Everton substitute Beto struck in the 97th minute to rescue a 1-1 draw at Brighton, snatching a point just as the Seagulls were closing in on a much-needed Premier League victory. The forward reacted first to turn in a rebound after Jake O'Brien's shot had been parried by Bart Verbruggen, cancelling out Pascal Gross' composed finish midway through the second half. It was the second time in as many weeks that Brighton had been punished by a stoppage-time goal, and it left the Amex stunned.
It was another bitter finish for Fabian Hurzeler's side, coming a week after Harry Wilson's last-kick free-kick had sunk them at Fulham. This match, a clear game of two halves with Brighton on top before the interval and Everton much improved thereafter, ultimately produced a result that felt broadly fair, even if the timing of Beto's equaliser made it hard to accept for the home crowd. The point lifts Everton into eighth place on 34 points, four off the top four, while Brighton drop to 13th on 31 and see their winless Premier League run stretch to four games.
Brighton seize early control as Everton fail to muster a shot
Brighton began with the urgency of a team desperate to turn their form around, pinning Everton back from the opening whistle. Within three minutes both Gross and Danny Welbeck had gone close, the former threatening an early opener before Welbeck steered a header from Maxim De Cuyper's corner off target. The Seagulls were aggressive in their pressing and sharp in their combinations, forcing Everton deep and winning a succession of early set-pieces.