(Premier League 2023/2024): Highlights Everton - Brighton

Well, it's a buoyant Everton that take to the field here at Goodison Park, having won five of their last seven matches in League and Cup. There's a renewed and most welcome feel-good factor around the club. Well, team news today sees Everton make two changes from Wednesday's cup win here, Amadou Anand missing today through injury, so he's replaced by Idrissa Garnier. And Abdoulaye Dekore is back on what is his 250th career appearance in English football. A reminder that this is Everton's final game at Goodison Park before Remembrance Sunday, so we will pay our own respects here this afternoon before we get underway. Check of the watch, and away we go. Well, Everton have suffered here at the hands of Brighton in the last couple of seasons, but I'll tell you what, Evertonians would rather look at the last meeting between the two clubs when the Blues smashed five past them down on the south coast in May. What a victory that was. Amadou Anand, unfortunately, tight calf, said Sean Dyche. Calvert-Lewin gets the little flicker, nudged into the path of Dwight McNeil, who can deliver from here, he does, it's decent, it might break, it does! Dekore's volleyed effort is beaten away by Verbruggen. Dekore, early opportunity for Everton, three minutes in. He's after another goal, he has scored 13 in his career for Everton, and when he does score in the Premier League, Everton have never lost. This will break Everton's way, Calvert-Lewin laying it out wide for McNeil. Just wanted room to get across, and he does! And the shot coming in from Mikheilenko, and again! To the second time of asking, Vitaly Mikheilenko! Inside seven minutes for Everton. His first effort was blocked, but he wasn't to be denied. What was he doing inside that 18-yard box? He just continued his run forward. McNeil got the ball in, he didn't have much room to deliver. Deflected on its way in, Mikheilenko. First effort blocked, not the second. Delight for him. Have a free-kick here, 13 minutes in. It is Grossford that deliver, he ran the back and put in by Lewis Dunk. What a finish that is from a centre-back. The Brighton captain has wrapped that home with his left boot. There might be a check here for offside, it's very tight. It's a brilliant finish. Everton are getting the decision. It is offside to the huge cheers inside Goodison Park. Van Gek for Gilmore. Given straight to Calvert-Lewin, and now Everton can break. Brighton getting men back, but Calvert-Lewin has support from Decorey. Goes alone, and it's well wide by the left boot of Calvert-Lewin. Six yards wide in the end, but encouragement from the Everton manager. Taking up possession from inside the Everton half, Calvert-Lewin driving on, in the end going alone. Approaching half-time. McNeil putting his head in where it hurts, and then going down from the referee in response. I'm not sure he's got a total grip of this game, the referee plaited into there. McNeil as he went through. Well, half-time at Goodison Park, Everton lead by a goal to nil. They say possession is nine-tenths of a law in football, Brighton have had the fair share of it, to say the least. But it's goals that win matches, and Everton have it, through Vitaly Mikhalenko, that goal coming in the seventh minute. And Brighton had one ruled out, Lewis Dunk's volleyed effort ruled offside. It's in Everton's favour as we go in at half-time. Everton 1-0 Brighton. Gonna see a Brighton change, first of all. Adam Lallana has been withdrawn, and João Pedro is on for him. So Brighton make a change, Everton kick off this second half, attacking the Gladys Street goal. But they'll be very much aware that Brighton have scored and conceded in all of their last 14 Premier League games going back to last season. Here's Billy Gilmour, little bit of space to advance into. Still going, Gilmour. And fouled on the edge of the penalty area. The referee was very close to that incident, and Tarkovsky again is querying the referee's decision. Coming in from behind, there's just a little nudge there, then he goes in for the challenge. And maybe catches the back of Billy Gilmour. He's got the wall organised. Lewis Dunk, who's delivered from this sort of range recently, tries again, and Pickford brilliantly saves. That's outstanding from Jordan Pickford, it's a great free kick from Lewis Dunk, but it's expertly saved by Jordan Pickford. That is best, again, for Everton. Dunk sweeps it for Matoma. Matoma trying to take on Ashley Young, Matoma into the penalty area, he's got a cutback, little fall here for Grosz, and he's lifted it over the bar. Everton players throwing themselves at the ball to ensure that Grosz didn't get a clear sight of goal, and Grosz lifted it. Good run by Matoma, he got the cutback he wanted, and then the little touch took it into the path for Pascal Grosz. De Corey does well, brings in Garnier. Switches it wide, but Milner, Bov Harrison, still with Everton though, Ashley Young, now Jack Harrison. Trying to flick it into the penalty area, breaks for Dwight McNeil! Not far away, went for power. And went for the goalkeeper's left-hand post. And almost got the better of him, just wide from McNeil. Looked as though for one moment he might curl it towards the far corner, but went to the goalkeeper's left in the end. Out wide they go, Matoma on his left foot. Deflected in, and deflected over Pickford. That is so unfortunate for Everton, because Matoma did not mean that, he was crossing that ball, and it's taken a wicked deflection to balloon over goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, nothing really that Ashley Young can do but shake his head in sheer frustration. Everton are undone by a fluke. Matoma receiving the ball out wide, turning away from Harrison here, back onto his left foot, putting a cross in. And that was the result. Here's Brant Thwaites. Now Everton are beginning to push on themselves. Decore, back for Harrison. Harrison trying to get away from Dahoud, and it'll be an Everton corner, surely. It is. Corner with three minutes of the 90 to play. Swung in, goalkeeper stays on his line, Decore, is it going in? It's smuggled away somehow, the ball was bubbling around between players, so close to the Brighton goal. And they escape. That is the final whistle, it does end all square at Goodison Park, the managers shake hands. A point it is for Everton against the Brighton side, they do score goals and they have done so in all their league games this season. So full-time here, and a rather wet Goodison Park now, it's finished, Everton 1-1 Brighton.