Grealish's Masterclass Masks Brighton's Possession Paradox

Kannste knicken Futmetrix-Wertung: 28/100. Grealish's orchestration turned a lopsided possession battle into a statement win for Everton, but Brighton's wastefulness in front of goal exposed the fragility of both teams' early-season foundations.

When Precision Trumps Possession

Brighton dominated the ball with 58% possession and 490 passes to Everton's 362, yet the Seagulls left Goodison Park empty-handed. This wasn't a masterclass in defensive solidity—it was a masterclass in clinical finishing. Grealish delivered two assists with surgical precision, and Everton's Intensity in transition moments proved devastatingly effective. The Stakes were suffocating: Brighton sitting 18th after two games, Everton climbing to 8th. Both teams needed this more than points—they needed belief.

Everton struck first in the 23rd minute through Ismaïla Ndiaye, courtesy of Grealish's incisive pass. Brighton responded with territorial dominance but couldn't convert their dominance into danger. A combined 24 shots flew across Goodison—13 from Brighton alone—yet only seven found the target. Pickford made four saves and crucially denied a penalty, turning away Brighton's best chance to reset the narrative. By the 52nd minute, Garner finished Grealish's second assist to kill the contest.

Brighton's xG of 2.43 versus their single goal tells the story: they created enough to win comfortably but lacked the execution. Seven yellow cards flew across the pitch—a sign of Balance tipping toward desperation rather than craft. Everton's 75% pass accuracy and 42% possession revealed a side content to absorb pressure and strike on the counter. For a team fighting relegation form, it was pragmatism dressed as intelligence.

The Upset potential evaporated by halftime. What remained was a mismatch between expectation and reality: Brighton's 84% passing accuracy meant nothing without clinical finishing. Everton's defensive vulnerabilities—conceding 3 goals in two games—were masked by Brighton's inability to punish them. This wasn't beautiful football. It was survival football, and Everton executed it better.