Everton in Brighton: Opposition analysis | Nothing that you have to fear, everything you have to play for

The David Moyes 2.0 era started last weekend with the team’s exciting 3-2 home win Tottenham Hotspur. In the last game there was a false start at the last minute Everton had shown some positive signs of improvement under her new (old) boss, but failed in Goodison Park and lost against Aston Villa. However, there was nothing wrong with the team’s support missiles.

The admittedly exhausted guests were overwhelmed by the blues, with a performance in the first half, as was rarely experienced in Old Lady in recent years. The last season of the big old stadium was rewarded with a game that was worthy of its history and reputation, and it is to be hoped that there will be at least a few days before it comes to an end.

However, it is a change of wallpaper for the Toffees today, because they go on the long trip to the south to the Amex, where they compete against the ninth -placed Brighton & Hove Albion.

Form

The Seagulls experienced their very first initiative in European football last season and ended up eleventh place – 14 points less than in the previous season. The strength of the team was put to the top of the round of the Europa League by moving into the round of 16 and perceived as somewhat poor. The ambitious manager Roberto de Zerbi had made an unfortunate figure in the second half of the season and switched to new tasks in summer to be replaced by the (at least for me), terrifyingly young Fabian Hürzeler. If Brighton had collected considerable funds in the previous season due to the sale of important players, then last summer they screwed it up with net transfer expenditure of more than 190 million euros like a Las Vegas High Roller.

From the new additions, full -back Ferdi Kadıoğlu (30 million euros, Fenerbahce) showed the first impression before he got a toe injury that will exclude him from today’s game. Another important newcomer, midfielder Mats Wieffer (32 million euros, Feyenoord), is also missing. Wing player Brajan Gruda (EUR 31.5 million, Mainz 05) passed a fitness test, his teammate, midfielder Matt O’riley (EUR 29.5 million, Celtic) is doubtful. Two more – striker Georginio Rutter (46.7 million euros) and the former goal of the blues, Yankuba Minth (35 million euros). Newcastle United) – were largely used by the bank, although both scored a goal last weekend.

The new trainer had a great start in England and lost only one of his first nine Premier League games after defeating the Toffees 3-0 at Goodison at the beginning of the season. The young German picked up some remarkable scalps and beat them Manchester UnitedSpurs and the magpies during this impressive run, with the only defeat approaching Chelseaat the Stamford Bridge. A respectable away defeat Liverpool followed, but the Seagulls recovered with two consecutive victories Manchester City And Bournemouth before they got into a doldrum: eight games without a win – but with only two defeats.

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However, the southern custody team has found their shape lately and has won the maximum score in the last two games. A routine 2-0 victory over Ipswich Town followed last weekend an ice-cold 3-1 victory against a pitiful United team in Old Trafford.

Playing style

Hürzeler is quite flexible in the way he sets up, although he almost always works with a simple chain of four. The young coach, born in the USA, has his own ideas about how he wants to play, but he is also in the early stages of a long career as a manager and is happy to adapt. He varied the formation in the course of the season, starting with a 4-2-3-1, then a 4-4-2 and back again, and in the last two games-both victories-he has a 4-1- 4 used -1 or 4-4-2. However, it should be noted that these two games took place away and Brighton used the 4-2-3-1 in each of his last three games in the Amex.

One of the core concepts of German is the desire to play through the opposing press. He will instruct the players to move to make it easier, with the full -backs occasionally turning around and the midfielder and even the strikers fall back to create overload and create options. This is clearly practiced in training and accordingly Brighton is one of the most press -resistant teams in the league.

What they are not, however, is a ball ownership: they have a ball share of 52.3 % (eighth), significantly less than 60.2 % under de Zerbi. Their success rate has also dropped – 85.3 % compared to 89 % in the last semester. Most of their overtaking maneuvers are short (only 8.8 % long), but if necessary they go directly, especially on the street. They are balanced in the attack, but prefer the left side.

Brighton scored 35 goals this season and thus significantly exceeded its XG value of 30.7. They achieve 14.1 shots per 90 minutes (together sixth place), but lead the division in experiments from central areas (74 %), which could explain their overall performance. Nothing stands out as a special focus when it comes to the situations that score from: neither standard situations, general moves nor counterattack.

Defensive, the Seagulls only allow 11.6 shots per 90 (seventh place). They are very important in terms of the number of blocked flanks and fouls committed, which is characteristic of a team with strong pressing. They conceded 30 goals, which is something above their XGA of 32.2, and they defend standard situations well, but were caught four times when countering.

Player rating

Kaoru witho is one of the main hazard of the hosts. After an injury -plagued previous season, he celebrated his return in shape and achieved eight goal involvement from his left wing this season. He scored a goal and a template against United last week and has to be observed closely. The Japanese international is clever to transport the ball into the penalty area (2.21 times per 90 minutes) and dribble (4.46 attempts, with a success rate of 42.5 %) and is with 3.59 SCA (Shot -Creating actions) of all the team’s regular players. Pro 90.

Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar about Getty Images

Since the regular incumbent Gruda is doubtful, Minth – who scored a goal in a rare start of the start last weekend and delivered a template – could keep his place on the right outer track. The fast gambier is a danger with the ball on the foot. He tried 5.8 dribbling per game (42.6 % success rate) and carries the ball 3.58 times per 90 at team height into the opposing area.

Carlos Baleba will work together in midfield with his 21-year-old compatriot Yasin Ayari. The Colombian leads the team for combined tackling and interceptions (4.65) and ball recovery (6.79) per 90. Baleba is an intelligent player whose passport ratio at 87.9 all non-defenders in Brighton leads and already worth significantly more than the 27 million euros that the association paid for him less than 18 months ago.

Solution

Although Brighton is considered a great success story of recent years – which they are – and Everton an absolute success factor in the same period (which is also true), it is worth mentioning that the Toffees have actually lost none of their last games At the Amex. In fact, we have to go back until October 2019 when Graham Potter was Seagulls coach and Marco Silva was sitting on the away bank for the last victory of the home side: 3-2, thanks to an own goal by Lucas Digne in the 94th minute, so the performance will be that the blues compete directly against each other, not supported by the story. With the full expectation of being able to achieve a positive result, the Merseysiders can travel to the south coast.

Formally, both recently left a winless doldrum behind. Everton will be in top form after the victory against the Spurs and it is obvious that the mood in the player team has increased significantly after Moyes’ arrival. It is difficult to estimate what the boss will do in terms of selection and training. It is very tempting to stay with what worked last time and I expect an unchanged list, although the team may take a chain of three than it was obvious against the Londoners. If the blues have tactical advantages over their opponents, then the unpredictability is certainly one of them.

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Brighton will try to invite the press, as we saw on the opening day in Goodison, where an aggressive home team caused numerous ball losses, but was unable to capitalize on it. If the guests show the same energy and determination as last weekend, they can cause problems for the hosts. Of course, the Brighton could play in the cards. However, I do not believe that Everton is passive and defensive, as would have been the case under Sean Dyche. In my opinion, the team will allow the hosts to play, but to put them under pressure at the beginning of the middle third and to maintain a compact defensive form, but above all to have the potential for quick counterattacks.

It should be noted that the Seagulls could not win any of their last four home games because they were played by Southampton, Brentford and Arsenal undecided – and were beaten by Crystal Palace. During this setback, the South Londoners acted in a 3-4-3 formation and limited the home side to low-proof inserts. More than half of the shots of Brighton were blocked and only late they managed an own goal of Marc Guehi.

Is Palace so much better than Everton? Could this game plan be repeated today? I believe that this is possible and that Moyes and his team paid particular attention to this result when preparing for the game. Under the new man it is still at the beginning, so I think a victory is possible, but unlikely. However, I believe that the Toffees can endure a lot here.

Prediction: Brighton 1-1 Everton

Statistics with the kind permission of transfermarkt.com,, fbref.com And whoscored.com