Everton 1-1 Brighton: Point gained from tricky Toffees tie

Based on some of the reactions to Everton 1-1 Brighton, you could have been forgiven for thinking the Albion had been walloped 5-1 again by Sean Dyche’s Toffees.

There was a little dismay at only taking a point from Goodison Park. In part, that is a compliment to the fantastic job Roberto De Zerbi has done over the past year.

But it also a little bit arrogant. Has one sixth placed finish turned certain Seagulls supporters into those fans of other teams we have spent years deriding? Are we now the “Teams like Brighton” crowd, believing the Albion should be beating teams like Everton?

Glow Up Graham Potter used to love saying there are no easy games in the Premier League. And woe betide me for agreeing with that snake, but he is right.

Everton had won won five of their last seven matches with a manager we never beat at a stadium we have won twice at in 121 years. For Brighton to come away with a point from Goodison Park whilst being nowhere near their best is a good result.

And who knows how different the outcome might have been had VAR not stuck its unwanted beak in once again? For the first time since decimalisation and Maggie Thatcher deciding to end free school milk for children, Brighton scored an actual goal from an actual set piece.

Except they hadn’t. Stockley Park looked and concluded that Evan Ferguson – who played zero, zilch, nil part – had a nose hair offside when Lewis Dunk volleyed home a Pascal Gross free kick. Goal disallowed for offside and exhibit 279 for the case proving VAR has made football worse, not better.

If that goal stands, Brighton are level just seven minutes after falling behind to an early opener from Vitalii Mykolenko. Everton do not stick every single man behind the ball in an attempt to defend their lead at all costs.

A much more open game takes place, suiting the Albion rather than one which involves them trying to find their way through a low block.

Brighton end up doing much more with their significant amount of possession (80 percent by full time) compared to scoring just once. It is a totally different afternoon on Merseyside.

Of course, VAR either sodding off or sorting itself out would be less of a talking point if the Albion stopped giving away cheap goals.

Brighton are yet to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League this season and it is hard to see that statistic changing anytime soon.

Just seven minutes had elapsed when they conspired to help give Everton the lead. Bart Verbruggen had already kept out a Abdoulaye Doucoure volley after James Milner cocked up clearing Dwight McNeil’s left wing cross before McNeill again caused further problems down the flank.

Joel Veltman could not stop a low pass into the box, meaning Verbruggen was forced into another smart reaction save from Mykolenko.

The ball went straight back to the Ukrainian, whose low shot was drilled too easily past Jan Paul van Hecke and then deflected off Dunk to defy Verbruggen and put the Toffees ahead.

Dunk’s brilliant volley came next and it was not long until Everton found themselves furious with the officials. A risky barge from Veltman into the back of McNeil perilously close to the Brighton area might well have been given as a penalty. Veltman and the Albion were lucky to escape.

At half time, Brighton had recorded 84 percent possession. Whilst such numbers will help boost the much-cited pass completion stats of Dunk in particular, Jordan Pickford had not been forced into a meaningful save.

That changed early in the second half when Dunk lined up a free kick some 25 yards out from goal. Dunk taking free kicks has received much mockery, seeing as he had not hit the target with one since scoring at Liverpool in 2019 – and only because Alisson Becker was caught unawares by quickly struck effort.

So, you wait four years for a Dunk free kick to go vaguely close to the goal and then two come along in the space of six days. After hitting the bar in the 1-1 draw with Fulham on Sunday, this time it took a great save at full stretch from Pickford to deny the Albion captain.

Having been double and at times triple marked throughout the first hour, Kaoru Mitoma belatedly found some room in which to work. With the Albion unable to pass their way through, Mitoma’s pace and directness was to prove crucial.

One of his first successful runs to the by-line took him beyond Ashley Young. His low pass back into the box caused chaos amongst not just Everton players but the Albion too, Joao Pedro and Evan Ferguson colliding. That worked out surprisingly well as the loose ball fell to Gross, who struck just over.

As the game ticked towards its conclusion, you could feel the Everton support becoming more tense and nervous. The Albion to their credit never gave up; they kept passing the ball, trying to create an overload and make an opening happen.

The Toffees were tiring having been made to chase the ball around all afternoon. Eventually, Mitoma took advantage of the heavy legs in the Everton ranking by scoring for Brighton to make it 1-1.

Substitute Mahmoud Dahoud swept a lovely aerial switch out to the left flank. Mitoma twisted and teased his way beyond Jack Harrison before hitting a cross which caught Ashley Young to deflect beyond Pickford for an own goal.

Having been content to sit back for the best part of 80 minutes, Everton suddenly found renewed eagerness to go on the attack.

A combination of Dunk, Gross and Verbruggen kept out a James Tarkowski header from a corner on the line in the closest the Toffees came to snatching a second goal.

Which would have been harsh on the Albion. Brighton can and will play better than they did when drawing 1-1 away at Everton.

Picking up a point when not at your best? Sign of a good team – and something to remember before bemoaning a draw at Goodison.