Sayings by Jarrad Branthwaite regarding Everton

Just a few minutes separated Everton from their first Premier League triumph of 2024, as Brighton and Hove Albion pulled away in the final moments.

A fantastic chance to move further clear of the relegation zone was lost in an incredibly sad chain of circumstances.

The fact that the game was won late thanks to a hopeful pass in the area and a powerful header by the home team’s center back—a tactic Sean Dyche has used frequently this season—makes matters much worse.

Jarrad Branthwaite’s earlier thunderbolt, which had fired in the first goal, was cancelled out by Lewis Dunk’s equalizer in the 95th minute.

He was, nonetheless, irritated by one action on his side that encouraged pressure.

After hearing Jarrad Branthwaite’s comments, it appeared like Everton would win all three points despite being down 1-0 on the road against the ten-man Seagulls who had been essentially neutralized throughout the match.

Given that the team hasn’t won a league title since mid-December, allowing two of them to go at the final minute was a fatal blow.

Their inability to capitalize on their numerical advantage only made their man advantage—which they possessed for the first time in what seemed like forever—more frustrating.

After the game, Branthwaite expressed his dissatisfaction with their response to the red card to BBC Sport, saying, “We put in a solid performance.” They were reduced to ten men after we had a 1-0 lead. We then relaxed and applied pressure, which is annoying since they scored late.

They are a strong squad that could hold the ball if they had ten men. We pressured the entire game, but I’m not sure what occurred when they were down to 10 men.

What was Jarrad Branthwaite’s performance against Brighton?
Not only did he finish well—his 7.9 Sofascore rating is the second-highest of any Everton player—but his impressive stat line was also well-deserved.

After all, according to Sofascore, he would combine his offensive skill with seven tackles, three blocks, one interception, and one clearance while also winning four of the six duels he took part in.

Not only that, but considering the high-pressing opposition he faced, his 85% pass accuracy was a sharp increase above his Premier League average of 80%.

Elevating his performance to unprecedented heights against a very talented team, Branthwaite was incredibly unfortunate not to emerge victorious.

But he simply keeps showing the world how good he is, and his rumored £100 million price tag doesn’t seem all that high anymore.