Brighton assets impress ahead of Norwich game but tricky fixture run awaits

Brighton and Hove Albion 3-2 Everton

• Goals: Pascal Gross (£6.4m), Neal Maupay (£6.0m), Lucas Digne (£6.0m) own goal | Adam Webster (£4.4m) own goal, Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.8m)
• Assists: Aaron Connolly (£4.6m) x2, Leandro Trossard (£5.8m) | Richarlison (£7.9m), Mason Holgate (£4.4m)
• Bonus: Maupay x3, Mathew Ryan (£4.7m), Calvert-Lewin x2

A late comeback fuelled by yet another controversial VAR call earned Brighton victory over a desperately unlucky Everton.

Under Marco Silva, the Toffees have never won after falling behind, so the signs were not good when Pascal Gross (£6.4m) blasted home a free-kick in the 15^th minute following a foul on Aaron Connolly (£4.6m).

But an Adam Webster (£4.4m) own goal and a fine finish from substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.8m) then left the visitors just 16 minutes to survive and break their manager’s personal hoodoo.

They managed only six before VAR waded in.

A pass into the area, aimed at Connolly, looked innocuous enough, with Michael Keane (£5.5m) in close attendance and the ball about to sail over the Brighton striker’s head. Connolly promptly fell to the floor, much to Keane’s disgust, and referee Andy Madley waved play on.

VAR, however, had other ideas.

Replays showed that Keane had accidentally trodden on the forward’s foot and a penalty was awarded. The bar, previously set so high for overturning on-pitch decisions, had suddenly been lowered dramatically, and seemingly randomly, based on a refereeing error that was sort of clear but definitely not obvious.

Not that Brighton striker Neal Maupay (£6.0m) cared, and he duly slotted home the spot-kick for his second goal in three Gameweeks to level the match.

It was interesting to note that Maupay took the Seagulls’ penalty despite the fact that Glenn Murray (£5.6m), Albion’s hitherto first choice from 12 yards, had just taken to the field upon the spot-kick award.

Everton could be excused for feeling a strong sense of injustice over the call, and their mood was certainly not improved by the nature of Brighton’s winner either.

Substitute Leandro Trossard (£5.8m), who was a lively presence when replacing Gross after 65 minutes, put in a low ball from the left which Lucas Digne (£6.0m) could only turn into his own net – a 94th-minute winner of epically painful proportions for the Merseysiders.

It hurt Digne’s 20.2% ownership as well, the left-back ending the match on -1 point when, earlier in the game, he looked to have produced his first attacking return since Gameweek 4 for his part in Everton’s equaliser.

It was his corner that ended up in the back of the Brighton net via, at first glance, the head of Richarlison (£7.9m). A few glances later, it became clear that Seagulls defender Adam Webster (£4.4m) had diverted the ball past Ryan, with the Brazilian handed an assist and Digne given nothing.

The pair are the most popular Everton outfield assets in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) – Richarlison is owned by 6.6% – although both have lost plenty of owners in recent weeks.

Plenty more look likely to jump ship by the time Gameweek 14 ushers in a brutal run of games at Leicester City, Liverpool and Manchester United and visits from Chelsea and Arsenal.

Before then there’s a trip to Southampton and a home match with Norwich City from which Richarlison might prosper.

He put in a good shift at the Amex Stadium, in terms of both shots and chances created, and has produced attacking returns in back-to-back games for the first time since Gameweek 5. Throw in the fact that the midfielder played as a forward on Saturday and he might well be worth keeping, for now at least.

As a team, the Toffees deserved better from the game, out-shooting their opponents 10-8 and firing six shots on target to Brighton’s four.

But with just one clean sheet to their name since Gameweek 2 and a visit from Spurs up next, there won’t be many Fantasy managers queuing up to buy their players. Quite the opposite, in fact, as Digne is currently in the top five for transfers out.

Defensive matters weren’t helped by a knee injury to Yerry Mina (£5.4m) which ruled him out on the morning of the game. Mason Holgate (£4.4m) was drafted in to replace him and he provided the precise pass that led to Calvert-Lewin’s goal.

Silva also opted to keep Djibril Sidibe (£5.3m) in the side at right-back, even though Seamus Coleman (£5.4m) was available after serving a one-match ban.

Gylfi Sigurdsson (£7.5m) was again left on the bench, meanwhile, although he replaced Bernard (£6.5m) after half an hour when the winger picked up a knee injury.

The Brazilian was seen later leaving the Amex on crutches.

Injury issues were of little concern to the manager post-match. Instead, he was all about that VAR.

Silva said:

The decision had a big impact. If VAR found that penalty it has to do the same in the opposite box (for a perceived foul on Richarlison).

It is difficult for them [the players] to understand why it happened to us, but you have to respect the decision and keep going. The next game is a different competition and if we have an ambition to go to the final, we have to win.

That next game is a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie with Watford – a match that karma might consider letting the Toffees win.

Brighton boss Graham Potter preferred to talk about cosmic balancing issues of his own, saying:

We’ve had a few that haven’t gone our way recently, so if we have had a bit of luck then I think those that have watched us over the last ten games would probably say that we’ve earned that fortune.

As for his players, they’re likely to garner as much short-term interest as their Everton counterparts.

They’ve now won back-to-back home matches, but they’ve lost three straight on the road and, after hosting Norwich in Gameweek 11, will have to play Man United, Liverpool and Arsenal away while welcoming Leicester to a south coast the Foxes have developed quite the taste for visiting.

Gross backed up an assist in Gameweek 9 with his first goal of the season against the Toffees, while Trossard looks likely to return to the starting XI now that he’s fit and firing again.

Defence remains a feast-or-famine area, however. They’ve kept a perfectly reasonable three clean sheets to date but have conceded at least two goals in five of the other seven matches they’ve played.

Goalkeeper Mathew Ryan (£4.7m), with 42 points, is their most productive player and he earned two bonus points for a fine display at the weekend which included one very sharp save to keep out Webster’s shot at a second own goal of the game.

Much like Everton, their players might be worth holding on to but bringing new ones in looks misguided until their schedule eases from Gameweek 16 onwards.

And if you really must insist on having a Brighton-based punt, the 0.2%-owned Trossard would at least be the very definition of a differential once he re-establishes himself in the Albion starting XI.

Brighton and Hove Albion XI (4-4-2): Ryan; Montoya (Schelotto 66′), Webster, Dunk, Burn; Gross (Trossard 65′), Stephens, Propper, Alzate; Connolly (Murray 80′), Maupay.

Everton XI (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Sidibe, Keane, Holgate, Digne; Davies, Gomes; Walcott (Delph 72′), Bernard (Sigurdsson 29′), Iwobi (Calvert-Lewin 72′); Richarlison.

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