A smash-and-grab raid courtesy of a beautiful strike from Jarrad Branthwaite, pouncing on a second ball after a set piece: this was Dyche-ball in its purest form. As 90 minutes ticked by, its philosopher king, Sean Dyche, seemed set to celebrate another win over Roberto De Zerbi, the artful dodger denying the aesthete. Everton’s muscle and antics had caused Brighton to lose their discipline, Billy Gilmour sent off for a studs-up tackle on Amadou Onana.
But the problem with playing for time in modern football is that it is usually now added on. In the fifth minute of nine in stoppage time, Lewis Dunk, after skill and composure from the ever-dependable Pascal Gross, nodded in the first header Everton have conceded all season. “We pressed all game, then they went down to 10 men and we stopped pressing,” said Branthwaite.
