Brighton 1 Everton 5
It does not often happen that a side has 78% of the possession and a corner count of 15 to 1 but finishes up at the wrong end of a 5 goal thrashing but that was the fate of Brighton last night.
In fairness Everton played extremely well – from keeper Jordan Pickford who defied a potential Brighton comeback in the second half – to a forward Dominic Calvert Lewin who led the line so effectively. Dwight MacNeil was also a constant threat down the right.
Maybe Brighton should have started with Billy Gilmour, who had such a good game against Manchester United last Thursday, as for once they were out-fought in midfield.
In the Times sport section Bill Edgar contributes an entertaining column called The Game by Numbers in which he identifies statistical quirks.
I do not need him to inform me this is the first occasion that 3 Premiership matches produced 20 goals.
Brighton can still entertain European ambitions but, with trips to Arsenal this Sunday and Newcastle the following Thursday, it’s going to be tough as only Southampton at home on the 21st May really looks winnable.
