MY ACCOUNT
Alexis Mac Allister’s brace ensured Brighton rocked Everton 3-2, piling the pressure on under-fire Toffees boss Rafa Benitez.
It is now just one Premier League win in 12 for the Toffees who have slumped to 15th in that time.
Brighton took the lead inside three minutes when Mac Allister slotted home from Neal Maupay’s header.
The visitors doubled their advantage in the 21st minute when Dan Burn nodded in Enock Mwepu’s flick-on for his first of the season.
Everton might have found a route back into the game four minutes later when they won a penalty by the VAR after Mwepu fouled Anthony Gordon.
But Dominic Calvert-Lewin, making his first start since August due to injury, saw his spot kick hit the bar on its way over.
The Toffees reduced the arrears eight minutes into the second half when Gordon cut in from the right-hand side to fire home his first Everton goal with the aid of a deflection.
But Mac Allister piled the misery on for Benitez with 19 minutes remaining, lashing a stunning strike past the helpless Jordan Pickford.
Having waited so long to score his first Toffees goal, Gordon halved the deficit again with his second goal for the Merseysiders after meeting Jomjoe Kenny’s cross.
More to follow.
Did you know?
Everton have picked up just 19 points from their first 18 Premier League games of the season — they last had fewer at this stage of the competition in 2005-06, when they had accrued 17 points after 18 games (eventually finishing the season in 11th place).
Brighton have won two of their last three Premier League games (D1), after failing to win any of the 11 before that (D8 L3), with the Seagulls’ haul of 27 points after 19 games their joint-best-ever return at this stage of a top-flight campaign (also 27 in 1981-82).
Everton have lost their first league game in each of the last five calendar years, last having a longer such run of defeats between 1957 and 1963 (a run of 7).
Mac Allister’s opener on two minutes 43 seconds was Brighton’s fastest-ever away Premier League goal and their third-quickest-ever in the competition overall.
Brighton’s Mac Allister has scored four goals in his 14 Premier League games this season, three more than he managed in his two previous campaigns combined (1 goal in 30 appearances).
Since joining Brighton ahead of 2019-20, Maupay has been directly involved in 31 Premier League goals (25 goals, 6 assists), with Alexandre Lacazette (35) the only Frenchman with more in that time.
Seven of Brighton defender Burn’s 12 goals in English League football have come via headers (1/2 for Brighton, 3/6 Wigan, 2/3 Yeovil and 1/1 for Fulham).
Calvert-Lewin became the 22nd different player to miss a Premier League penalty for Everton, with only Arsenal (23) having more.
Gordon’s goals for Everton were his first-ever in English League football (29 apps for Everton, 11 for Preston), with the youngster the Toffees’ 151st scorer in the Premier League, behind only West Ham (160), Newcastle (156) and Tottenham (153).
Brighton’s Yves Bissouma made his 100th Premier League appearance, becoming just the third player from Mali to hit that milestone after Frederic Kanoute (144) and Djimi Traore (112).
