Everton will look to maintain their remarkable recent record at Brighton when they face the Seagulls at the Amex on Saturday.
The Toffees have won three and drawn two of their previous five trips to the south coast, which is remarkable given that the past five seasons have been among the worst in the club’s history.
They will perhaps be relieved to be away from home this weekend after their stuttering home form continued against Leeds. There are definitely some teething issues at Hill Dickinson Stadium,
on and off the pitch. Brighton were the first Premier League opposition there in August and the ground was rocking in the summer sunshine. Frustration has since set in as the adjustment continues after so long at Goodison.
The team at least showed spirit to fight back and earn a point against the Whites after a miserable first half. It is now five home games without a win, stretching back two months.
That is in sharp contrast to their excellent form on the road, winning four and drawing one of the last six, keeping five clean sheets.
That run has helped Everton keep in touch with the European places, though the tight nature of the league means they aren’t that far away from lower mid-table either. Another win here, however, could lift them as high as sixth.
The opposition
Brighton, like many teams, seem to be enduring a bit of a mid-winter wobble. They rose to fifth with a 2–0 win at Nottingham Forest at the end of November, but have won just once in 10 league games since – against struggling Burnley. They did, however, knock Manchester United out of the FA Cup with a fine 2–0 win at Old Trafford.
They have also lost just once at home – a dramatic 4–3 reverse against Aston Villa – earning 20 of their 30 points at the Amex.
Everton won 1–0 at Brighton last January for David Moyes’ second win in charge, with the game perhaps best known for Iliman Ndiaye being booked for imitating a seagull after scoring the winning penalty. The most notable win down there came in May 2023, when the Toffees somehow came away with a 5–1 victory that went a long way to securing their top-flight status.
Previous meeting
It was a historic afternoon last August when Everton beat Brighton 2–0 in the first Premier League game at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Iliman Ndiaye converted Jack Grealish’s cross for the opener, before Grealish then set up James Garner for the second to seal the win.
Team news
Everton were rocked by the news that Jack Grealish will indeed miss the rest of the season with a broken foot.
Thankfully, the news is better elsewhere. Michael Keane is back from his three-game ban for hair pulling, while Charly Alcaraz and Tim Iroegbunam are back in training after a knock. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jarrad Branthwaite made their comebacks against Leeds and are pushing for starts.
Everton’s fine away form and decent record at Brighton mean the fans should head south with confidence, especially with the injury list finally easing. The Seagulls are not an easy team to beat on their own turf, though, so I’m going for a score draw.
Final word
Everton’s fine away form and decent record at Brighton mean the fans should head south with confidence, especially with the injury list finally easing. The Seagulls are not an easy team to beat on their own turf, though, so I’m going for a score draw.
