Important Facts
- Brighton is 12th with 30 points, Everton 10th with 33; in a tight mid-table, three points could immediately shift places against Sunderland, Newcastle, and Bournemouth.
- Brighton seems inconsistent: only one league win in five, but they have scored in all five games; the 2-1 defeat at Fulham came despite Ayari’s lead after the break.
- Everton are more stable, but prone to draws; Moyes’ switch to a back three and Branthwaite’s return helped against Leeds, while Barry has contributed four goals in five league games.
- Brighton are without Webster, while March and Tzimas are also unavailable and Veltman’s knee makes the right-back position a delicate one; Everton will have to do without Grealish and Dewsbury Hall, while Alcaraz is doubtful.
- The last five league meetings have always started with few goals (under 1.5 in the first half), with four of them ending with under 2.5 goals in total; nevertheless, Brighton are favorites at home (1.9) because both teams have scored in their last five consecutive games.
Everton has the better recent record in this fixture, including a 2-0 win in the return leg in August and a narrow 1-0 victory in their last visit to the Amex, and this time too, the two teams meet in a tight mid-table battle. On Saturday, January 31, 2026, the Premier League returns to the Amex Stadium for Matchday 24, when Fabian Hürzeler’s Brighton host David Moyes’ Everton. Albion are 12th in the table with 30 points, three points behind Sunderland and level on points with Bournemouth, while Everton are 10th with 33 points, also level on points with Newcastle and Sunderland – so every phase of the form curve counts. Brighton have been more inconsistent than disastrous in the league, with many draws and only one win from their last five games, and last weekend’s 2-1 defeat at Fulham felt like a missed opportunity after Ayari had given them the lead. Everton have been more consistent over the same period and showed bite in their recent 1-1 draw with Leeds, helped by Moyes’ second-half changes and Barry’s equalizer. It is also striking that this fixture has tended to start tightly in recent times, with the first halves of each of the last five league meetings producing fewer than 1.5 goals. Off the pitch, Brighton has fended off interest in Ayari and Dunk, the imbalance at full-back remains an issue in the squad, and Everton will have to do without the injured Grealish, with Dewsbury Hall and Alcaraz also carrying knocks.
- Venue: Amex Stadium, Brighton
- Date and time: January 31, 2026, 4:00 p.m.
- Competition: Premier League (Matchday 24)
In the market, “Brighton wins” is the clear home win favorite at odds of 1.9, which also fits with the personnel situation: Everton has to do without Grealish and Dewsbury Hall, while Hürzeler is sticking with Ayari and Dunk despite interest in them until the transfer deadline. However, Brighton’s improvised lineup at full-back is vulnerable, and Moyes’ newly formed back three plus Barry’s strong form suggest “Both teams to score: Yes” and “Over 2.5 goals.”
Brighton Form & Record Check
Brighton’s league record is more inconsistent than poor, with 30 points putting them in 12th place and keeping them within striking distance of the teams around them. Sunderland are only three points ahead of them, Bournemouth are level on points, which highlights how little room there is for a bad week. What is more frustrating is that Brighton rarely look clearly inferior, but have nevertheless missed out on avoidable situations. Their recent Premier League run tells exactly that story. They beat Burnley 2-0 in a controlled manner and without conceding a goal, then played 1-1 at Manchester City with real discipline, but the 1-1 draw at home to Bournemouth felt like points dropped. Most recently, the 2-1 defeat at Fulham was a warning. Ayari’s lead was deserved, but Brighton lost their footing after the break and paid for their late game management. In all competitions, the 2-1 FA Cup win at Manchester United showed more bite, especially in how Brighton bravely remained in possession under pressure.
In league games, a clear pattern has emerged, with the first halves being cautious, with under 1.5 goals in each of the last five games, but Brighton found a way to score in all five games and often saved their firepower for the second half. Structurally, Hürzeler’s options have been tested by personnel issues and the balance of the team. Webster remains sidelined for the long term, March is still working his way back to fitness, and the right-back situation is forcing compromises, with Kadioglu moving inside and Boscagli looking exposed on the flank when he has to help out. Off the pitch, Brighton’s stance of fending off inquiries for Ayari and Dunk signals stability, but the squad still appears to be lacking a specialized full-back.
Hürzeler is expected to stick with Brighton’s usual 4-3-3, with Verbruggen behind a back four of Kadioglu, van Hecke, Dunk, and De Cuyper. With Webster still out, the center-back pairing seems relatively clear, although Boscagli or Igor could be the first options as replacements. The right-back position is the one to watch, as Veltman has recently been struggling with a knee injury. In midfield, Ayari, Baleba, and Groß are the likely trio, with Ayari’s recent transfer interest unlikely to change the lineup. In attack, Minteh and Mitoma should play alongside Welbeck, with March unavailable and Tzimas out long term. If Hürzeler wants more rotation between the lines, Rutter could come in without changing the basic formation.
Everton Form & Record Check
Everton travel to the Amex on the back of five league defeats, but also only one win, with the draws leaving them stuck in 10th place with 33 points, level with Newcastle and Sunderland. The 1-0 win at Aston Villa showed that Moyes can still win in an ugly way, while the 2-4 home defeat to Brentford revealed how quickly their structure can fall apart. In the FA Cup, they were eliminated by Sunderland on penalties after a 1-1 draw, then 0-3. Monday’s 1-1 draw with Leeds sums up the current Everton side: passive early on, then much better after Moyes reacted. Branthwaite’s return at half-time calmed things down, his passes helped Everton play through Leeds’ pressing, and the switch to a back three with O’Brien tucking in allowed Patterson to push forward. Barry’s equalizer, his fourth in five league games, saved a point, and Gueye even hit the crossbar. They have scored in each of their last five games in all competitions, but they have also conceded in four of those games, and their first halves continue to start slowly, with under 1.5 goals in each game in that period. Creating chances remains a problem, with the fifth-lowest expected goals of 24.8 after 23 league games, and they rarely find a way back when they concede first. Without Grealish, Dewsbury Hall, and Alcaraz, compactness away from home is probably the safest route.
Moyes is expected to stick with the 3-4-2-1 he has relied on recently, with Pickford behind a back three of O’Brien, Tarkowski, and Branthwaite. The formation should look like a flexible back five at times, with Patterson pushed high as a right wing-back and Mykolenko keeping a more stable line on the left, while Branthwaite supports the start of the attack with his passing. In midfield, Gueye and Garner appear to be the most likely double six, especially with Dewsbury Hall out and Alcaraz questionable. In front of them, Ndiaye and McNeil are the likely link-up players, pulling inside to link up play and press, with Barry preferred to lead the line after his recent goal streak. Beto could come in as a late option, while Grealish remains sidelined with a foot injury.
Brighton – Everton Head-to-Head & Statistics
Everton have the upper hand in the last five league meetings, with two wins to Brighton’s one, plus two draws. The most recent was in August 2025, with Everton winning 2-0, and in early 2025, Everton won 1-0 away. Brighton’s strongest response was a 3-0 away win in 2024, along with 1-1 draws in 2024 and 2023, meaning that neither team turned the encounters into an open slugfest. The goals were few and far between. All five of the last games had fewer than 3.5 goals, and four of them had fewer than 2.5. Nevertheless, the games were rarely completely goalless, with three encounters exceeding 1.5 goals. The 3-0 result in 2024 is the outlier in terms of goals scored, with the other matches being decided by individual moments or ending in a draw. Interestingly, the early stages were cautious. The first half remained below 1.5 goals in all five matches, a clear pattern over five games. When Brighton hurt Everton, it was often after the break. From 2023 to 2024, they scored in three consecutive games in the second half, and Everton also conceded goals in three games after the break during the same period. As the results in this fixture are usually close, availability may be more important than usual. Brighton will be without Webster, March, and Tzimas, which could limit Hürzeler’s options in key areas. Everton’s squad is missing Dewsbury Hall, Alcaraz, and Grealish. Given the long-standing tendency for few goals in the first half, a cautious start would fit the recent pattern.
