Richarlison’s eighth league goal of the season gave Everton a hard-earned 1-0 win over Brighton at Goodison Park.
In the reverse fixture, VAR was the main talking point when Brighton were awarded a penalty late on to get them back into the game, and within five minutes VAR was again the centre of attention in this fixture
Everton started quickly and in the fourth minute, Theo Walcott made a great run in behind Lewis Dunk, as Walcott entered the area Dunk clearly pulled back the wide man causing him to lose his balance as he was about to strike the ball. When the ball did eventually go out of play referee David Coote was told by Michael Oliver, who was on VAR duty, that he was looking at the penalty shout.
After many minutes and what looked like 50 replays, Oliver decided not to award a penalty, much to the disbelief of the Everton players and fans alike.
Bernard, who was re-called to the starting XI for the game, was instrumental in everything good Everton did during the beginning stages. Firstly, in the 23rd minute he played in Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the striker raced to the byline and with Lucas Digne as an option free inside the area, he tried to catch Mathew Ryan off-guard by finding the far corner, but it fell just wide.
Moments later and it was Bernard who almost found the far corner. The ball was pulled back to the edge of the area to an unmarked Bernard, who faked to shoot on his left foot, sending two Brighton players the wrong way. With his right foot he looked for the opposite corner but Adam Webster blocked the Brazilian’s effort.
Everton continued to push for the lead that their play deserved and they finally got their just reward in the 37th minute. Digne, who has admittedly been poor in recent weeks, looked much more like his former and better self today, and was always an option on the left-wing, with the Frenchman helping to set up Richarlison by picking out the forward from wide.
Richarlison touched the ball past Shane Duffy, trapped it and them with his right foot he curled it into the far bottom corner.
Moments later and it was almost 2-0. Gylfi Sigurdsson whipped in a great free-kick from deep, and it looked like a simple tap in for Michael Keane, but Shane Duffy raced back and got his head to the ball, therefore hitting Keane before he could react.
Everton who started the first half quickly started the second very sloppily and almost conceded inside a minute. Tom Davies received the ball on the edge of his own box and as he turned to go forward. He was immediately closed down by Bernardo, he then played in Leandro Trossard who blazed over the bar from close range, however the referee had blown for a foul on Davies.
Brighton continued to keep the pressure on Everton, looking to get back into the game and Leandro Trossard who blazed over from close distance, then rattled the bar from the edge of the area, a goal very similar to the one Everton conceded last week in the 1-0 defeat to Liverpool.
This looked to wake up Everton as seconds after Trossard hit the bar, Richarlison thought he had made it 2-0. Digne once again made a run down the left side, drilled the ball low across the area to Richarlison, but Lewis Dunk was in his way to deny him his second of the game.
Next, it was Dominic Calvert-Lewin who had the chance to make it two, but Mathew Ryan was determined to keep the score at 1-0. Theo Walcott’s cross evaded everyone and fell to Bernard on the opposite side of the area, who then beat his man and picked out Calvert-Lewin and from close range, he flicked it goal-ward, but Ryan made himself big and denied the Everton striker.
The Australian shot-stopper was once again called into action moments after. Dominic Calvert-Lewin shrugged off Lewis Dunk as he tried to pull him back, he raced towards goal and tried his luck from the edge of the box, but once again, Ryan was equal.
With fifteen minutes of play to go, it looked like Everton had finally doubled their lead through Calvert-Lewin. Lucas Digne’s in-swinging corner caused problems as it struck the far post and was then bundled over the line by Calvert-Lewin, but VAR deemed he had used his arm, so referee David Coote disallowed the goal and produced a yellow card.
With all those chances wasted by Everton, Brighton introduced Glenn Murray to try and salvage a point and he almost did that with 10 minutes to play. Murray ran in front of his marker Holgate to get on the end of Trossard’s cross, it looked as if it was heading for the bottom corner, but Jordan Pickford got down low to prevent the equaliser.
With three minutes of the game to play, Goodison fell silent as Glenn Murray looked to have levelled the game. Neal Maupay was given too much freedom in the centre of the field and ran at the Everton defence, as he was closed down, he poked the ball past Yerry Mina to Murray, and with the ball bobbling he lifted it over the onrushing Pickford, but it fell just the wrong side of the post as Everton held onto all three points, in a game that they should have won with ease.
