Everton earned a point at Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon, with the Blues almost finding the victory before the hosts struck a 95th-minute equaliser.
Jarrad Branthwaite netted the game’s opening goal, sublimely finishing on 73 minutes with his left foot to curl the ball into the top corner after the Seagulls’ clearance fell short from Jordan Pickford’s deep free-kick.
Minutes later, Brighton’s Billy Gilmour received a straight red card to reduce the home side to 10 men following his late challenge on Everton’s Amadou Onana.
The hosts found an equaliser deep into stoppage time, when Brighton captain Lewis Dunk converted from Pascal Gross’ pinpoint cross to extend his side’s unbeaten run at the Amex to 11 consecutive games.
Jack Harrison started for the Blues in Sean Dyche’s only change to the line-up from last time out against Crystal Palace. A second-half substitute against the Eagles, the winger came in to replace Ashley Young on the right side of the Blues’ attack.
Skipper James Tarkowski won the toss ahead of kick-off, and, like he has done for much of the season, chose to switch halves, with the Blues attacking a packed-out away end behind Bart Verbruggen’s goal for the opening 45 minutes.
The encounter started with the hosts dominating possession – perhaps to be expected given that ahead of the game, only Manchester City (16,057) had completed more passes than Brighton (14,983) in the Premier League this season.
The home side had efforts blocked in the opening stages, with Tariq Lamptey and Danny Welbeck both seeing shots stopped by the Everton defence in the first 10 minutes.
Welbeck threatened the Blues backline moments later, receiving a well-timed through ball behind the Everton defence, before knocking a touch past the on-rushing Jordan Pickford. His attempt rolled just wide.
The Brighton forward came close again in the 19th minute, timing a smartly-played one-two with Facundo Buonanotte as he entered the Blues’ penalty area. Slipping as he struck the ball around the six-yard box, his shot deflected off Ben Godfrey and out for another Seagulls’ corner.
Everton responded brightly when, just four minutes later, Abdoulaye Doucoure latched onto James Garner’s curling pass around the back of the hosts’ defence. Brighton’s Dunk was quick to make the sliding challenge to deny the Toffees midfielder.
Ivory Coast international and recent African Cup Of Nations winner, Simon Adingra, posed a threat immediately after for Brighton, making space on the left-side of the penalty area, before firing an ambitious left-footed shot narrowly wide of Pickford’s near post.
As the fast-paced half continued, Everton quickly broke down the left through Vitalii Mykolenko, who lofted a ball into the box. Dunk provided the crucial intervention again, rising ahead of Dominic Calvert-Lewin to nod the ball behind.
A lively opening session slowed somewhat after a frenetic first 30 minutes, while Everton, seemingly growing into the game, began to look more assured – both defensively and in possession.
That pattern and a levelling of the contest continued until half-time, and just before the whistle blew for the interval, Calvert-Lewin – found by Dwight McNeil’s low cross – guided a close-range effort just wide of Verbruggen’s near post.
Everton were forced into an early change after the interval, when the injured Idrissa Gana Gueye was replaced by Monday’s goal scorer against Palace, Amadou Onana.
The Toffees registered the best chance of the first 15 minutes of the second half, almost opening the scoring when McNeil, chasing a long pass down left channel, broke forward after beating Gilmour to the loose ball. He lifted a cross towards the back post, finding Doucoure, whose side-footed volley had to be cleared off the line by Lamptey’s header.
With the match still held at 0-0, and the Blues continuing to make strides to find a result, Everton made their first change, when, in a straight swap, Beto replaced Calvert-Lewin on 68 minutes.
The Portuguese was involved immediately, sending the ball to the wide right, before arriving into the box, heading an effort from the cross into the path of the Brighton goalkeeper.
Finding the game’s opening goal shortly after, Branthwaite provided the finish for the Blues in the 73rd minute.
Pickford launched a long ball into the Brighton penalty area from a deep free-kick, and the home side managed to head it down, but only to the feet of Branthwaite, who controlled the ball brilliantly, before calmly curling a cultured shot into the far corner with his left boot, sending the opposite end of the ground into elation.
Five minutes later, the 21-year-old defender made a crucial intervention in the Blues’ own box, excellently sliding in to stop Adingra from advancing towards the Everton penalty area.
The hosts were dealt another blow in the 81st minute, when Gilmour received a straight red card from referee Tony Harrington for a late challenge on Onana – further boosting Everton’s hopes of ending Brighton’s impressive home record.
The Toffees came close to doubling their lead minutes later, when Doucoure found Beto with a through ball, following a quick Everton counter. The striker beat Dunk for pace but struck his effort wide of the goal.
Continuing to frustrate the 10 men of Brighton, Everton defended resolutely as the home side pushed for an equaliser, but they managed to finally break through after 95 minutes.
The Blues had defended a corner from the right side, but the Seagulls recycled possession, sending it back towards the same flank, where Gross twisted and turned, before delivering a cross into the box. He found the head of Dunk, who powered a header past Pickford to deny Everton of all three points on the south coast.
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