A breathtaking six-minute spell shortly after half-time proved decisive on Merseyside as Brighton earned an emphatic victory over a struggling Everton side.
Goals from Kaoru Mitoma, Evan Ferguson, Solly March and Pascal Groß earned Roberto De Zerbi’s side a comfortable win over Frank Lampard’s significantly under-par team at a deeply unhappy Goodison Park on Tuesday night.
That saw the visitors make it two wins in three – and nine goals scored – since the Premier League returned on Boxing Day, as a dominant and ruthless display sent them further into the top half of the table.
After Demarai Gray’s stunner earned a highly encouraging point at Manchester City on Saturday, a third successive home defeat was certainly not how The Blues would have wished to back it up.
Gray’s stoppage-time penalty did at least provide a consolation for those home supporters who stayed until the final whistle but it did little to boost morale.
This felt like an evening that notably upped the pressure on the manager, while chants of ‘sack the board’ filled the air during the second half and at full-time.
With each of the four teams below them – West Ham United, Nottingham Forest, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton – yet to play in this round of fixtures, they could be in the relegation zone by the time they next play.
On the evidence of this contest, these are two sides heading in very different directions.
Something will need to change at Everton. Just what that is will likely be the big question over the coming days.
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Story of the match
The Toffees made two changes to the side that started the 1-1 draw at Manchester City.
Ben Godfrey and the suspended Amadou Onana made way for Tom Davies and Dwight McNeil as Lampard switched back to a 4-3-3, having utilised a back-five at the Etihad.
The Seagulls, meanwhile, made three alterations following their eventful 4-2 home defeat to leaders Arsenal on Saturday evening.
That saw Tariq Lamptey, Billy Gilmour and Adam Lallana drop to the bench and Joël Veltman, Moisés Caicedo and 18-year-old forward Ferguson – making his first Premier League start after coming off the bench to score against the Gunners – come in.
Alexis Mac Allister was also back on the bench, following his World Cup heroics with Argentina.
The hosts, looking purposeful with and without the ball, had started well.
Alex Iwobi’s 15-yard attempt brought a good save out of Robert Sánchez in the fifth minute and Davies’ long-range effort found the gloves of the visiting stopper soon after.
The visitors then began to settle, and they soon took the lead through Mitoma.
After another excellent showing against the league leaders three days ago, it was little surprise to see the Japan international stamp his mark on another game.
He did so in familiarly stylish fashion in the 14th minute as his first-touch saw him collect Caicedo’s pass on the left flank and dart inside Nathan Patterson before he cleverly evaded Conor Coady and slid a shrewd finish through the legs of Jordan Pickford and in.
The south coast side kept coming, and the impressive Ferguson led the charge.
The young Irishman, who also earned himself a booking just before half-time, came close twice within the next 10 minutes as he first hit the post and then just missed the target with a well-struck 20-yard effort.
De Zerbi’s team were now causing their hosts consistent problems, particularly down their left. Patterson was regularly being left exposed against Mitoma and confidence flowed through much of what the visitors did.
Goodison’s mood was becoming increasingly edgy.
Everton did work their way back into the contest as the break approached, but a Dominic Calvert-Lewin header that was comfortably gathered by Sánchez was about as close as they got prior to the interval.
And Brighton wasted no time in extending their advantage after the restart.
In a stunning spell from the 51st to 57th minute, they quadrupled their lead.
Ferguson got it going, as he converted Sarmiento’s delivery.
The teenager then turned provider three minutes later as he teed up March, who finished brilliantly for the second away match running.
Then, as if to emphasise the rough nature of Everton’s evening, it was a loose Idrissa Gueye pass that allowed Groß to make it four, although the German still deserved significant credit for his cool finish.
Aside from substitutions, including Mac Allister receiving a nice welcome from both sets of supporters upon his 62nd-minute introduction, there was little action of note in the time that remained – until Iwobi capitalised on a defensive mix-up to earn a stoppage-time penalty.
Gray stepped up and scored, but that will do little to mask the concerning nature of this defeat for the hosts.
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Player of the match: Evan Ferguson
As full Premier League debuts go, this was exceedingly good.
Ferguson looked the part in his relatively brief stint against the league leaders three days ago and he built on it brilliantly here.
Everton may have been poor, but he was a constant threat at the top of the pitch for the visitors against the experienced centre-back partnership of Coady and James Tarkowski.
After coming close twice in the first half, he notched a deserved goal early in the second and then emphasised the roundedness of his display with an assist for March.
It’s early days, of course, but this lad looks one to keep an eye on.
