Everton vs Brighton Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 English Premier League
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We have a really intriguing encounter at Goodison Park this weekend as Sean Dyche’s Everton take on Brighton and Hove Albion with 31-year-old Fabian Hurzeler taking charge of his first game in charge of the Seagulls.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Saturday 17th August, 2024 - UK – 3:00pm / US ET – 10:00am / US PT – 7:00am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – N/A / US – N/A
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – N/A / US – Peacock, Fubo, Sling Blue & DirecTV Stream
EVERTON PREVIEW: TOFFEES NOT OUT OF CRISIS
Sean Dyche has performed well as Everton boss with a Toffees squad that is pretty underwhelming in large parts. However, there was a period of last season where they didn’t win a Premier League game for nearly four months so there will need to be an avoidance of that with the prospect of further off-field issues not completely gone away.
The hosts have had to make one major sale with Amadou Onana joining Aston Villa but they have, as of now, kept hold of the likes of Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. To replenish the squad, they have brought in the likes of Iliman Ndiaye and Jesper Lindstrom in attack.
BRIGHTON PREVIEW: THE BOLD, EXCITING BRIGHTON
Brighton and Hove Albion have appointed the youngest permanent manager in Premier League history. As mentioned, 31-year-old Fabian Hurzeler takes charge of the Seagulls after delivering Hamburg-based club St Pauli automatic promotion to the Bundesliga last season with a heavily possession-based tactical approach.
Brighton have undergone some changes in the summer with a fair bit of experience, such as Pascal Gross and Adam Lallana, departing the club. However, the arrivals of Yankuba Minteh, Mats Wieffer and Brajan Gruda leave an exciting mood in the air as they challenge to get back into UEFA competition.
EVERTON TEAM NEWS: BRANTHWAITE BLOW
In the week leading up to the season, it has been confirmed that England international Jarrad Branthwaite is unavailable for the opening day through injury after a summer in which he has been the subject of interest from Manchester United.
The Toffees are also set to be without club captain Seamus Coleman as well as Nathan Patterson and James Garner. Youssef Chermiti is also sidelined but Michael Keane is available.
PREDICTED XI (4-4-1-1): Pickford; Young, Tarkowski, O'Brien, Mykolenko; McNeil, Doucoure, Gueye, Harrison; Ndiaye; Calvert-Lewin
UNAVAILABLE: Branthwaite (Injured), Patterson (Injured), Coleman (Injured), Garner (Injured), Chermiti (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
BRIGHTON TEAM NEWS: NEW LOOK SEAGULLS
Fabian Hurzeler is expected to stick with the 3-4-3 system that enjoyed so much success at St Pauli last season. He does have some injury issues to deal with, though, with the likes of Julio Enciso, Solly March and goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen all unavailable.
Whilst Hurzeler reported no new injury issues, the Seagulls have welcomed back Tariq Lamptey, Pervis Estupinan and Evan Ferguson to the training pitch as they prepare for the opening day.
PREDICTED XI (3-4-3): Steele; Van Hecke, Dunk, Igor; Veltman, Milner, Wieffer, Barco; Minteh, Joao Pedro, Mitoma
UNAVAILABLE: Verbruggen (Injured), Lamptey (Injured), Pervis Estupinan (Injured), March (Injured), Julio Enciso (Injured), Ferguson (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Gilmour (Injured)
EVERTON VS BRIGHTON PREDICTION
We have a real clash of styles on the opening day at Goodison Park with Sean Dyche embodying the archetypal, fairly functional so-called ‘English’ style of football up against the youngest permanent manager in Premier League history with a desire to play a progressive and possession-based style. With Brighton getting used to the sophistication of new methods and Everton happy to probably take a point and move on from opening day, it may not be a thriller for the neutral.
EVERTON VS BRIGHTON TIP: UNDER 2.5 GOALS
