Great escape is on Thumping win gives Allardyce new hope
Even in testing circumstances, with nine players absent through injury, this must still be regarded as an opportunity missed for Everton.
Their push for European football has dramatically slowed in recent weeks, and they could not rediscover their momentum against a typically composed Brighton side on the south coast. It is now five matches without a win in all competitions for Carlo Ancelotti’s team, who are losing ground as West Ham United, Chelsea and Liverpool are gaining it.
The Champions League dream is not yet dead but it is dying, and Everton were ultimately fortunate not to have left the Amex with another defeat to their name.
Brighton, as is so often the case, had the better chances. If their forwards had been more clinical, Graham
Potter’s team would have taken a deserved three points which would have lifted them well clear of the bottom three.
They are so patient and progressive in their build-up play, but their lack of cutting edge has been one of the defining themes of the season.
“I thought we were the team that was attacking more and better,” said Potter. There was no arguing with that, which is rather damning of Everton.
Even with all their injuries, including to top scorer Dominic Calvert-lewin, one would have expected so much more from Ancelotti’s attacking players.
A front three of Richarlison, Gylfi Sigurdsson and James Rodriguez should surely be able to muster more than this? Everton had one shot on target against a team that has spent most of the season worrying about relegation.
“We don’t want to be harping on about injuries, there’s plenty of other teams doing that,” Everton captain Seamus Coleman said, in what seemed to be a not-so-sly dig at
rivals Liverpool. “It’s part and parcel of this season. Injuries do happen and unfortunately we missed a few. It’s about the players who are playing.” They face Tottenham Hotspur on Friday and Ancelotti hopes to have Calvert-lewin, Andre Gomes and Allan available in time.
He will certainly be without Jeanphilippe Gbamin, though, after the midfielder picked up yet another injury in his desperately unfortunate Everton career.
“Of course it is more difficult now, the fight,” said Ancelotti of their hopes of reaching the top four. “But now in the next eight games that we have to play, there’s a lot to play against teams really close to us. We are still there.”
They will not be there for long if they continue to perform like this.
Brighton were the more dangerous side throughout, with Adam Lallana and Yves Bissouma dominating the midfield.
“We lacked a little in the final third in terms of decisions and execution,” said Potter in comments that could have applied at so many other points of this campaign.
Brighton so rarely look or play like a team that is fighting for their lives. It is progressive, advanced football of the sort that many tophalf clubs would like to instill within their own teams.
As ever, it is finding the substance to go with the style that is Brighton’s problem, and their inability to finish chances remains their most pressing issue.
Brighton’s best opportunity fell to Neal Maupay, who stabbed the ball wide, and there were further openings for Danny Welbeck and Jakub Moder as Everton struggled to get out of their own half.
Only at the very end did Everton threaten, when substitute Alex Iwobi (on for the injured Yerry Mina) fired his shot a few yards over the bar from the edge of the box.
That was the best it got on a night for both teams, and Everton especially, to forget.