Everton vs Brighton Matchday Stats Preview

Everton won their first four home Premier League games against Brighton and Hove Albion but are since winless in their last three against them at Goodison Park (D1 L2).

The team scoring first has never lost a Premier League meeting between Everton and Brighton (W10 D3), although the Toffees went 1-0 up in both games last season and both ended 1-1.

Everton have lost their opening Premier League match in each of the last two seasons, losing 1-0 at home both times to Chelsea in 2022-23 and Fulham in 2023-24. They haven’t begun a campaign with defeat in three seasons in a row since between 2008-09 and 2011-12 (four consecutively).

Brighton lost their first match in three of their first four Premier League campaigns but have begun their last three seasons with victory. The Seagulls are looking to win their opening league game in four consecutive seasons for the first time ever.

Everton have won five of their last eight Premier League games (D1 L2), having been winless in their previous 13 (D6 L7). Indeed, since the first victory in that run on 6th April, only four teams have won more Premier League points than the Toffees (16).

Among current Premier League sides, only Nottingham Forest (16) have earned fewer points so far in 2024 than Brighton (18). Indeed, in the 2023 calendar year the Seagulls only failed to score in two of their 41 Premier League games – so far in 2024 they’ve failed to score in a league-high nine games (19 played).

Brighton finished the 2023-24 Premier League campaign with defeats against Chelsea and Manchester United. They last lost three consecutive league games in February/March 2022 (a run of six).

This will be Fabian Hürzeler’s first game as Brighton manager. Born in February 1993, he will be the first manager to take charge of a Premier League game who was born after the competition started, while at 31 years and 173 days he’ll be the second-youngest to ever take charge of a Premier League match (Ryan Mason, 29y 312d).

19-year-old Evan Ferguson scored in Brighton’s 4-1 win against Luton on the opening weekend of the Premier League last season. The only teenager to score on MD1 in more than one campaign is Michael Owen (1997-98 and 1998-99).

Brighton’s James Milner is set to appear in his 23rd different Premier League season, which would be a new outright competition record, surpassing Ryan Giggs’ 22. Should he feature against Everton, at 38 years and 226 days old he will also become Brighton’s oldest ever Premier League player, overtaking Bruno (38y 223d).