Everton star stunned at what assistant referee did as Jordan Pickford gets forgotten
The Everton centre back celebrated his perfectly-timed tackle on the impressive Simon Adingra and showcased his emergence as a leader in the process Jarrad Branthwaite clenched his fists and held his stare as he looked down at Simon Adingra. The hulking centre back then turned and pumped his fist at teammates as he stalked clear of the Everton box having fended off another attack from Brighton’s most dangerous player. Adingra, who had stepped onto the pitch wearing his Africa Cup of Nations winners’ medal before the game, had caused the visitors problems throughout. And with 15 minutes to go he was shaping to shoot when Branthwaite’s perfectly-timed sliding challenge not only dispossessed the winger but came off him last, meaning Everton won a goal kick.
Moments earlier Branthwaite had hooked clear a dangerous ball crossed into his box and just a few minutes before that he had shown potency in the other box, the 21-year-old curling a fierce effort beyond Bart Verbruggen’s arm and sending Everton’s travelling fans into celebration at the Amex for a third consecutive season. Those fans responded to the challenge on Adingra by chanting Branthwaite’s name. Those supporters were prevented from leaving the south coast with a vital three points due to Lewis Dunk’s stoppage time equaliser. But Branthwaite’s crucial tackle was another sign of his impressive development this season, and was one of several interesting moments beyond the initial headlines of the game.
This game was chaotic at times and once the second half started to develop it felt like either side could win. The frantic pace increased after Branthwaite’s goal with the hosts’ desperation to find a route back into the match perhaps a factor in the nasty Billy Gilmour challenge on Amadou Onana. It was miss-timed not spiteful but a definite red and it was fortunate Onana was not hurt. He rose gingerly from the pitch after treatment and was moving freely in the tunnel area after the game as he delivered his shirt to a Brighton player outside the dressing rooms. But while this game was cordial once the dust settled there was a falling out on the final whistle with Ashley Young seemingly incensed with a member of the Brighton staff, leading to a lot of angry pointing and Seamus Coleman backing his teammate up before being shepherded away from trouble by Dunk.
Everton were frustrated by some of the decision-making in this game, none more so than a throw-in during the first half, a contentious call that turned a Blues attack into a Brighton one. Everton were on a rare foray forward when Jack Harrison passed the ball out wide to Ben Godfrey as he was approaching the hosts’ box. The ball took what seemed to be an obvious deflection from a defender and Godfrey, rather than stretch to keep it in play, allowed it to roll out for an attacking throw. When the linesman, who could not have been closer to the action, flagged the other way, Godfrey could not believe it. Amid his protests the linesman smiled off the complaints but what felt like a promising position to launch an attack from went the other way – and from the throw-in Brighton pushed forward and won a corner, rubbing salt into the wound.
In the aftermath of the game the managers both tried to look for positives from their sides’ performances as they assessed the value of a draw. Roberto de Zerbi believed his team should have won and defined the result as being “two points lost”. It was three games without a win for him against Sean Dyche – a run that has included the thrashing Everton delivered at the Amex in May and two games in which Brighton had needed late equalisers to avoid defeat. Asked after the game why Everton posed his side issues, de Zerbi namechecked several Blues – but could not recall the name of England number one Jordan Pickford. He said: “Everton are a very good team. They have important players – McNeil, Harrison, Calvert-Lewin, they had Onana on the bench, Doucoure, Tarkowski, the keeper – a good keeper.”
The incredible celebrations of the away end was one of the big stories of the big Everton win at Brighton in May. Abdoulaye Doucoure’s opening goal in the first minutes and the four that followed meant a long trip turned into a big party, one that was all the more emotional given the way it turbocharged the survival bid. The away end was, as ever, full again on Saturday and the travelling Blues were on top form once again, leading to more sensational memories being made. They picked up their momentum early in the second half with the game goalless but were then rewarded with the lead, sparking raucous renditions of Spirit of the Blues. The mood was punctured by Dunk’s late equaliser but this was another great showing on the road.
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