On a day of potential destiny in the fight for Premier League survival, Everton enjoyed an emphatic 5-1 romp at Brighton & Hove Albion to move out of the relegation zone and boost hopes that they can avoid what would be the club’s first relegation in 72 years.
After enjoying a new manager ‘bounce’ following Sean Dyche’s arrival, winning three of their first seven games, Everton had been victorious in just one of their previous 11 matches going into this contest but with Leicester City having been beaten 5-3 at Marco Silva’s Fulham earlier in the day and fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest and Southampton duking it out later on, the Blues did their job by producing their best display of a troubled season on and off the pitch by recording only their second away success of the campaign.
AS IT HAPPENED: Brighton and Hove Albion vs Everton LIVE
RATINGS Everton player ratings as Dwight McNeil perfect score and two others outstanding
The other was a 2-1 comeback success at Southampton back on October 1 but maybe there’s something about the salty south coast air that Everton enjoy as, at the stage of Dyche’s last Premier League win on the road (3-0 with Burnley on February 19 last year), they stunned Roberto De Zerbi’s high-flying side who had beaten them 4-1 at Goodison Park back in January under Frank Lampard.
The visitors were on it from the start and went ahead just 34 seconds into the contest as Dominic Calvert-Lewin neat turn had Brighton’s defence all in a spin and the striker picked out Abdoulaye Doucoure at the back post to score with a composed finish. The midfielder, whose Blues career has been revived spectacularly under Dyche then doubled his tally with a crashing volley, again at the back post but on the other side, 29 minutes in as he made contact with Dwight McNeil’s delicious cross.
Everton’s left winger, who was part of a ruthlessly effective counter-attacking unit, was then rewarded for his endeavours as he added a third goal on 35 minutes, hitting a low cross into the box, which rebounded off home keeper Jason Steele’s leg and into the net. Brighton, who made a triple substitution at the start of the second half, pushed hard after the break but found Jordan Pickford in inspired form and the visitors added a fourth on 76 minutes when Iwobi found McNeil whose fancy footwork took out Steele and Dunk and presented him with a tap-in.
The hosts finally found a big slice of good fortune three minutes later when Mitoma’s close range effort rebounded off the post and went into the net from point blank range off Alexis Mac Allister but like Demarai Gray’s stoppage time penalty in the reverse fixture, it was a mere consolation as Everton added a fifth in stoppage time as McNeil completed his ‘hat-trick’, smashing into the roof of the net to add the cherry on top of a richly-deserved and hopefully massive three points.
