‘I thought’ – Dyche heavily impressed by 22-year-old Everton player who made difference v Brighton

Everton are searching for their first win in the Premier League in 2024 after they failed to pick up all three points against Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Saturday. 

The Toffees took the lead in the second half through Jarrad Branthwaite who scored a cracking goal and was magnificent throughout the game.

They controlled the game following the dismissal of Billy Gilmour who picked up a straight red for a lunge on Amadou Onana. Just when it looked like the Toffees would finally pick up all three points, Lewis Dunk scored a brilliant header in stoppage time to spoil the party.

Sean Dyche was pleased with overall Everton’s approach, and he was specifically impressed by the performance of Onana. The Toffees boss said to Everton TV that the 22-year-old midfielder “made a difference” after he came on.

“I was frustrated with the first 20 minutes, but pleased with the second 20ish of the [first] half,” said Dyche after the game.

“Then second half, we had to make a change with Amadou (Onana) coming on – he made a difference and I thought he did well. Again, we took on the second half really well, didn’t give too much and looked a threat.”

Will Everton keep hold of Amadou Onana?

Eyebrows were raised when the teamsheet came out as Onana found himself on the bench. He was fit enough to start but Dyche decided to go with Idrissa Gueye.

The 34-year-old midfielder picked up a groin injury during the game and he was replaced by Onana early in the second half.

Onana is a dynamic midfielder but he has also struggled with injuries this season, and probably that’s why Dyche wanted to protect him. He has made 16 starts in the Premier League thus far and has two goals to his name.

It looks like Gueye could be out for a while, and Onana is likely to replace him in the starting line-up. There has been interest in the midfielder from top Premier League clubs, and Everton may struggle to hold on to him, especially if they suffer relegation.

Brighton vs Everton: Opposition Analysis | Blues Still Searching For That Elusive Victory

Everton once again failed to secure a win on Monday night, in being held to a draw by Crystal Palace at Goodison Park. Their inability to defeat a substantially weakened Eagles outfit on home turf served to further highlight a major weakness in the team: its problem in forcing a game against an opponent playing cautiously.

The visitors were clearly happy to depart Liverpool with a point, but it was frustrating watching how poor the Blues were in constructing attacks and developing build-up play. With managerless Palace playing a back five and going long, the opportunities for the hosts to capitalize on transition – one of their strong points – was removed from the equation.

That makes it nine league games in a row without a win for Everton, who sit 17th in the table, above Luton Town by virtue of a superior goal difference. Next up, the team faces an arduous trip to the Amex, to play Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.

Form

The Seagulls finished sixth last season, the club’s highest-ever finish in the top flight, under manager Roberto De Zerbi. So successful a campaign was it that in the summer they lost three important players to more powerful, monied sides in Chelsea and Liverpool, the former taking both Moises Caicedo and Robert Sanchez, the latter World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister, generating close to €200m in sales for the South Coast outfit. Such is the price of progression in the Premier League.

Brighton have been inconsistent since, winning five of 13, with four defeats. They welcome Everton having won two of their last three, losing the other to a 96th minute goal against Tottenham Hotspur. Last Sunday they pulverized a hapless Sheffield United outfit 5-0 at Bramhall Lane. The Seagulls currently sit in seventh spot in the table, 18 points ahead of the Toffees.

Style of Play

Under De Zerbi, the hosts have gone with a 4-2-3-1 formation most of the time, including their last two outings, which ended a run of games using a 3-4-3. The Italian espouses a progressive, attacking style of football. Something of an outlier in his homeland, from a tactical point of view, he’s assimilated well into life in the English game, with his Brighton side amongst the neutral’s favourites – unsurprising considering the 88 goals scored for and against in their league matches so far this season; by comparison, there’s been 60 scored in Everton games.

The Seagulls employ a possession style, looking to build out from the back, offering a lot of movement within a fluid system; forwards dropping in to contribute and wingers often cutting infield causing confusion, disrupting rigid marking schemes and causing overloads. They trail only Manchester City in terms of share of possession and passing accuracy, going long only 6.3% of the time, about as third as often as Everton. Their attack is heavily skewed towards the left flank. The team generates 14.8 shots per 90 minutes (ranking joint fifth) and their 48 strikes exceed their xG (Expected Goals) tally by 5.7.

Unsurprisingly, such an expansive approach results in Brighton leaving themselves exposed at times, particularly as a result of their dogged commitment to playing out from the back. They’ve been beaten four times from counterattacks and given up five penalties, though the 12 attempts they allow per 90 actually ranks fifth in the division. The South Coast side have shipped 40 goals this term, rather worse than an xGA (Expected Goals Allowed) metric of 36.4 suggests they should have conceded.

Player Assessment

Called up to the German national side at age 32, Pascal Gross is at last earning recognition for being a really pretty good footballer, at a late stage of his career. The versatile midfielder leads the team in SCA (Shot-Creating Actions) per 90 with 5.17 and is both a playmaker and primary set-piece man. He averages 3.02 key passes per game and has provided nine assists this term.

So, exploiting transitions and – of course – dead ball situations – is where Everton figures to get most joy. I expect a similar lineup to that which took to the pitch on Monday, with changes most likely on the right side. Seamus Coleman will be a late call due to illness, but if he’s fit I expect him to replace Ben Godfrey at full back; if not then it’ll be a tossup between Ben and Ashley Young. Either way, I expect Jack Harrison to return on the wing.

The Seagulls will be missing quite a few important players, but De Zerbi has been forced to rotate a lot already during the campaign, so this shouldn’t unduly disrupt them. I don’t foresee anything resembling last season’s stunning rout by Everton, but it should be an intriguing clash of styles and one which I think should be a tight affair. Brighton will rightly be favoured and I just don’t think lightning strikes twice for the Toffees.

Prediction: Brighton 1-1 Everton

‘Big feeling is’: Alan Myers suggests Everton appeal verdict won’t come today, new date being rumoured

Everton are closing in on a third week without hearing a peep regarding the outcome of their appeal.

The Merseyside outfit were swift to voice their disgrace with the initial ruling which saw the club deducted ten points back in November for a breach of the Premier League’s financial rules.

Ever since then, there has been an all-out war between the club and their division, seeking to profess their innocence against the backdrop of relentless fan protest.

Well, it seems that despite today being the day when many hoped to hear back, Alan Myers has suggested otherwise.

What Alan Myers has said about Everton’s appeal

Widely regarded as one of, if not the most reliable reporter related to Everton, his word is often gospel

However, already his mid-February prediction has proven incorrect, as the days melt away without an outcome.

Now returning with a new suggestion, he has taken to X in an effort to ease fans’ concerns, by writing: ‘No, I’m still guessing Thursday or Friday big feeling is it could be end of the month’

It seems that there is an end to this relentless misery, but the manner in which it keeps getting postponed is indicative of how unprepared and shoddy the Premier League have been throughout this process.

The Premier League’s waiting game is getting boring

777 Partners agreed to a deal with Farhad Moshiri to take over at Everton in September. In a process that normally takes approximately eight weeks to ratify, we are into our 22nd.

Then, having seen the trial end well over two weeks ago now, we are just three days away from a third week without a verdict. How long does it take to make a decision based on what was presented so long ago?

This Premier League waiting game is getting so painfully tiring, and is only adding to the growing resentment many fans feel towards their own division.

The manner in which they have alienated one of their most historic institutions is laughable, and at this point any kind of reduction in the initial sanction will be beneficial just to see them proven wrong.

After years and years of cutting costs and offloading stars just to comply with a set of PSR guidelines no longer fit for purpose, the punishments continue, with Simon Jordan predicting further misery later in the season for this club.

It is a never-ending nightmare for Everton on all fronts, and one which now seems set to continue should Myers’ premonition come to fruition.

.