Everton travel to Brighton this afternoon for a Premier League test that feels like a measuring stick for both clubs. Brighton’s home games can quickly become a wave machine, built on pressure, width and constant movement in the final third. Everton arrive with a growing reputation for control away from home, more comfortable keeping matches tight and then striking when spaces appear.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler reported a largely steady squad in the build-up, saying there has been no new injury news and he expects to have the same group available, with one concern to monitor. Diego Gomez has been carrying a small issue from training and will be assessed before a final decision is taken. For Brighton, that kind of continuity matters because their best football relies on rhythm and repeat patterns, particularly down the flanks where they try to isolate defenders and work the ball into cut-back zones.
Kaoru Mitoma remains the headline threat, with Brighton at their most dangerous when he receives early and drives at full-backs, forcing defensive lines to shuffle and open gaps for runners. The movement between the lines is designed to drag opponents out of shape, with Brighton’s wide play often ending with low deliveries into the corridor between centre-half and full-back. If Danny Welbeck leads the line, Everton will also have to manage his timing and movement in the box, especially on second phases when Brighton recycle quickly and the defence is still resetting.
Everton’s preparation has been shaped by David Moyes’ frank assessment of injuries and recruitment, with Jack Grealish the key absence. Moyes described Grealish’s injury as “a big blow” and admitted it “limits our attacking options a little bit”. He also underlined the situation around Grealish’s loan, stressing the winger remains Manchester City’s player and would ordinarily be managed by the parent club in circumstances like this. Moyes expects Everton to oversee most of the immediate process, but made clear there is no scope to end the loan early, saying there is no facility to send Grealish back because “you wouldn’t, with the money”.
Moyes also lifted the lid on a long-running recruitment target, revealing Everton have been “on the market looking for a right-back for probably over a year”. He explained that options have existed, but the club have not found the right fit for a range of reasons, from not believing the player was the correct choice to prices being too high. Moyes praised Jake O’Brien for stepping in and doing “a brilliant job”, particularly during a spell he said helped Everton “avoid relegation”, but reiterated the intention has been to raise the level, not simply fill a space.
The Everton manager pushed back strongly against any assumption that a quick, expensive fix is realistic in the current window, citing the club’s financial position and insisting Everton are “not in that place” to spend £40 million on a player right now. Even so, Moyes said he does not want to waste opportunities to improve and wants every window used to strengthen where possible.
That realism also extended to Everton’s returning players. Moyes welcomed having more options available, but warned not everyone is ready for full intensity, suggesting it could take “several weeks” for some to properly get up to speed through matches. His focus, he said, is on performance consistency, citing a recent first half as “terrible” before improvement after the break, and stressing that maintaining standards across 90 minutes is the priority.
In that context, Moyes offered a more positive update on Thierno Barry’s adaptation. He said the striker is settling “much better”, that he is beginning to hear Barry’s voice more around the place, and that he looks happier than earlier in the season. Moyes stressed the wider point that young centre-forwards often need time to adjust to the Premier League, referencing how long it can take even established talents to settle into the demands of the division.
On the pitch, the tactical picture is clear. Brighton will look to set the tempo early, stretch Everton with wide play, and turn possession into cut-backs and second-phase chances. Everton will look to stay compact, protect central areas and the edge of the box, and then punish Brighton when their structure is stretched and space opens up in transition. With Grealish unavailable, Everton’s challenge is to find enough control and enough threat without losing the defensive discipline that has underpinned their better away performances.
For Brighton, the task is turning home control into decisive moments in the box. For Everton, it is surviving the early pressure, staying organised for long spells, and making the match uncomfortable enough that one break or one set-piece can swing it.
