Match Reports

Report: Everton 3 Albion 1

By Kieran Cleeves • 03 November 2018

  • Albion are beaten 3-1 at Everton
  • Lewis Dunk levels after Richarlison’s opener
  • Seamus Coleman and Richarlison put Everton back in front
  • The Seagulls travel to Cardiff City next Saturday

Brighton & Hove Albion were unable to continue their Premier League winning streak at Goodison Park this afternoon, as Everton performed well to frustrate the Seagulls and record a 3-1 victory.

Lewis Dunk headed home to cancel out Richarlison’s opener for the hosts, but the Brazilian’s second of the game and a clinical finish from Seamus Coleman put the Toffees back in front to secure maximum points.

Chris Hughton named an unchanged team for their visit to Merseyside, with Solly March providing support for Glenn Murray in the attacking third, while Albion’s defence looked for their fourth clean sheet in a row.

The hosts started the game on the front foot and created two clear-cut opportunities for Gylfi Sigurdsson inside the opening 15 minutes, but the midfielder sliced his first chance wide before prodding into the side-netting soon after.

Theo Walcott then used his well-known pace to race down the side of Dunk and make it to the byline, but the Albion defender surged back to block the winger’s low-driven cross.

Albion won their first corner of the game after 26 minutes, but from Alireza Jahanbakhsh’s cleared delivery to the back post, the Toffees broke at rapid speed and Richardson fired past Maty Ryan to finish the move and break the deadlock.

Seven minutes later and Hughton’s side were given another chance to cause trouble from a Jahanbakhsh corner, and Albion did exactly that as the Iranian’s short corner to March was then whipped towards the back post.

With numerous bodies tussling to meet the ball inside the goalmouth, there was Dunk to rise highest and connect with a powerful downward header to beat Jordan Pickford from close range and level the game.

Beram Kayal slipped a pass through for Jose Izquierdo to chase shortly before the break, but after the Colombian turned his marker inside out, his left-footed attempt was blocked and the half-time whistle was blown.

The teams returned for the second half and Albion were put under constant pressure as Everton came agonisingly close to retaking the lead through Idrissa Gana Gueye and Walcott.

Gueye’s low-driven effort cannoned back off the upright to find Bernard out wide, and when the Brazilian picked out Walcott at the far post, his team-mate fired over the crossbar from close range.

Albion’s struggle to retain possession continued throughout the second period, as they had trouble establishing any rhythm on the ball, while the hosts applied pressure and looked to further their advantage.

Hughton introduced Anthony Knockaert and Yves Bissouma, as the Seagulls went in search of a reaction, but the difficulty of their task was increased in the 77th minute when Richarlison bagged his brace.

Dunk’s square pass was intercepted by the Brazilian, who then rounded both Duffy and Ryan to simply finish into an unguarded goal to make it 3-1 and put the game further out of reach for Hughton’s men.

Pickford tipped over from Jahanbakhsh in the closing stages, but the Toffees comfortably held on to their healthy lead and Albion's search for a victory at Goodison Park continued.

ALBION: Ryan; Bruno, Duffy, Dunk, Bong; Jahanbakhsh, Stephens, Kayal (Andone 78), Izquierdo (Knockaert 63); March (Bissouma 70); Murray.

Subs not used: Steele (GK), Bernardo, Balogun, Locadia.