Post Match report for the Everton game - Saturday, 3rd October 2020
PREMIER LEAGUE 20/21: Everton v Brighton - 3/10/20, P4.
ALBION DEFEAT CONCEDES A HAT-TRICK OF TRIOS FROM THE LAST THREE
RESULT: 4-2 ~ Maupay, Bissouma . (h-t 2-1) . SHAPE: 5-2-3
VENUE: Goodison Park, Liverpool - second away match of four fixtures to date.
BUILD UP: a trip to the northwest was not among favourites on BHA fans wish list and once again they were spared attending in this region due to those ongoing resurgent epidemic restrictions.
WEATHER: very wet afternoon up north.
GRAHAM POTTER rotated personnel to what appears to be his regular Prem team, following midweek defeat in EFL Cup R4 at the Amex, where several so-called seconds were given appearances.
The starting eleven had a young look, with perhaps the youngest average aged Seagulls side on display so far in the Prem.
For the record, the international transfer window closes on Oct5.
For more than one reason the wider squad currently seems light in numbers and lacking depth of quality at this level in certain areas.
TEAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Ryan
. 2 Lamptey, 3 White, 5 Dunk, 4 Webster, 20 March
. . . . . . . . . . 8 Bissouma, 17 Alzate
. . . . . . 7 Connolly, 9 Maupay, 11 Trossard
BENCH: 23 Steele, 30 Bernardo, 33 Burn, 34 Veltman (46), 10 Mac Allister, 13 Gross (82), 14 Lallana (66).
GOALS: 1-0 - 16. At a corner visitors switch off and defence fails to cope at the far post as the striker gets a free header.
1-1 - 41. Errors at the back by hosts allow Albion to poach a goal by MAUPAY following a shot on target by Trossard.
2-1 - 45. A simple set piece is not defended once more by travellers who gift the lead to opposition way too easily.
3-1 - 50. Hosts win the match from a quality volley after travellers lose possession and are left at sixes & sevens.
4-1 - 70. Woeful defending from front to back revealed the true situation ongoing this term in rearguard duties.
4-2 - 92. BISSOUMA drills a consolation.
INCIDENTS: shortly before halftime Dunk sends a direct f-k many metres over the bar.
YELLOWS: 4 - Alzate, foul.
SUBS: 46 - Veltman tactically replaces Lamptey. 66 - Lallana on, Connolly off. 82 - Gross for Alzate.
SYNOPSIS: travellers were slow into stride on a very wet surface and plenty of players went down by hook or crook. Three goals were registered prior to the interval and all conceded carried an element of bad defending from each side alternately.
Any team at any level could have prevented such fundamental errors, let alone Prem elevens.
At beginning of the second period Potter put on Veltman to bolster rearguard, switching to a four while March pushes into left midfield. Locals third goal was a killer and spoiled an unbeaten BHA sequence on the road going back to last winter.
Potter tinkered tactically again with Albion reshaped to 442, Lallana acting as playmaker. A fourth goal exposed south-coast softies defensive frailties.
The performance left a lot to be desired and no matter how pretty some passing seemed visually, it amounted to nought with regard to end product. Some individual displays were below par to say least.
Being counter attacked by the home outfit constantly does not hold good for a progressive away strategy.
Albion were rolled over, flattered to deceive and now face harsh reality of the gulf in quality from top of the table to bottom. Writing is on the wall as to another season of scrambling for points from multi-score games.
NUMBERS: poss 43%-57%, on target 6-3, off target 5-8, corners 3-10, fouls 13-14, yellows 0-1, subs 3-3.
FS
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