Everton and Brighton played a 0-0 stalemate at the Amex Stadium
Everton dropped points once again, raising serious questions over the hopes of finishing in European places. The draw against Brighton now leaves Everton in 8th place with 49 points. The game lacked any sort of interesting and decisive moments as the Toffees only registered one shot on target over the course of 90 minutes. In its truest sense, this was a snoozefest not many people were prepared for but keeping in mind the team that Everton had to the lineup, the expectations had to be kept at a bare minimum.
Everton fans were left in shock and were stupefied by the lineup announced by Everton. A total of six traditional defenders started the game as the Toffees were without usual starters Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Allan meanwhile Joshua King was also not on the bench.
Carlo Ancelotti revealed DCL had an abductor problem in the final training session and didn’t feel comfortable. Allan was not 100% fit and was not risked. The Toffees had one of the youngest benches with the average age being 20.12 years. Ancelotti went with a back three of Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina. Mason Holgate featured in central midfield alongside Tom Davies.
Everton truly missed their No.9 Calvert-Lewin as the Toffees simply could not score or create any threat in the Seagulls’ final third. Everton couldn’t see a lot of ball either which ultimately restricted James Rodriguez and Sigurdsson from providing service to Richarlison.
Here are the Everton player ratings:
Robin Olsen – 6
Robin Olsen had a busy start to the game as Brighton got early corners. The Swede collided with the towering Yerry Mina giving a scare to the already depleted Everton side but had very little to do throughout the first 45 minutes.
Olsen made a big save from Lewis Dunk’s calmly guided header in the second half. In total, the Roma loanee made three saves but at no point was made uncomfortable by the Brighton attack.
Ben Godfrey produced another rock solid performance
Michael Keane – 6
Michael Keane looked a bit unsettled in the opening phases of the game. Playing on the left side of the back three, the Englishman had a decent outing, nothing spectacular, nothing horrendous. Switched to the centre in the back three after Yerry Mina’s injury and looked more secured and comfortable. Overall, Keane had an average game and spent most of his time limiting the strength of Brighton’s strikers. Was booked late in the game.
Yerry Mina – 6
Yerry Mina was probably the best defender in the back three in the first half, making a much needed block from a Neal Maupay’s shot that would have otherwise ended in the back of the net. It was a shame that the Colombian was forced off due to an injury in the left thigh, adding his name to the never ending list of injured Everton players this season.
Ben Godfrey – 7
Ben Godfrey playing on the right side of the back three, looked comfortable on the ball and coped well with the pressure put by Brighton. Danny Welbeck created problems in the first few minutes but Godfrey and Coleman did a respectable job on the right to keep him silent.
The former Norwich City man produced a crucial block from Welbeck’s shot in the second half to keep the scoreline even at 0-0. Godfrey was the best defender over the course of 90 minutes, showing aggression and athleticism.
Tom Davies was Everton’s main midfield man in absence of Allan and Gomes
Lucas Digne – 6.5
After the initial few minutes of Brighton’s pressure, Lucas Digne did have chances to get forward and swing a few crosses but couldn’t produce the decisive cross. Digne did get forward in the second half but the lack of killer touches meant the Frenchman’s forward raids were in vain. Not a memorable night for the former Barcelona man.
Mason Holgate – 6.5
Playing in an unfamiliar role, this was one of the biggest tests of the season for Mason Holgate. The 24 year old last played in midfield in December 2019 in a game against Manchester United. Holgate showed a lot of commitment even though it didn’t translate exactly how he would’ve liked, looking a bit rusty.
Following Mina’s injury, the former Barnsley man returned to the defence after a cameo in midfield. Holgate looked disciplined in the central defence and did well to keep Maupay in check. Picked up a late yellow card.
Tom Davies – 6
Tom Davies made a lovely run in the box as Coleman swung a cross but the 22 year old didn’t get the header right. Davies looked at the heart of things in midfield and took the responsibility as the chief midfielder of the team. He made four recoveries and won three duels while also registering three shots.
He is not your ideal goalscorer but he did have half decent chances. Davies came off in the final minutes of the game for Nathan Broadhead, with the U23 star making his Premier League debut for the Royal Blues.
Gylfi Sigurdsson – 6
Gylfi Sigurdsson was unreal in certain phases of the play, threading a beautiful pass to Digne in the first half but then was also absent for periods of the game and couldn’t make much of the impact in the first half. Sigurdsson had 56 touches on the ball throughout the game but struggled to make an impact offensively.
Seamus Coleman – 6.5
Seamus Coleman enjoyed the first spell of the game as he surged forward on multiple occasions, with a juicy run on the right flank almost from the halfway line before the Irishman crossed in the box targeting Tom Davies but the Scouser failed to hit the target and instead headed it wide. Coleman did lose the ball a few times but also made those much needed attacking runs.
Richarlison struggled in front of the goal
James Rodriguez – 6
As Everton struggled to get on the ball and retain possession, James Rodriguez at times was cut a frustrated figure without the ball. When he had the ball, he sprinkled magic with his foot, picking exemplary passes and unbelievable vision.
If Colombian had more possession and players around him willing to take chances, the scoreline could’ve been different.
Richarlison – 5
The goalscoring burden was on the shoulders of Richarlison and there simply wasn’t enough threat posed by the Brazilian to the Brighton defence. Everton did not only miss DCL’s goalscoring threat but also missed his aerial dominance and physicality in the final third.
Richarlison failed to register a single shot throughout the 90 minutes, summing up the bland and silent night Everton had in front of the goal.
What are your thoughts on the 0-0 draw?