The call for a winter break intensified within me as every second of this first half passed me by. It was a real mission to get through it all and to have to intently watch it to award these ratings, for which I am a real trooper and I will not be told otherwise.
There was moments of good football scattered throughout a half filled with Richarlison being kicked to kingdom come and Theo Walcott giving the ball away. Bernard maybe should have scored, Yerry Mina defended well and there were a few lax moments in possession. The usual Everton half.
The second half came too quickly and it started off with Brighton continuing their heavy-handed approach but ramped it up even more with beyond poor tackles on Richarlison and Lucas Digne, and Solly March – egged on by over-eager-phone-in-hand-with-camera-recording ‘fans’ – continued to play long after everyone had told him to put the ball out, on both sides.
The commentator seemed to side with him, so that makes it alright.
We fell apart after that interruption, apparently, as Locadia scored shortly after and everyone besides Pickford decided to call it a day.
