Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion will be eager to get the ball rolling in their respective Premier League campaigns when they clash at Goodison Park on Saturday.
The 2024/25 season gets underway this week, with Gameweek 1 kicking off with the match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford on Friday night. Saturday will be an action-packed day, with Everton vs Brighton & Hove Albion being one of the fixtures in the afternoon session.
Everton endured a mixed-bag pre-season campaign, winning, losing, and drawing as many games in six outings. Some performances were impressive, but defeats to Salford City and Coventry City created some cause for concern. In addition, the Toffees remain in a precarious position on the PSR front despite coming through unscathed at the start of last month.
On the other hand, Brighton & Hove Albion are embarking on a new era after parting ways with Roberto De Zerbi and bringing in Fabian Hurzeler. The German tactician is one of the most exciting young managers in the game and will hope to make his mark this season after Brighton finished outside the top half last term. Meanwhile, the Seagulls have been busy in the market and enjoyed a perfect pre-season campaign, winning all five games.
The reverse fixture last season saw Brighton & Hove Albion coming from a goal down to hold Everton to a 1-1 draw, with Ashley Young scoring a late own goal. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Everton
Sean Dyche has a few pressing injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s first game of the 2024/25 season. Against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, the Everton manager will be bereft of the services of seven first-team players.
Jarrad Branthwaite is the most notable absentee, with the in-demand defender unavailable due to a groin injury. In addition, Dyche has a right-back crisis, with Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson on the sidelines. In addition, Michael Keane (knee), Dele Alli (groin), James Garner (calf), and Youssef Chermiti (foot) will not feature.
Jordan Pickford is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Everton lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him against Brighton & Hove Albion. The backline should feature Ashley Young, Vitaliy Mykolenko, Jake O’Brien, and the ever-present James Tarkowski.
As for the midfield unit, summer signing Tim Iroegbunam should line up alongside Idrissa Gueye and Abdoulaye Doucoure in the middle of the park. The trio will shore up things in the middle of the park, allowing Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Jack Harrison, and Dwight McNeil to express themselves freely in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pickford; Young, Tarkowski, O’Brien, Mykolenko; Iroegbunam, Gueye, Doucoure; Harrison, Calvert-Lewin, McNeil
Brighton & Hove Albion
Like his counterpart in the Everton dugout, Fabian Hurzeler has several fitness issues to deal with ahead of the trip to Goodison Park. The Brighton & Hove Albion manager might be without seven first-team players.
Bart Verbruggen (knock), Solomon March (knee), and Julio Enciso (knee) are certain absentees, with the former two not returning before next month. In addition, Hurzeler is sweating over the fitness of Pervis Estupinan, Tariq Lamptey, Billy Gilmour, and Evan Ferguson, although Gilmour has likely played his final game for Brighton.
Brighton & Hove Albion will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Everton, with Jason Steele taking his spot between the sticks. The backline should feature Joel Veltman, Jan Paul van Hecke, Lewis Dunk, and Valentin Barco.
As for the midfield unit, summer signing Mats Wieffer should line up alongside the ageless James Milner. Joao Pedro should have a free role in the final third, with Danny Welbeck leading the line for Brighton. Kaoru Mitoma and record-signing Yankuba Minteh should be the two wide attackers against Everton.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Steele; Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, Barco; Milner, Wieffer; Minteh, Joao Pedro, Mitoma; Welbeck
Key Stats
- Brighton & Hove Albion have taken seven points out of nine from their last three top-flight visits to Goodison Park, having their first four Premier League away games against Everton. The team scoring first has never lost this Premier League fixture, although the Toffees squandered 1-0 leads in both games last season to draw 1-1 each time.
- Everton won their final five home matches last season without conceding a goal. They can win six consecutive league home games without letting in a strike for the first time since a run of seven from December 1987 to March 1988.
- Brighton & Hove Albion are the only club to win their opening Premier League fixture in the last three seasons. They will look to win their season-opener in four consecutive seasons for the first time.
- Everton scored just 40 goals last season, the fewest of any Premier League team other than Sheffield United. Six teams surpassed Everton’s total goals tally solely in home games. However, only Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool let in fewer top-flight goals than Everton’s 51 in 2023/24.
- Brighton & Hove Albion won only four of their 19 away Premier League games in the 2023/24 season.
Player to Watch
Mats Wieffer
Brighton & Hove Albion have made a few impressive signings in the summer transfer window, including club-record arrival Yankuba Minteh. However, Mats Wieffer can be the game-changer, especially considering the kind of rivals Brighton beat to secure his signature.
The Dutchman became a highly sought-after player in the market after two exceptional seasons with Feyenoord. Wieffer has the quality to transform the Brighton midfield, and his presence in the middle of the park should liberate the away side’s attackers.
Prediction
Everton 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion share a healthy rivalry that has seen both clubs trade blows in the last few seasons. The two encounters in the 2023/24 campaign ended all square, with the Seagulls performing poorly throughout the term.
However, Fabian Hurzeler is making early impressions, and with Brighton making solid additions to the first-team squad, they should beat Everton. But Sean Dyche has forged a resolute team that can give all teams a run for their money. So, a closely contested affair should be on the cards before the visitors eke a narrow 2-1 win.