Someway, Everton conjured a miraculous 5-1 win in opposition to Brighton & Hove Albion on the American Specific Neighborhood Stadium on Monday. The Seagulls have been distinctive all season regardless of shedding their supervisor and finest participant to Chelsea. They got here into the sport needing a win to remain within the hunt for Champions League soccer. Nonetheless, Abdoulaye Doucoure gave the relegation battlers the lead simply 34 seconds in after a superb flip and go from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and there was no wanting again for the Toffees. They led 3-0 at half-time in a Premier League away sport for the primary time since February 2016. Regardless of a robust push from Brighton at first of the second half, a mix of Jordan Pickford and the woodwork saved the Southerners at bay lengthy sufficient for McNeil to tack on two extra and safe a treasured, treasured victory. Listed here are 5 very pleasant Stats from Everton’s unbelievable battering of Brighton.
1. Dazzling Away Day
Coming into Monday’s match, Everton had solely received a single sport away from house this Premier League season. That match got here in opposition to bottom-dwellers Southampton on October 1st; a full 219 days in the past. Though the Touring Toffees’ wait for one more victory was painfully lengthy, they got an actual deal with on the Amex. Everton’s 5-1 win tied their largest margin of victory in an away sport within the Premier League period. It was the primary time they’ve scored 5 in any Premier League sport since 2018’s Boxing Day hammering of Burnley, and the primary time they’ve scored 4 or extra since October 2020, which additionally got here in opposition to the Seagulls. What a time to do it.
Everton’s greatest away wins within the Premier League:
5-1 vs Burnley (December 2018)
5-1 vs Brighton (Could 2023)
4-0 vs West Ham (February 2000)#EFC— EFC Statto (@EFC_Statto) Could 8, 2023
2. Unpredictably Prolific
For months, Everton’s lack of targets has been the primary level behind why so many, together with ourselves, anticipated us to go down. Coming into Monday’s match, the Toffees had been the bottom scorers within the league with simply 27, and Brighton had conceded the fifth fewest. For those who instructed anybody earlier than the match that one crew would web 5, nobody would’ve anticipated it to be Everton. It really was a scoring flurry out of completely nowhere.
15% of Everton’s league targets had been scored tonight.
— Royal Blue Mersey #AllTogetherNow (@RBMersey) Could 8, 2023
3. The McNeil Match
After the draw in opposition to Leicester Metropolis, Dwight McNeil tweeted that he “wouldn’t cease preventing”. Nicely, that dedication was definitely evident on the Amex Stadium. Merely put, Dwight had absolutely the sport of his life. Firstly, he led a terrific counter and performed an excellent cross-field ball which Doucoure slammed house for 2-0. Secondly, he picked up the scraps of what seemed to be a failed transfer and compelled a Jason Steele personal objective. Thirdly, he collected Alex Iwobi’s by ball and despatched each Dunk and Steele to the outlets earlier than strolling the ball in for 4-0. After which lastly, he put the icing on the cake by scoring an absolute screamer in second-half stoppage time to make it 5. On high of all that, he labored his socks off, defended brilliantly, and terrorized the Seagulls all afternoon. His 9.4 match score in line with FotMob was the best any Everton participant has managed this season. What an unbelievable efficiency.
Dwight McNeil v Brighton:
100% take-ons accomplished
45 touches
13 touches in opposition field
9 duels received
8 x possession received
5 take-ons
4 pictures
3 fouls received
3 possibilities created
2 pictures on track
2 targets
1 helpPerfection… pic.twitter.com/nVDurqpup2
— TheMightyBlues (@MightyBluesYT) Could 8, 2023
4. Dynamic Duo
Previous to the win in opposition to Brighton, no Everton participant had scored a brace this season. We had been handled to 2 on the Amex. Each Abdoulaye Doucoure and Dwight McNeil bagged twice and absolutely deserved it primarily based on their total performances. With these targets, McNeil grew to become the membership’s high scorer within the Premier League this season with 7, and Doucoure joined Demarai Grey in second with 4. Each gamers have scored essential targets for the reason that new 12 months and stepped up massively on Monday to provide a win for the ages.
Everton’s 5-1 win over Brighton was the primary time 2 #EFC gamers have scored not less than 2 targets in an away sport (Abdoulaye Doucoure and Dwight McNeil) since in opposition to Luton in Could 1983 (Graeme Sharp and Kevin Sheedy).
— EFC Statto (@EFC_Statto) Could 8, 2023
5. Security in Sight
Though the win over Brighton doesn’t safe security for Everton in any method, it’s undeniably a large step in the proper course. At kick-off, the Toffees had only a 41% likelihood of staying up in line with FiveThirtyEight’s Premier League Projections, however that jumped all the best way as much as 78% after the resounding victory. With simply three video games left to play, the two-point benefit that Everton now have over Leeds and Leicester is very large, and contemplating the latter two’s remaining fixtures, it’s doable that only one extra level may very well be sufficient to safe Everton’s Premier League standing. With winnable fixtures in opposition to Wolves and Bournemouth to finish the season, survival is now again within the Toffees’ palms.