Everton vs Brighton: How to watch live, stream link, team news, prediction

Starting with their opening match at Goodison Park on Saturday against Brighton, Everton hopes that the 2024–25 campaign will be the one that finally puts them back in the middle of the Premier League standings and puts an end to rumors of relegation.

The 131-year-old stadium will host its final season for the Toffees in 2024–25. The following summer, Everton is anticipated to relocate to a new 52,888-seat stadium. They want to be a Premier League team above all else, of course, but after making it through the relegation battle each of the previous three seasons, some upward momentum would also be nice.

When it comes to quick rises, no team in the Premier League saw more than Brighton in 2021–2023, when they shot up the standings from 16th to 9th to a club-record 6th place finish before somewhat settling back down the previous season. At the conclusion of the season, Roberto De Zerbi and the club’s board decided that a change in head coach was in everyone’s best interests, despite the Seagulls finishing 11th and making it to the Europa League round of 16. Presenting Fabian Huerzler, a 31-year-old American native.

Everton team news, focus

OUT: Nathan Patterson (thigh), Youssef Chermiti (ankle), Dele Alli (groin) | QUESTIONABLE: Michael Keane (thigh), James Garner (calf), Seamus Coleman (calf), Jarrad Branthwaite (groin)

The optimism stems from the tail end of last season, when Everton won five of their last eight Premier League games (5W-1D-2L). They conceded six goals to Chelsea in one of the defeats and a grand total of three goals in the other seven games, keeping a clean sheet in all five victories, including against Liverpool in the Merseyside derby. There are, however, some worries over how Sean Dyche will replace midfielder Amadou Onana, who joined Aston Villa for $64 million this summer — Everton’s standout performer a season ago, who is only getting better at 22 years old.

Brighton team news, focus

OUT: Solly March (knee), Bart Verbruggen (undisclosed), Evan Ferguson (ankle), Julio Enciso (knee), Pervis Estupinan (calf) | QUESTIONABLE: Joao Pedro (undisclosed), Valentin Barco (undisclosed), Billy Gilmour (undisclosed)

It may not be shocking that Brighton is looking to further develop De Zerbi’s aggressive tactical tendencies, as the Italian’s St. Pauli team frantically counter-pressed its way to Bundesliga promotion in the spring. Brighton enjoyed tremendous success under De Zerbi. There’s little doubt about it: The Seagulls will be instantly recognizable. Midfielder Pascal Gross, 33, left the south coast after seven outstanding seasons to join Borussia Dortmund this summer. Gross joined the team when it was promoted to the Premier League in 2017 and has since amassed 30 goals and 45 assists in 228 PL games.

Everton vs Brighton prediction

Everton 1-0 Brighton.