Brighton & Hove Albion-Everton Preview

Frank Lampard is preparing his Everton team for a difficult fixture at home to a "very good" Brighton and Hove Albion side on Tuesday.

The Toffees picked up what could be a vital point in their fight against relegation away at Manchester City, with Demarai Gray equalising after Erling Haaland put the champions ahead.

Lampard wants his players to take that battling performance into Tuesday's match, telling reporters: "[I expect] the same approach in mentality and work ethic and all of those things because I think they have got to be standard in football.

"It is a very good team coming to Goodison, a very good possession team that will play, so we have to have a real work ethic and a discipline about our game and we will look at that tactically with the players."

Brighton were without World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister as they lost 4-2 at home to league leaders Arsenal on Saturday, but they remain in the Premier League top half after a solid start to the season.

Head coach Roberto de Zerbi, who took over from Chelsea-bound Graham Potter in September, says Mac Allister could return for the Everton trip, while stating he will stay at the club amid reported interest from Chelsea.

"Mentally, for sure Alexis can play," De Zerbi told a press conference. "Physically, I'm not sure but we will see tomorrow (Tuesday) morning.

"I am happy if he wants to stay with us until the end of the season and I think it is better for him."

Everton - Demarai Gray

The former Leicester City man earned a valuable point for his team with a superb strike at City, while only Alex Iwobi has created more chances for Everton in the league this season than Gray's 21. The Seagulls will have to keep a close eye on him.

Brighton and Hove Albion - Adam Lallana

The midfielder has scored in each of his last two away Premier League appearances, netting twice, one more than in his previous 60 away games in the competition. However, he is yet to score against Everton in the league in 13 attempts. Can he open his account against the Toffees here?

- Everton have won four of their five Premier League home games against Brighton (80 per cent), though they did lose this exact fixture last season. Of all sides they have faced at least five times at home in the competition, only against Fulham do they have a higher win rate (93 per cent).

- Everton have lost their first league game in each of the last five calendar years, including a 3-2 home loss to Brighton in 2022. It is their longest such run since losing their first league game in seven consecutive years between 1957 and 1963.

- Brighton have never won away from home on a Tuesday in the Premier League in nine previous attempts (two draws, seven defeats). Their last away top-flight win on this day of the week was in March 1983 against Swansea, winning 2-1 with goals from Michael Robinson and Jimmy Case.

- Brighton have won their last two away Premier League games, beating Wolves and Southampton. It is the seventh time the Seagulls have won consecutive away games since promotion in 2017 but they have never won three in a row in the Premier League or top-flight on the road.

- Everton's Lampard has never lost against Brighton in a Premier League match (won two, drawn one), only facing Crystal Palace more often without losing in the competition as a manager (played five, won five). He did, however, lose an FA Cup match against them back in February 2019, when he was Derby County manager.

Updated January 2, 2023