The win ensured they come into the round in sixth spot, and with crucial games in hand on most teams around them, Brighton’s destiny is firmly in their own hands.
The Seagulls will perhaps be glad to see Everton as the next visitors to the South coast as they’ve thrived at the Amex in games against struggling opponents, avoiding defeat in all eight of their home Premier League (PL) games against any team coming into the round inside the bottom ten (W7, D1).
They secured a clean sheet in six of those games, and a seventh ought to be heavily fancied as only Brentford have managed to breach their goal in any home league game since the start of March.
Coming up against this robust defensive unit is a daunting prospect for 19th-placed Everton, who have scored just 27 league goals this term, with only four sides from across Europe’s big-five leagues scoring fewer ahead of the weekend.
The Toffees have actually netted exactly twice in three of their last five matches on the road, including on Monday night where they put in a dominant attacking display against relegation rivals Leicester.
Yet their 23 goal attempts were ultimately in vain as they were thwarted by a player of the match display from Foxes’ goalkeeper Daniel Iversen.
Manager Sean Dyche said his side “didn’t get the full reward in terms of the three points” but insisted the performance did increase the “feel-good factor”.
He’ll hope that can help inspire his players to finally end a rotten run of 13 PL away games without a win (D6, L7), and if the players do require further inspiration, then their manager’s record of having never suffered a defeat in five away PL games against Brighton could provide it (W2, D3).
Players to watch: Kaoru Mitoma scored in the 4-1 reverse victory and was heavily involved against Manchester United on Thursday, with his 15 touches in the penalty area the joint-most ever by a Brighton player in a PL game. Similarly influential, Alex Iwobi’s goal against Leicester means he’s been involved in more PL strikes than any other Everton player this season (G2, A6).
Hot stat: Brighton have won just one of their 12 PL games played on a Monday (D8, L3).
