Everton Aim to Build on Spurs Victory on the South Coast Against Brighton

Everton are looking to build on an extremely impressive performance against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, a 3-2 victory, which contained a gargantuan amount of nerves for both sides.

During the first half, goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who lacked confidence under the management of Sean Dyche and therefore faced a bundle of criticism from both fans and the media; Iliman Ndiaye, a tricky dribbler who shrugged effortlessly past Radu Drăgușin, proceeding to smash it into the roof of the net; and a stroke of luck through an own goal by youngster Archie Grey, one of the first times the 17-year-old has started in his preferred position, left the Toffees in disbelief of what they had just spectated for the past 45 minutes.

However, the second half saw a complete shift in momentum. Everton’s thrilling first-half display gave way to a dominant showing from Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs. A combination of nerves and an energised Tottenham performance set up a tense finale to the match.

Spurs’ comeback attempt truly kicked off in the 77th minute when Jordan Pickford ventured out of his comfort zone to challenge James Maddison. Unfortunately for Everton, the England shot-stopper found himself in no man's land, allowing Maddison to set up Dejan Kulusevski, who expertly chipped the ball over a scattered Toffees defence—giving Spurs a lifeline and Everton a serious case of nerves.

As if the tension wasn’t already high enough, former Everton forward Richarlison found the net two minutes into stoppage time, cutting the lead to 3-2. It was a moment that surely brought back memories of past collapses, such as those against Bournemouth and Aston Villa earlier in the season. However, hard work and determination by the Everton squad when needed emerged, and referee Darren England blew the whistle, marking David Moyes’ first win in his second era as Everton manager and a horrible day for Ange Postecoglou, who stated that his side “struggled to gain any traction in the first half.”

For Brighton, under German manager Fabian Hurzeler, they have certainly improved. The Seagulls currently sit 9th in the Premier League table, an improvement from last season, where Brighton finished 11th under the tactics of Roberto De Zerbi, who left his role at the end of the 23-24 season. One of the main men who has been smashing it for them this season is Brazilian striker Joao Pedro. 10 goal contributions in 16 Premier League games this campaign means the 23-year-old has certainly been a talking point in the league, and the striker was also a focus in their goalless draw at home against Brentford at the Amex Stadium. A hugely controversial VAR decision involved Pedro, where a moment of frustration overcame the Brazilian whilst Brentford player Yehor Yarmolyuk was attempting to tackle Brighton's number 9 from behind. As the referee blew for a foul, Joao Pedro instantly threw an elbow, just missing Yarmolyuk. Some agreed that due to the dangerous attempt of violent conduct, Pedro should have been sent off; however, some believe that the decision was correct as no contact was made.

Brighton's record against Everton at the Amex over the last few years has been nothing but poor. Since 2021, Brighton have not defeated Everton at home, with the Toffees coming out with two wins and the points being shared on two occasions. One moment that stands out is the Blues' 5-1 win over the Seagulls. A complete surprise as a first-half brace from Abdoulaye Doucoure and a second-half brace from Dwight McNeil and a Jason Steele own goal led the Toffees, who were in the midst of a relegation battle, to a destruction of Brighton.

In other news, both sides have not made many additions this January transfer window. The Seagulls have signed 21-year-old midfielder Diego Gomez from MLS side Inter Miami, who may turn out to be a great addition, due to the history of success Brighton's transfer business has enjoyed over the past few years. On the other hand, the Toffees have not brought anyone in, and now the conclusion of the January 2025 transfer window is almost upon us; it is a question whether Everton will make any new additions at all. There have been reports of a lot of enquiries, including Sporting winger Marcus Edwards and Ernest Nuamah, who looked to be close to heading to Goodison Park; however, it seems now the Lyon winger will be remaining in France.

There is a sense of hope, though, as in David Moyes' press conference, a special one for him as it will be the 61-year-old's 700th Premier League game as a manager, he stated that “overall, I’m still pretty hopeful we will make some additions before the end of the window, that’s for sure.” Moyes has also said that Dwight McNeil will more than likely need to undergo knee surgery. The Englishman has been on the sidelines undergoing specialist physiotherapy for approximately two months now and will need surgery, a huge blow to the team, as such a big asset will be out of the team for a long period of time, yet to be fully confirmed. Also, both James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam are close to making full recoveries and are both back on the grass with the first team, with Garner being the one to return quicker.

---

Premier League Gameweek 23:

Saturday 25th January:

Bournemouth 15:00 Nottingham Forest

Brighton & Hove Albion 15:00 Everton

Liverpool 15:00 Ipswich Town

Southampton 15:00 Newcastle United

Wolverhampton Wanderers 15:00 Arsenal

Manchester City 17:30 Chelsea

Sunday 26th January:

Crystal Palace 14:00 Brentford

Tottenham Hotspur 14:00 Leicester City

Aston Villa 16:30 West Ham United

Fulham 19:00 Manchester United

---

Thanks for reading my pre-match article!