EPL: Brighton move closer to safety after Everton stalemate

Brighton & Hove Albion held a lacklustre Everton to a goalless draw at the Amex Stadium on Monday evening, moving Graham Potter’s side a point closer to Premier League safety.

Visiting manager Carlo Ancelotti named a weakened side, opting to give some of his key players more time to shake off niggles ahead of Friday’s game against Arsenal, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Andre Gomes and Allan all left out. And the lack of that quality showed in a disjointed first-half performance from the Toffees that failed to yield a single attempt on target.

FT. It's finished all square at the Amex. #BHAEVE pic.twitter.com/FzpKN6F2t9

— Everton (@Everton) April 12, 2021

There wasn’t much in the way of attacking threat at the other end either, with a deflected Neal Maupay effort and a speculative (and spectacular) attempted overhead lob from Yves Bissouma the only efforts of note.

⏰ Honours even.

📲 https://t.co/S3j1TIedJv#BHAFC 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/4Br186Z9Q8

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) April 12, 2021

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Half-chances came in greater frequency after the break, with Brighton the better of the two sides for much of the second half, but a goal never came as the spoils were shared on the south coast.

The result leaves Everton in eighth, seven points outside the top four but with a game in hand over all of the teams around them. Brighton go above Burnley on goal difference into 15th, now seven points clear of the bottom three.