be getting more sensible until Baleba fired a poor shot well wide. Baleba made a meal of Beto’s arm near his neck. Ndiaye superbly stalled Gruda and Everton went in at half-time with plenty of smiles, to a chorus of boos from the home crowd.
Brighton worked it forward well through Miitoma but his cutback to Veltman saw his shot go out for a corner. Next, Mitoma and Veltman won a corner, headed away by Branthwaite. Georginio was next to skip in through the left channel, his cross only finding Everton defenders.
Mitoma shimmied around O’Brien to make space and curved a superb shot just beyond the far post. Everton tried to respond but Van Hecke would not let them progress. Tarkowski came out smartly to slide the ball off Mitoma’s toe.
It was persistent Brighton pressure, Mykolenko getting a head knock from Georginio. A better cross in by Ayari was headed behind by Branthwaite for another corner, defended well but Beto’s break-out was stalled.
Doucoure and Beto combined to mess up another break out and this time Brighton came closest to scoring, Pickford missing a looping cross completely and giving Brighton another corner. It came out to Baleba who hit it superbly but Braithwaite had the presence of mind, if risky, to deflect it behind off his head!
And more corners were repelled but still Everton could not relieve the pressure. Gueye went down off the ball, needing treatment, with Patterson replacing Lindstrøm. Ayari got a chance to shoot off Branthwaite’s stretched clearance but he could not keep it down.
Mitoma looked to get around the back but Branthwaite was all over him, Everton holding a line of six across the back to keep the home side at bay. Mitoma got behind Patterson but volleyed high and wide.
Georginio did very well to beat Branthwaite on a dropping ball, smacking it just wide –and wanting a corner. Everton almost got to the Brighton area for the first time since the break, before they had to backtrack double-quick on transition.
Pickford was too slow taking the goal-kick and his name went in the book. A poor backpass by Veltman tempted Beto to go in, Verbruggen leaping over his long legs.
At the other end, a poor foul gave Brighton a big chance from a free-kick but Welbeck was well wide. Beto seemed shocked to suddenly find the ball at his feet going into the Brighton area but he drove his shot poorly behind the goal.
Baleba had another strike high and wide from outside the Everton area as Ndiaye was withdrawn for Young, and James Garner replacing Doucoure. Veltman caught Mangala’s knee with a reckless movement across him to win the ball.
Pickford came out strongly to claim Veltman’s cross before Mangala returned… but he was struggling. Pedro was strangely booked, seemingly for stamping on Garner, with Mangala unable to continue, and Everton down to 10 men, having used their three substitution windows.
Van Hecke got close down the right channel but powered his shot over. At the other end Beto tried to dribble, and rather failed, going down injured, into the final minute, with an astounding 8 minutes added on for the 10 men to hold on…
A superb late challenge by O’Brien on Mitoma gave Brighton only a corner and not the penalty they demanded. Some great defending by Gueye but Georginio got to the bye-line and his cross was driven behind at the near post. Mykolenko and O’Brien went down with cramp but Moyes told them both to get off their arses, with only 5 minutes of the 8 gone.
Beto, tasked to go forward again, too easily surrendered the ball and Brighton came forward yet again, winning yet another corner, with Verbruggen coming up too. But Pickford came out strongly and crashed into Van Hecke as he punched clear.
Past 8 minutes and the game continued, Pickford grasping another misplaced header. Gueye hoofed an up-an-under for Beto to chase and finally after 9 minutes and 23 seconds added, the brave valiant 10 men of Everton left on the field had won a fantastic victory.
And after the whistle, it all kicked off in fine style, Lampety, Wellbeck, Dunk all shouting and screaming at the Everton players. Shocking behaviour and very poor sportsmanship by Brighton!
Brighton & Hove Albion: Verbruggen [Y:41′], Lamptey (74′ Minteh [Y:90+10′]), Dunk, Gruda (46′ Georginio), Joao Pedro [Y:83′], Welbeck, Baleba [Y:45+2′] (90+2′ Webster), Mitoma, Ayari (75′ Hinshelwood), Van Hecke, Veltman (84′ O’Riley).
Subs not Used: Rushworth, Adingra, Gomez, McConville.
Everton: Pickford [Y:71′], Mykolenko, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, O’Brien [Y:90+10′], Ndiaye [Y:43′] (78′ Young), Mangala (83′ injured), Doucoure (78′ Garner), Gueye, Lindstrøm [Y:28′] (62′ Patterson), Calvert-Lewin (13′ Beto).
Subs not Used: Virginia, Begovic, Keane, Harrison, Armstrong.