THE excellent Adam Goodwin (@agjournalism) has backed a particular goal scorer in the Premier League contest between Brighton and Everton.
Brighton v Everton| Sunday 15th October 2017, 13:30 | Sky Sports
Brighton went into the international break on the back of a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal, but you couldn’t fault the way Chris Hughton’s side played. They created plenty of chances and could’ve gone 1-0 up at one point, thanks to a superb Solly March free-kick.
They’ve drastically improved since the start of the season and they’ll want to continue in an analogous manner this Sunday.
Unlike Brighton, I’m sure Ronald Koeman would’ve welcomed the international break as he looks to end Everton’s dreadful start to the season.
The Toffees lost 1-0 at home to Brighton in their final game before the international break, and Koeman will have used the past couple of weeks to work on what’s gone wrong for Everton in the opening seven games.
Brighton bully through talisman Solly March
Most people would’ve expected Arsenal to dominate the game versus Brighton a couple of weeks ago, as they usually do against the weaker sides at the Emirates.
And although Arsenal had the lion’s share of possession, Brighton put in a sterling performance and looked like scoring on more than one occasion.
There was a lot of criticism for Brighton’s lack of attacking options at the start of the season but the introduction of Solly March and Jose Izquierdo have brought a different option to the Seagulls attack.
Solly March has been someone that I’ve been really impressed with over the last couple of weeks and he’s another Premier League player that started off in non-league. Brighton signed him from Isthmian League Premier Division side Lewes at the age of 17 and after four years at the club, he’s showing the world what he can do.
A fearless winger who loves driving at defenders, the fans love his directness and his desire. He’s created more chances than Riyad Mahrez and Sadio Mane this season and I think he’ll be influential on Sunday.
One Toffee's youngster to keep an eye on
There isn’t a lot to say about Everton that hasn’t already been said. They’re clearly underperforming and if their results don’t improve Ronald Koeman will be in deep trouble. I watched them against Burnley before the international break and they were clearly missing a clinical striker. Koeman failed to replace Romelu Lukaku and I think that’s something they need to do in January.
Sandro Ramirez has yet to replicate the form he showed in La Liga and Wayne Rooney has occupied a deeper role since he re-joined the club. Oumar Niasse has played well in the last couple of games but I’m not sure he’s the long-term solution to their offensive woes.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin looks to be Everton’s best option up-front and with the creativity of Rooney and Gylfi Sigurdsson around him, I think he’s the Toffees best option for a goal this Sunday.
The stats show that their problem isn’t creating chances, it’s finishing them. They’ve had an average of 11.3 shots per game so far, this campaign, but an average of just 2.4 of those shots have been on target.
Assuming Calvert-Lewin is chosen to lead the line, he’ll be hoping to open his account for the season. He’s had an average of a shot every 30 minutes in the Premier League, and if he can continue this record, he’ll have no problem in scoring goals this season.
The betting angle
I’ve highlighted two potential danger men for either side, but it’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin who I fancy to score this Sunday. The England Under-20 international scored the winning goal in the Under-20 World Cup final this summer, and although he hasn’t scored in the league just yet, he bagged two in the League Cup against Sunderland a few weeks ago. He’s best price 11/4 to score anytime with Bet 365 and I think that’s a cracking price.
Best Bets
Brighton v Everton – Dominic Calvert-Lewin to score anytime (11/4 Bet365)
