Everton battle for win away at Brighton
Brighton & Hove Albion 1 - 0 Everton
Iliman Ndiaye’s first-half penalty proved decisive as Everton edged closer to safety with a hard-fought victory at Brighton, marking David Moyes' 700th Premier League match in charge.
The breakthrough came seven minutes before the interval when Brighton defender Joel Veltman appeared to shepherd the ball out of play with his hand under pressure from Beto in the penalty area. After being advised by VAR to review the incident on the pitchside monitor, referee Tim Robinson awarded the penalty. Ndiaye coolly slotted the ball into the bottom corner, notching his fifth Premier League goal of the campaign.
Brighton offered little in the first half but emerged for the second with more intent. Kaoru Mitoma curled an effort narrowly wide of the far post, while Joao Pedro saw his close-range strike scrambled behind by a combination of Orel Mangala and Jordan Pickford. Substitute Georginio Rutter also came close, firing just past the post after shaking off Jarrad Branthwaite, but the Seagulls couldn’t find a way through as their unbeaten start to 2025 ended.
For Everton, the result was tempered by fresh injury concerns. Dominic Calvert-Lewin lasted just 12 minutes before limping off with a suspected hamstring issue, and Mangala later joined him on the casualty list after the Toffees had used all their substitutions.
Click here to see what else been happening in the Premier League
Moyes marks 700th match with a gritty win
Fresh from masterminding a deserved victory over Tottenham, Moyes will hope this result signals a turnaround in Everton’s dire away form.
Saturday’s win was only their second in 22 league outings away from Goodison Park, with Ndiaye’s penalty just their second away goal in seven matches.
Despite struggling for large parts of the match, Everton defended resolutely to secure back-to-back league victories for the first time this season, lifting them seven points clear of the relegation zone with a game in hand.
Moyes also became just the third manager after Sir Alex Ferguson and Ars̬ne Wenger to reach 700 Premier League games Рa fitting milestone on a day his side dug deep to claim a vital three points in their fight for survival.
Brighton's hopes of a European return dented
Brighton 0 - 1 Everton Highlights here - youtu.be/ZZ4Oqki8m7s?... More reaction ⬇️ eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com
— European Super Football (@superfootball.bsky.social) 26 January 2025 at 13:12
[image or embed]
Brighton started 2025 on a high note, but their unbeaten run to begin the year came to an abrupt end against Everton.
Fabian Hurzeler's team, fresh off victories against Ipswich and Manchester United, managed to register just one shot on target during Saturday's match at Amex Stadium— a blocked effort from Joao Pedro in the first half.
The home side was incensed by referee Tim Robinson's decision to award a penalty against Joel Veltman. It appeared Veltman had deliberately allowed the ball to go out of play using his hand while under pressure from Beto inside the penalty area.
However, it was a clumsy and unnecessary action by the Dutchman that ultimately cost his team dearly.
