Live Blog

Fulltime Thoughts - Nothing I can say here that you as a fan haven’t already said or thought. We’re going down if nothing changes, and that’s one game before we hit the halfway mark. Good night all.

90+4’ - Final whistle. Frank Lampard goes straight down the tunnel after shaking hands with De Zerbi. Will the Board make a decision on his future?

90+2’ - Delightful ball into the box by Simms and Iwobi brought down by Sanchez, clear penalty this that the referee agrees with. Gray will take, hammered home to make it 4-1.

90’ - Doucoure hacks down Mac Allister, booked. Three minutes added on here, no idea why.

83’ - Here comes Ellis Simms finally, with DCL going off. The hundred or so fans left here give him a big hand.

79’ - DCL fires off a shot from outside the box and as expected, nowhere even near the target.

75’ - Iwobi booked for tugging down Estupinian. Freekick from a dangerous spot just outside the box, World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister hits it but sees it blocked.

73’ - Brighton looking to improve their goal difference against this Championship defence. They’re still attacking in numbers and shooting at will.

71’ - Everton’s day summarized here, ball comes to Gray in the box primed for a shot and he lofts it into the stands behind.

65’ - I’m still here, just supremely irritated. Lampard has made some changes in the meantime, but the horse has well and truly bolted the stable - McNeil, Davies, Patterson and Gueye all off, with Abdoulaye Doucouré, Isaac Price, Séamus Coleman and Neal Maupay on now.

56’ - More embarrassment here. Everton corner is partly cleared, Gueye’s back pass to Pickford is woefully short and Gross can take the ball, and chip the England #1 to make it 4-0 in a flash.

55’ - Fantastic movement from Brighton again, and Solly March cuts in and leaves both Mykolenko and Tarkowski for dead, and then coolly tucks home, no chance for Pickford and that’s that. Game over for Everton and is that it for Not-So-Super Frank?

52’ - Right on cue, Brighton score again. The visitor’s movement leaves the defence in tatters as Sarmiento cuts to the left to take a pass in the box, his cross slips under the sliding Tarkowski and Coady is left watching as Ferguson taps home from point-blank range. 2-0 Brighton, is this it for Lampard??

50’ - More of the same so far as the Blues are drawing blanks in the opposing half, and the Seagulls look dangerous on the counter.

46’ - Second half underway.

Halftime Thoughts - Surely at some point Lampard is going to switch to a 4-4-2 with Simms alongside Calvert-Lewin? The sole striker is losing the numbers game against the Brighton defence here.

45+3’ - There’s the halftime whistle met with some quick boos. Like in the game against Wolves, the Toffees have not been bad for most of that half, but just offer nothing in the attacking half even with DCL on the pitch. Brighton lead 1-0.

44’ - Marriner finally pulls out a yellow for a stamp on Gueye by Ferguson, and the 18-year-old gets an earful from half the Toffees squad.
Two minutes to be added on.

42’ - The World Cup break did Alex Iwobi no favours, he’s been just average since the resumption of play.

40’ - Blues are pressing again, and this time McNeil’s cross is deflected out for a corner. Falls to McNeil at the back post, takes too long to settle it and shot blocked for another corner. McNeil delivers, Sanchez collects.

36’ - Better from the Blues as Patterson is in space, cross into the box is met by DCL, but once again can’t make solid contact.

33’ - Gray fouled as he cuts in with pace, but referee Andre Marriner keeps the cards in his pocket. McNeil’s delivery is overcooked and the chance is wasted again.

31’ - Good cross-field ball to Gray who runs at the defence, his cross is blocked for a corner. Tarky gets to it first but doesn’t make solid contact with his header.

27’ - DCL’s giveaway in the middle forces a Gueye foul from a dangerous position, but Brighton can’t take advantage. The visitors just look that much better and faster across the entire pitch.

25’ - Dangerous counter again from Brighton who are willing to let the Blues come at them and lose the ball. This time it’s Ferguson again letting fly from outside the box and it fizzes over the bar, Pickford did look to have it covered.

20’ - Brighton look dangerous again as they attack through Mitoma, and young striker Evan Ferguson cracks the upright with an excellent curling shot. Let-off for the Blues. It’s all Brighton here at Goodison now.

18’ - Gray’s cross is blocked for a corner. Excellent delivery from Gray, Sanchez collects it at the second attempt.

15’ - Brighton look to have weathered that early pressure and are now probing, and there’s dangerman Mitoma who continues his sparkling form with a delightful goal. Caicedo’s pass leaves Patterson for dead, and Mitoma’s cut beats Coady and he places it under an onrushing Pickford, and Tarky tries to make a goalline clearance but can’t, 1-0 to the visitors.

13’ - McNeil concedes an unnecessary freekick from a dangerous position. Gross’ delivery is cleared by Tarky and the Blues can eventually clear.

11’ - Whew. March makes tracks down the Everton left and his cross into the box is met by an unmarked Mitoma, whose header is luckily wayward.

9’ - Delightful pressing tackle from Tarkowski springs Davies, he finds McNeil who tries one dribble too many and now Brighton counter but the Blues can snuff out the danger.

5’ - Great freekick into the box from Gray, Davies heads it down off the back of Dunk’s arm — no penalty there surely — and Calvert-Lewin works it back to Iwobi, great shot and Sanchez parries it wide! Good early chance there.

3’ - Everton pressing high here, putting Brighton under pressure. The crowd here is certainly up for it.

1’ - Underway at Goodison Park after a minute’s applause to commemorate the life of footballing legend Pele.

Lineups

Everton

Brighton

Preview

Everton take on Brighton & Hove Albion in their first game of 2023. The Blues ended 2022 in a positive manner with a 1-1 draw away at defending champions Manchester City, but they will need to show a bit more attacking endeavour today and beyond to secure Premier League survival.

Visitors Brighton bid farewell to iconic manager Graham Potter earlier in the season with Italian Roberto De Zerbi taking over for him and trying to make his own mark at the club.

Match Details

Competition: Premier League Matchday 18

Date and start time: Tuesday, January 3rd at 11:45 a.m. PT / 2:45 p.m ET / 7:45 p.m. BST

Stadium: Goodison Park, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom

Capacity: 39,572

Weather: 52°F/11°C, rain, 84% chance of precipitation, 14 mph winds

How to Watch/Listen

TV: Peacock - United States; N/A - United Kingdom; Fubo - Canada, SuperSport Variety 2, SuperSport MaXimo 1

Radio: evertontv, BBC Radio Live Sports Extra

Live stream: Fubo, ESPN Play Sur, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, DStv Now, RUSH, Hotstar VIP, JioTV

Gamethread: Live blog above starting one hour before game time

*Royal Blue Mersey has affiliate partnerships and may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links provided.

Information from LiveSoccerTV.com

Last Meeting

The Blues hosted Brighton almost a year to the day ago, with the Seagulls coming to Goodison on January 2nd when Rafa Benitez was still in charge. An Anthony Gordon brace then wasn’t enough for the Blues who lost 3-2 to Potter’s team. World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister grabbed two goals while Dan Burn added another as the Blues attempted to come back from a 3-0 deficit but fell short.