Everton clinched a 2-0 win against Brighton & Hove Albion at the Goodison Park to bag all three points in the Premier League. An own goal by Gaetan Bong in the second half was followed by a quality finish by Cenk Tosun. The Toffees had lost both of their last two league games and thus, victory over the Seagulls should help in restoring the confidence.
Here are the Everton player ratings…
Jordan Pickford 7/10
The custodian appeared quite confident under the bar and performed well to stop the visiting side from scoring, including his save to deny a long-range shot from Glenn Murray.
Seamus Coleman 7/10
Coleman was rock-solid and the back and it was really intriguing to see how he galloped forward at times into opposition’s half.
Phil Jagielka 8/10
He imposed his command in the central defence and barked orders at the other defenders to shield Pickford. The centre-back was very solid throughout the game.
Michael Keane 7/10
Keane seemed erratic at times but he did find his feet as the game progressed and did the basics right.
Leighton Baines 9/10
The left-back bagged an assist on his return to action for the first time since he was injured against Southampton back in November. He showed a tremendous amount of grit and willingness and his performance must have pleased Allardyce.
Tom Davies 6/10
Davies’ inexperience was evident as he held the ball far too long on many.
Wayne Rooney 7/10
The former Manchester United player excelled at passing the ball and was the engine room for his side. However, he failed to convert his penalty.
Gylfi Sigurdsson 8/10
Sigurdsson often emerged as the creative spark for the Blues and his clever passes and movement caused a lot of trouble to Hughton’s defensive line.
Theo Walcott 8/10
His pace and ability to stretch the opposition’s defence came really handy for the home side and there is no denying that Walcott is proving to be a smart acquisition.
Yannick Bolasie 7/10
Bolasie took time to settle but once he did, he produced many moments of quality, including the breakthrough. His cross played a key hand in the opening goal of the game.
Cenk Tosun 8/10
The Turkish international held the ball well in the final third, passed the ball to his teammates well and bagged a goal.
Substitutions
Dominic Calvert-Lewin 7/10
He brought a lot of energy after coming on for Walcott and also won the penalty that Rooney missed.
Mason Holgate 7/10
Holgate replaced Bolasie and ensured that Allardyce had three centre-backs in the closing stages of the game.
Davy Klaassen 6/10
Everton operated with much more confidence after Klaassen was introduced late in the second half at the expense of Davies.