Talking points ahead of Everton vs Brighton

Everton will begin a new era at Hill Dickinson Stadium with a clash against Brighton on Sunday.

It will be a historic occasion for the Blues, who are set to play their first official game at their new waterfront stadium. They bid goodbye to Goodison in the penultimate match of the previous campaign after 133 years. Manager David Moyes said in his pre-match press conference that it is imperative that the club construct a team worthy of the impressive arena.

The Toffees are looking to open their account in the points table after suffering a 1-0 loss to Leeds United in their season opener. A contentious penalty call decided that game, but Everton’s subdued performance would be a cause of greater concern for Moyes.

Still looking to sign multiple players in the final throes of the transfer window, the Blues’ lack of depth was exposed in that trip to Elland Road, where Moyes made only two changes, with the latter coming on just four minutes before time.

Brighton, meanwhile, began their season with a 1-1 draw with Fulham after Rodrigo Muniz cancelled out Matt O’Riley’s opener from the penalty spot in the seventh minute of added time to silence the Amex crowd.

Here are the major talking points ahead of Everton vs Brighton:

Defensive absences to continue

David Moyes will once again be without two of his most trusted players at the back. Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitalii Mykolenko will be out for this game.

Mykolenko’s absence in particular severely hampered the side against Leeds United as they had to play midfielder James Garner at left-back. 19-year-old left-back Adam Aznou, signed from Bayern Munich this summer, also missed the opening clash due to an ankle injury but has resumed training.

Will Moyes try Aznou at left-back?

Aznou is yet to receive the medical green light for this match after being left out of the squad against Leeds due to injury. However, if he does make it to the squad, it will be interesting to see whether Moyes starts with him on the left.

In his absence, it was Garner who played at left back and although he did quite well in that unfamiliar role, the 24-year-old’s absence was felt in the middle of the park, especially in the first half. The Blues struggled to deal physically with the Leeds pressure and were pinned into their own box for most of the game.

Starting Aznou will allow Garner to slot into midfield alongside Idrissa Gueye but whether the 19-year-old Moroccan is at the level to start a Premier League game remains to be seen, given that he was caught napping several times in the final pre-season friendly against AS Roma.

Who plays on the right flank?

A deal for Tyler Dibling is imminent, but an official announcement is only expected next week. As such, the Blues will once again be without a right winger for this game.

Against Leeds United, Charly Alcaraz essayed the role but with little to no success, while Iliman Ndiaye was moved from the left flank to the right after Jack Grealish came on. Neither of the players is suited to playing on that flank, and Everton’s build-up and attacking structure suffers as a result.

Thierno Barry to replace Beto?

Beto struggled immensely while leading the line against Leeds United. While it’s true that the Guinea-Bissau international didn’t get plenty of service during the game either, but if Everton are going to resort to long balls to the striker, they might as well try with 6’4” Thierno Barry who has a more towering presence compared to Beto.

Barry came on in the 86th minute at Elland Road and one of his first involvements was beating the centre-backs to win a long ball, hold it up calmly before laying it off, something Beto failed to do repeatedly throughout the contest.

Derek Knox 3 Posted 23/08/2025 at 14:29:37

Kunal, I know some of the pubs that regulars used to frequent on Walton Road and County Road, are putting coaches or transport on to Hill Dickinson Stadium on matchday. I assume it is for those who will go in plenty of time, or give notice, well prior to the match, so they know how many to cater for.