Everton v Brighton: Likely line-ups for Premier League clash

Albion winger Jose Izquierdo in action against Wolves last week. Picture by PW Sporting Photography

Brighton & Hove Albion will be hoping to take their flawless run of results from last month into their first Premier League game of November when they travel to face a tough Everton side, writes Bradley Stratton.

Glenn Murray’s 100th Albion goal was enough to seal victory at home to Wolves last weekend – their third consecutive 1-0 win of October.

While none of the victories were the prettiest of wins, Chris Hughton’s side showcased their defensive resolve in all three games to grind out the three points on each occasion, something which they struggled to achieve in similar positions defending a narrow lead last season.

With the Seagulls not set to face a top six side until the middle of December, they will be hoping to capitalise on their current rich vein of form heading into the Christmas period of fixtures, in an effort to stack up as many points as possible by the halfway point of the campaign.

With their win at Newcastle two weeks ago being their first away from the Amex in almost a year, Albion won’t be getting ahead of themselves heading into a tricky trip to Merseyside that they would be more than happy to take a point from.

They face a Toffees outfit aiming to build on a strong end to last season. Their 2-1 loss to Manchester United last Sunday ended a run of three top flight wins in a row for Marco Silva’s Everton, who sit one point and two places above Albion in the table going into the clash.

The ex-Watford boss has an array of offensive options at his disposal in his new surroundings this season, with the £35million summer signing of Richarlison from his former club only adding to the quality that Gylfi Sigurdsson, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Theo Walcott bring to the table. All four have scored at least three times already this season.

Albion’s last visit to Goodison Park was also on the back of an unbeaten run, having not lost in their previous five top flight games. However they left empty handed, and finished the match with ten men after Anthony Knockaert was shown a straight red in the 2-0 defeat.

EVERTON

Marco Silva has decisions to make over whether defender Yerry Mina is handed his debut or Cenk Tosun is restored up front.

Mina joined Everton for £27m from Barcelona in the summer and has been fit for the past couple of weeks but kept out of the team by Michael Keane and Kurt Zouma.

Further up the field, Silva could move Richarlison to the left wing instead of Bernard and put Tosun - who scored at Goodison Park against Brighton last season - up front.

Likely line-up: Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Zouma, Digne; Gomes, Gueye; Walcott, Sigurdsson, Bernard; Richarlison. Subs (from): Steklenburg, Baines, Mina, Tosun, Davies, Calvert-Lewin, Lookman, Holgate, Schneiderlin.

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION

Chris Hughton could name an unchanged side for the third successive game.

Davy Propper and Pascal Gross have again been ruled out, while Anthony Knockaert will be pushing for a recall to the starting line-up after being on the bench against Newcastle and Wolves.

Likely line-up: Ryan; Bruno, Duffy, Dunk, Bong; Jahanbakhsh, Stephens, Kayal, Izquierdo; March; Murray. Subs (from): Steele, Button, Balogun, Bernardo, Knockaert, Bissouma, Locadia, Andone, Montoya.

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