Both Abdoulaye Doucoure and Dwight McNeil scored a brace as Everton secured their first away win in 13 attempts as they cruised to a 5-1 win at the American Express Community Stadium on Monday evening to move them out of the Premier League relegation zone.
Doucoure opened the scoring just 33 seconds in as a quick counterattack led by Alex Iwobi saw him find Dominic Calvert-Lewin on the edge of the box whose clever heel flick created some space, allowing him to pull it across to Doucoure who scored from close range.
Just before the half-hour mark, Doucoure grabbed his brace, again after a fine Everton counterattack. The Mali international at the epicenter as he won the ball back on the edge of the Everton box and found McNeil in plenty of room on the left-hand side, whose cross found Doucoure on the volley, firing well beyond Jason Steele.
Everton could have gone 2-0 up 15 minutes prior, as McNeil played in Vitalii Mykolenko whose low-cross into the box was claimed by Steele just before Calvert-Lewin could get to it.
Embed from Getty ImagesJust six minutes after their second, the Toffees grabbed a third again from a counterattack as Iwobi looked to play in Doucoure but his pass was slightly over-hit. The latter kept it in play and found McNeil on the overlap, who was looking to cross the ball into the box, but it was diverted into the net at the near post with the aid of the right foot of Steele.
Everton almost grabbed a fourth with the last chance of the first half as Calvert-Lewin found space on the left-hand side and threaded the ball through to McNeil, who found James Garner free inside the box. But the Brighton captain Lewis Dunk blocked his effort.
With a little under 15 minutes to go of the second half, Everton again pipped Brighton on the counterattack, as Iwobi charged down the right-hand side and pulled it back for McNeil who rounded Steele and walked the ball into the net.
In the final minute of stoppage time, McNeil got his brace as he charged into the box from the left-hand side and fired his effort beyond Steele at the near post to top off a perfect performance for Sean Dyche’s side.
Just three minutes later, Brighton got a consolation goal after Mitoma’s original effort struck the post, and it came back off Mac Allister from close range.
20 minutes after the restart, the hosts had two chances come back off the crossbar, the first coming after Ferguson breezed past the Everton defence but his shot was tipped onto the crossbar by Pickford. The second time Alexis Mac Allister got on the end of Gross’s corner from the right-hand side but he was unable to find the target.
The result means the Toffees go 16th in the Premier League, two points clear of the relegation zone with three games to go against Manchester City, Wolves, and AFC Bournemouth.
