Everton team news: Ferguson could return

Albion will be looking for their third home win in nine days on Bank Holiday Monday (5.30pm kick-off) when Everton visit the Amex in a sold-out game carrying importance at both ends of the table.

If we could complete our sixth Premier League double of the season, having won 4-1 at Goodison Park on 3 January, it would lift us up to sixth in the table and keep our push for European football on track.

Everton have just as much to play for. Three points could lift them from 19th to 16th.

Team news

Jakub Moder, Adam Lallana and Tariq Lamptey remain long-term absentees, but head coach Roberto De Zerbi said there is a chance Evan Ferguson, who scored when the teams met at Goodison Park, could return after missing four games with an ankle injury. Joel Veltman (hamstring) is a doubt having missed last Thursday’s win over Manchester United.

Previous meetings

Albion have won four of the 11 meetings with the Toffees in the Premier League era, including the last two – both at Goodison. Everton won at the Amex on their last visit – 2-0 in August 2021 – while our last victory over them in Sussex came in October 2019 when we triumphed 3-2 thanks to a late own goal by Lucas Digne. Pascal Gross and Neal Maupay, now an Everton player, also netted for Albion.

Player to watch

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s return to fitness for the run-in could be crucial to Everton’s survival hopes. Injuries have restricted the England forward to 14 Premier League starts this season but he scored his second goal of the season in last Monday’s 2-2 draw at Leicester City. He has 47 goals and 11 assists in 178 appearances in the top flight and was on target when Everton won at the Amex on their last visit at the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

Stats and facts

• Following their 4-1 win at Goodison Park in January, Albion are looking to complete their first ever league double over Everton.
• Everton won this exact fixture 2-0 last season but have never won consecutive away league games against Brighton before.
• Albion have scored seven goals in their last two Premier League games against Everton, beating them 4-1 in the reverse fixture this season. It's just one fewer than they'd netted in their first nine against the Toffees in the competition (8).
• Brighton have won five of their seven Premier League games against sides in the relegation zone this season (D1 L1). Both failures so far have been against Nottingham Forest, including a 3-1 loss in their last such match last month.
• Everton are winless in their last 18 Premier League away games against sides in the top half of the table (D7 L11), though their last such victory was at fourth-placed Brighton in August 2021 (2-0).
• Albion have won just one of their 12 Premier League games played on a Monday (D8 L3), though it did come in their only such game so far this season, beating Southampton 3-1 on Boxing Day.
• Everton are winless in 13 Premier League away games (D6 L7), though four of their last five have finished level. Of the 17 teams to play across both campaigns, the Toffees have won fewer away games (3), fewer away points (21) and scored fewer away goals (28) than any other Premier League side since the start of last season.
• Everton manager Sean Dyche is unbeaten in all five of his Premier League away games against Brighton (W2 D3), winning 3-0 in his most recent visit with Burnley in February 2022.
• Albion forward Danny Welbeck has been involved in eight goals in his eight Premier League starts against Everton, scoring four and assisting four. Only against West Ham (9 – 6 goals, 3 assists) has he been involved in more goals in the competition.
• Alex Iwobi has been involved in eight Premier League goals this season (2 goals, 6 assists), more than any other Everton player. Only in 2018-19 while at Arsenal has the Nigerian been involved in more in a single campaign (9 – 3 goals, 6 assists).

Match officials

Referee: Simon Hooper

Assistant Referees: Adrian Holmes & Mark Scholes

Fourth Official: Graham Scott

VAR: Darren England