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Everton need Seagulls win to re-start season

By Matt Townsend

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 28: Andros Townsend of Everton tangles with Alexis Mac Allister of Brighton during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Everton at American Express Community Stadium on August 28, 2021 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 28: Andros Townsend of Everton tangles with Alexis Mac Allister of Brighton during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Everton at American Express Community Stadium on August 28, 2021 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) /
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After two cancelled matches in a row Everton finally return to Premier League action this afternoon as they host Brighton at Goodison Park.

With their recent terrible form and some truly dreadful performances, Everton really do need a win today to re-ignite the season and get 2022 off to a positive start.

The club have already made their first signing of the January transfer window with Vitaly Mykolenko having joined yesterday.

The Ukrainian is very unlikely to feature this afternoon and it seems as though Lucas Digne. the man he has alledgedly been signined to replace, will be in contention to return to the team after his recent absence.

As for other player news, Rafa Benitez said that Dominic Calvert-Lewin is ready to return and might even start although it’s not certain he will or how long he would play if he did.

At any rate, it will be very welcome to see the England centre-forward finally back in Everton colours after such a long absence. And, it would also be appropriate for him to play today as his last match before all his recent injury woes was the away win at Brighton at the end of August.

A repeat of that performance and result – which was arguably the team’s best of the season -would be very welcome obviously and be a perfect way to kick off a new year too.

The Blues’ also need to repeat the kind of focus and determination they produced in their last game that saw them take an unexpected point at championship-chasing Chelsea two weeks ago.

The commitment and energy showed at Stamford Bridge was exactly right and needs to be the basic template for the rest of the season.

Young players Jarrad Brathwaite and Anthony Gordon were especailly good on the night and their efforts and contribution represents something positive to build on after so much negativity over the last few months. Hopefully, Benitez will continue to give them a chance to develop.

Brighton come into the match in better overall form than their hosts (that’s not difficult though!) but they have drawn six of their last nine games including getting a point at Chelsea in their last outing.

The Seagulls have a well-regarded English coach in Graham Potter who was rumoured to be a contender to take over at Goodison Park this summer.

They have some excellent players too. In particular Yves Bissouma, a player who seems to be  exactly what the Toffees are looking for in terms of midfield reinforcements.

But, they do struggle to score goals and after a really strong start their season, like Everton’s, has gone downhill and in fact they’ve only won one Premier League game since beating Leicester City back in mid-September.

So, all in all with this game at Goodison Park it represents a good opportunity for the Blues’ to get another needed three points especially as recent results around them have pushed the Toffees’ further down the table.