Everton injected life into their Premier League survival bid as a first-half blitz at high-flying Brighton secured a shock 5-1 victory on the south coast.
Having gained simply as soon as of their earlier 11 league video games, the guests wanted simply 33 seconds to interrupt the impasse by means of Abdoulaye Doucoure’s close-range end.
The wonderful Doucoure doubled Everton’s lead with a managed volley from Dwight McNeil’s Twenty ninth-minute cross earlier than Jason Steele miscalculated a cutback from the previous Burnley winger to divert the ball into his personal internet within the thirty fifth minute.
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi made 4 modifications on the interval and the hosts hit the woodwork on two events earlier than McNeil deservedly capped a positive efficiency with a purpose of his personal to sucker-punch the Seagulls within the 76th minute.
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Doucoure’s managed end put Everton 2-0 forward
Alexis Mac Allister was available to attain a comfort for the hosts after Kaoru Mitoma’s preliminary effort rebounded again off the put up. With nearly the ultimate kick, McNeil was unleashed by Amadou Onana together with his angled end excessive into the roof of the web finishing a shocking away efficiency.
The consequence strikes Everton from nineteenth as much as sixteenth within the desk forward of Nottingham Forest’s house conflict with Southampton in a while Monday, two factors exterior of the relegation zone.
Participant scores
Brighton: Steele (4), Caicedo (5), Webster (5), Dunk (5), Estupinan (5), Gross (6), Mac Allister (5), Buonanotte (4), Undav (4), Mitoma (6), Welbeck (5).
Subs: Colwill (6), March (7), Enciso (6), Ayari, Gilmour (n/a), Ferguson (6).
Everton: Pickford (9), Patterson (9), Mina (8), Tarkowski (7), Mykolenko (8), Garner (8), Gueye (8), Iwobi (7), Doucoure (9), McNeil (9), Calvert-Lewin (8).
Subs: Onana (n/a), Maupay (n/a).
Participant of the match: Dwight McNeil.
How Everton breathed life into survival bid
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Everton secured a shocking 5-1 win at Brighton
Lengthy after the ultimate whistle, the 4,000 travelling supporters have been unmoved, virtually in shock at what they’d witnessed. This has been an extended and wretched season, a repeat of 12 months in the past, however with out the talisman Richarlison, they’d seemed doomed.
Till now. A primary win on the highway since early October at Southampton has breathed spirit again into the Blues. Everton scored 5 targets in a Premier League away recreation for the primary time since December 2018 – a 5-1 win at Burnley – with this additionally their largest margin of victory on the highway since then.
Workforce information
There have been two modifications for Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi from Thursday’s Manchester United victory. Pascal Gross and Deniz Undav have been introduced in for Billy Gilmour and Julio Enciso, whereas Evan Ferguson returned from his ankle damage however began on the bench.
Sean Dyche additionally made a pair of modifications after his Everton aspect drew with Leicester on Monday. Yerry Mina made his first begin and look because the January journey to West Ham with Michael Keane making approach, whereas Nathan Patterson changed injured right-back Seamus Coleman.
Writing in his programme notes, supervisor Roberto De Zerbi alluded to how fatigue can be “inevitable” throughout Brighton’s hectic backlog of fixtures.
However it’s far simpler to deal with tiredness when the staff is successful, and positively within the method the roof got here off the Amex Stadium 4 days in the past courtesy of Alexis Mac Allister’s 99th-minute winner towards Manchester United. A 99 on the south coast; it have to be vacation season.
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Dominic Calvert-Lewin celebrates Everton’s quick begin
Brighton are readying their passports, however this was a totally surprising roadblock. On Monday they have been introduced with a really completely different problem in protecting their European aspirations on monitor. This was their third successive house recreation, having dismantled Wolves 6-0 on the finish of final month – however they fell behind inside 33 seconds.
Lewis Dunk was rolled with ease with Dominic Calvert-Lewin earlier than the striker picked out Doucoure for a close-range end, his shot shovelled past Steele. Everton had solely scored 12 away league targets, however Doucoure doubled his account on 29 minutes to cap a positive counter-attack.
Calvert-Lewin was once more concerned as he mixed with McNeil down the left channel, and the winger’s deep cross was volleyed previous Steele by the rampant Doucoure.
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Dwight McNeil celebrates after one in every of Everton’s targets
Six minutes later, it was 3-0 because the ball bounced off the again of Steele’s leg and in for an personal purpose from McNeil’s cross.
Jordan Pickford hadn’t been examined despite Brighton’s possessional dominance, and Everton may need prolonged their lead on the stroke of half-time when James Garner’s shot was brilliantly blocked by Lewis Dunk.
De Zerbi made a quadruple change on the break as Levi Colwill, Solly March, Julio Enciso and Evan Ferguson have been all summoned. Brighton instantly responded as March shot straight at Pickford. Ferguson rose – albeit judged from an offside place – to power England’s No 1 into an outstanding one-handed save onto the put up. It could have gone to VAR.
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Steele watches McNeil’s cross deflect into the web
Yerry Mina, on his first look below Dyche January and first begin since January, blocked heroically from March’s curling shot.
Ferguson’s subsequent try was tipped over by Pickford by way of the crossbar, with the following set-piece flicked onto the woodwork by Mac Allister.
Everton’s purpose was main a charmed life however Brighton have been undone as soon as extra on the counter as Iwobi discovered the underlapping run of McNeil following a poor tried move by March. As McNeil rounded Steele to faucet in on the road, March had pulled up holding his hamstring.
Brighton would instantly reply by means of Mac Allister, but it surely was becoming that McNeil would have the ultimate say with the decide of the bunch, gliding onto Onana’s move earlier than unleashing an unerring strike, postage stamp, past Steele.
Participant of the match – Dwight McNeil
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Dwight McNeil celebrates Jason Steele’s personal purpose
With seven targets and three assists, Dwight McNeil is having fun with his greatest Premier League season for purpose involvements (10), with Monday the primary time he is each scored and assisted in a league recreation for Everton.
Everton produce survival template for achievement
Sky Sports activities’ Ben Grounds on the Amex Stadium:
Nobody noticed this coming. In a season of shocks and surprises, this will nicely have been the best. Everton’s poor away kind has been well-documented whereas Brighton’s efficiency towards Manchester United 4 days earlier pointed in direction of a banker house win.
However Sean Dyche, who loved a 3-0 win as Burnley supervisor right here in February of final yr, loved his return to the Amex Stadium. From the primary whistle, his aspect had a good condition and carried out his recreation plan to perfection.
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Everton’s Dwight McNeil celebrates after Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele scores an personal purpose
The travelling followers will sing lengthy into the evening, believing that this, coupled with Leicester’s defeat at Fulham, has opened the door to a different nice escape.
Doucoure’s knack of arriving late within the field was lethal, capitalising on Brighton’s slack passing and sluggishness in monitoring again. The guests needed to be compact and have been reliant on Pickford’s heroics at occasions throughout a one-sided second half.
This was a spectacular off day for Brighton, who’ve been such a pleasure to observe this time period and deserve their ticket to Europe. However it will now be a check of their character as their rivals apply scoreboard stress forward of their subsequent try at taking part in catch up at Newcastle.
Brighton rocked – Opta stats
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Dominic Calvert-Lewin celebrates Everton’s quick begin
This was Brighton’s heaviest house defeat within the Premier League since July 2020, and a 5-0 loss towards Manchester Metropolis.This was the primary time a staff beginning the day within the backside three gained away towards a aspect within the prime seven of the desk since West Brom’s 5-2 victory over Chelsea in April 2021 (D10 L27 in between).Since their first Premier League season in 2017-18, Brighton have conceded a league-high 14 personal targets. They’ve shipped 5 this season, with no aspect doing so extra typically.What’s subsequent?
Brighton face two daunting away journeys of their subsequent two matches. First, they head to Arsenal on Sunday Could 14, kick-off 4.30pm, earlier than travelling to Newcastle on Could 18.
Everton now have simply three video games left to safe Premier League survival. They host Manchester Metropolis on Sunday at 2pm earlier than visiting Wolves after which ending at house towards Bournemouth.
Brighton’s remaining fixtures
Could 14: Arsenal (A) – Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm
Could 18: Newcastle (A) – Premier League, kick-off 7.30pm
Could 21: Southampton (H) – Premier League, kick-off 2pm
Could 24: Man Metropolis (H) – Premier League, kick-off 8pm, dwell on Sky Sports activities
Could 28: Aston Villa (A) – Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm
Everton’s remaining fixtures
Could 14: Man Metropolis (H) – Premier League, kick-off 2pm
Could 20: Wolves (A) – Premier League, kick-off 3pm
Could 28: Bournemouth (H) – Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm