Brighton & Hove Albion

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Former Brighton striker Warren Aspinall believes it is best for Evan Ferguson to move in this transfer window to "get his confidence back".

The striker has struggled with injury this season and only made two starts in the Premier League.

Speaking on the latest episode of BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast, Aspinall said: "Evan needs to go and play football somewhere - whether it's a loan or a transfer.

"He has had a horrible six or seven months with injuries. Last season we saw how good he could be. This season - nothing. And towards the end of last season - nothing.

"He needs to go out and play to get his confidence back.

"He's a wonderful talent. Do we cash in or do we persevere? It's up to the club to deal with that, but he needs some game time and he's not going to get that with Brighton.

"I presume it will be get him out on loan, get him some game time, get him scoring and his confidence back - and then see where it takes him."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Brighton are open to selling Evan Ferguson, 20, before the transfer window closes next week. (Athletic - subscription required, external)

Bayer Leverkusen are in talks with Albion to sign the Republic of Ireland striker. (Sky Sports, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

This week's episode of BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast has landed.

The team discuss fans' reactions to the season so far, look at the latest on Brighton's transfer window and bring you the lowdown on high-flying Nottingham Forest as the Seagulls prepare for Saturday's trip to The City Ground.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Scott McCarthy
Fan writer

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You are a professional footballer. Your team are losing 1-0 at home to an opponent 17th in the table and are yet to have a single shot on target with an hour played. You have just seen your left-back take an effort from distance which has nearly flown out for a throw.

What do you do? If your name is Joao Pedro, the answer is wave your arms at the crowd and demand they offer more support.

This is not the first time Pedro has done it this season. Nor the second, third, fourth or fifth. It seems to have happened at every home game. And it is starting to annoy a lot of fans.

Pedro is paid in the region of £90,000 to put the ball in the back of the net. Brighton supporters who attended the defeat by Everton forked out hard-earned money to do so at a time when incomes are squeezed, the cost of everything is going up and many people are still awaiting their first pay cheque after Christmas.

In what other industry does the service provider demand support and encouragement from the customer to do their job?

Or as a bloke in the West Stand Upper put it when Pedro started waving at the crowd during the 0-0 draw with Brentford last month: "You do your job and have a shot, Pedro, and I'll do mine and cheer."

The reaction when Pedro again gestured on Saturday was even better. Within five minutes, he mis-controlled the ball in a good position on the edge of the Everton box to surrender possession.

Cue loads of supporters in the West Upper jumping to their feet, waving their arms around and shouting: "Come on, Joao!" Two can play at that game...

Pedro is admittedly not the only one to have undertaken such antics this season. Julio Enciso and Bart Verbruggen are also serial offenders.

Here is a radical thought. Maybe if the players stopped concerning themselves about fans cheering and concentrated on winning a first home game since November, support would increase and the atmosphere improve?

Just an idea.

Find more from Scott McCarthy at We Are Brighton, external

Republic of Ireland international striker Evan Ferguson, 20, is expected to leave Brighton on loan before the end of the transfer window. (Fabrizio Romano, external)

Ferguson is the top target of former Seagulls boss Graham Potter, who wants to bring the striker to West Ham, but Everton, Bournemouth and Arsenal are also in the running. (Talksport, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Brighton and Everton.

Here are some of your comments:

Brighton fans

SE: Every year Everton and Jordan Pickford come to the Amex and time-waste. The officials are oblivious to it and they need training. How we lost is beyond me but we were toothless up top again.

Chris: We were half the team that we had been against Man Utd. We deserved nothing. Little energy, little desire. Creativity almost non-existent. A real anti-climax to a great month.

Colin: We could have played all night and not scored. It was vital to get the first goal and apart from a couple of early occasions we never got behind the Everton full-backs and completely ran out of ideas of how to break down a strong defence guarding a one-goal lead. Joel Veltman knew what he was doing for the handball and didn't have his best game. Another frustrating watch.

Neil: Absolutely rubbish - no attacking ideas, stale. Buy someone quickly.

Everton fans

Paul: Sometimes, particularly away from home, you just have to win ugly. So, obviously very poor going forward and in possession but a hard-working midfield and solid defence should guarantee we are in the Premier League in the new stadium. At this stage, that's all that matters for Everton.

Jason: The Moyesiah has come back to keep us in the Premier League and lead us into the new stadium as a top flight side. I am utterly delighted he's come back, and at this stage care only about results, not necessarily performances. They will come in time.

Dave: Bit disjointed at the back largely but still dug in and defended as a pack. A more pacy outlet is needed to ease the pressure at the back. The players' reactions on the field and the dugout at full-time speaks volumes. This is down to the change of manager who values every individual.

Mark: A superb away win showing team spirit, commitment and resolve. Our depleted ranks held firm but we might have suffered some vital injury losses. If ever we needed reinforcement, it's certainly now.

Dominic Dietrich
Senior Sports Journalist, BBC Radio Derby

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After defender Eiran Cashin seemingly waved goodbye to supporters on Saturday at Cardiff, Derby County are faced with a big decision in the transfer window.

The Rams have been firm in their stance not to sell their star man - with one source high up at the club previously saying he was "categorically" not up for sale in January - but Premier League Brighton have been persistent in their approach and it seems their efforts have turned the head of Cashin who aspires to join a top-flight club.

No valuation has been met, no deal has been agreed, so this is likely to go on - but puts the Rams in a stick-or-twist scenario. Take the money and further invest in the squad with a short time left of the transfer window, or play hardball and keep the defender.

Whatever happens in the coming days will be interesting, and could see Derby - if Brighton raise their bid - with money to spend on permanent deals that get them Championship safety.

You can listen to move from Dominic Dietrich on BBC Radio Derby's Rams Daily podcast.

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Brighton defender Jack Hinshelwood speaking to BBC Radio Sussex after defeat against Everton: "We can take positives from how we played, I think we just a lacked a bit of cutting edge.

"When you go down a goal early in the first half, you know their plan, they are probably gong to sit in. It makes things really tough. We have to do a bit more in the final third to make solutions.

"All you can ask from us boys off the bench is we give our all. I think the whole team did that. You can't fault our commitment to the game, we lacked a bit of quality. You have these days at home, we will look to put things right next weekend.

"First half we could have done more to get the crowd on our side, we were a bit flat. The crowd here can make the difference and we probably didn't utilise that."

On playing for the first time since 9 November: "Being injured is a lonely place, the worst part of the job. As much as you are disappointed, you have to use that time to work on different areas. I have been working in the gym. It's been a useful time but something I don't want to get again."

Listen to the interview here

Highlights and analysis from Saturday's six Premier League fixtures are now available to watch.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Wolves 0-1 Arsenal

• Man City 3-1 Chelsea

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Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler to BBC Match of the Day: "We played against a very solid team. We were not clean enough in the first half. We don't have good box positioning and obviously there is an opponent who try to break the rhythm all the time and then it's very difficult.

"We are honest with each other, critical. We have to keep working. We will analyse what went wrong, where we have to improve, and then we keep going."

On perceived timewasting from Everton: "When the referee says we won't send a player off for time wasting it says it all. I don't understand."

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport journalist

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Brighton had begun 2025 with a spring in their step, but their unbeaten start to the new year came to an end in limp fashion against Everton.

Fabian Hurzeler's side, who had beaten Ipswich and Manchester United in their last two games, managed just one shot on target at Amex Stadium on Saturday - a blocked Joao Pedro effort in the first half.

The hosts were furious at referee Tim Robinson's decision to award a penalty against Joel Veltman, who appeared to deliberately shepherd the ball out of play with his hand while under pressure from Beto inside the area.

But it was a clumsy, unnecessary intervention from the Dutchman which ultimately cost his team dearly.

A second-half improvement was not enough to spark a revival as Brighton's winless Premier League home run stretched to five matches.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Brighton's performance

What did you make of Everton's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Six matches make up Saturday's Premier League action.

• Bournemouth v Nottingham Forest

• Brighton v Everton

• Liverpool v Ipswich

• Southampton v Newcastle

• Wolves v Arsenal - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Man City v Chelsea (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

All kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

It is hard to judge David Moyes's Everton off the back of their 3-2 win over a Tottenham side who have been so leaky defensively.

This will be a much better indication of whether Toffees striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is up and running after ending his long wait for a goal against Spurs.

Similarly, it's hard to read too much into Brighton's victory at Manchester United.

Their performance was impressive, especially how dominant they were, but then everyone is dominating against United at the moment - even Southampton managed it when they went to Old Trafford.

Everton were also very good against Spurs but I think they will find things much harder here and Moyes has still got a bit of work to do to keep them up.

Scoring goals has been such a problem for them so getting three against Tottenham was massive - but I don't think they will get any this week.

Sutton's prediction: Brighton 2-0 Everton

Read all of his predictions and have your say here

This Premier League pursuit becomes a lot easier if you take your chances.

BBC Sport has checked in on some data comparing goals versus expected goals this season.

You can see from the bar graph some teams aren't finding the goals (yellow) to outstrip the expected goals they should score (black).

Tottenham, Manchester City, Arsenal, Brentford, Newcastle, Brighton, Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Wolves and Leicester have all scored more than expected.

Wolves in particular have found the net 32 times from an expected 23.56 - a significant overperformance.

League leaders Liverpool are pretty much bang on in returning what they should, while Arsenal have outperformed, with 43 goals from an expected 37.78.

Bournemouth - 36 goals from an expected 43 - are leaving opportunities on the table.

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Overachieving as a team is a great feeling and that is how Brighton, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest players will all be feeling.

Going on a run of games and beating top teams helps to breed confidence and team morale. Then everything feels so much better.

Training becomes more enjoyable and it is easier to be motivated for other games. Plus, you have more belief in your game plan, your manager and everything that is going on around you.

Sometimes having a strong work rate and a game plan that marries with the ability of the team is better than having a team full of strong individuals.

No-one would have thought that Forest, who were fighting relegation last season, would be joint second in the Premier League.

They are comfortable in the way they are playing and, although Brighton and Bournemouth have a different style, they are all successful.

Everything around those clubs is positive, internally and externally at the moment.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

Henry Brownsey
BBC Sport journalist

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Everton (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Brajan Gruda and Jack Hinshelwood should be fit but Hurzeler said Matt O'Riley and Lewis Dunk are not 100% and may not be available.

• The injury news about Jason Steele was "one of the worst messages" Hurzeler has received, and he said the goalkeeper's importance to the club should not be underestimated.

• However, the Brighton manager said he trusts Carl Rushworth after cutting the keeper's loan at Hull City short

• On Julio Enciso who joined Ipswich on loan earlier on Thursday: "It's always important to take care of the development of players, especially the young players. That's the way Brighton improve young players - you have to give them the right game time, Julio played some games in the last weeks, but in general when all the offensive players are back, there's a lot of competition so we made the decision together."

• On if Evan Ferguson may leave before the deadline: "Let's see what happens in the end. There's some players still suffering with small issues. He's not fit yet. We have some days until the window is closed and we have to figure out what the situation is, what we need for the rest of the season and what the players want and make the decision together."

• On the possibility of new additions after a reported bid for Derby defender Eiran Cashin was rejected: "We have a lot of offensive players - in the defensive line we are suffering a little bit. We always manage to find solutions. No matter who we play at the weekend, we will have a strong team on the pitch. In general, I'm happy with the squad."

• On Brighton not winning at home in any of their past four games at Amex Stadium: "Home should be our castle, but at the moment we are not able to make it. It's our responsibility to make it back to our castle."

• He described the career of Everton counterpart David Moyes as "impressive", labelling the Scot "a role model".

• He also said Everton have "an easy but very effective style of play, and individual quality to hurt every team", referencing last week's victory at Tottenham.

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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Brighton midfielder Julio Enciso has joined Ipswich on a loan deal until the end of the season.

The Paraguayan international, who turned 21 today, has made 12 Premier League appearances this season for the Seagulls, including a short cameo at Old Trafford on Sunday in their victory against Manchester United.

Speaking to TownTV, external about the move, Enciso said: "I am so happy to be here. The conversations with the manager have been good. I am very grateful to him and the club for believing in me. I'm a real fighter and I will do my best in every game."

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler said: "Julio wants to play regularly and that is not something we can guarantee with so many options in our attacking positions.

"Ipswich have offered Julio the possibility of more regular game time, and the move is the right one for all concerned.

"We will keep a close eye on his progress as the season continues, and we wish him well for his time with Ipswich."

Enciso has made 57 appearances for Albion, scoring four goals, including the Premier League Goal of the Season for the 2022-23 season after his incredible strike against Manchester City.

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Brighton skipper Lewis Dunk has spoken to the Albion Unlimited podcast about defending from the front and the club's ambitions to get back into Europe.

He said: "That's what this manager wants. We defend as a whole team, as a unit.

"If you watch the strikers in the game, they're probably fed up running all the way back - but that's what we're about as a team.

"As long as we can keep clean sheets, we know we're in with a chance of winning the game.

"After the run we went on - the drawing - we probably thought we'd be further away from it [European places], but we weren't.

"We know we've got a big second half of the season coming up and we want to be back in Europe - that's our challenge. Those were our thoughts at the start of the season so we are still in a position to do that."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Brighton have recalled Carl Rushworth from his loan spell at Hull City - and also confirmed fellow goalkeeper Jason Steele is set for a period on the sidelines.

Albion have said Rushworth will return to the first-team squad, with Steele due to have surgery on an unspecified problem.

Former England Under-21 international Rushworth struggled with injuries while at Hull but did feature in the past three games for the Championship side.

Brighton technical director David Weir said: "We have recalled Carl, with Jason Steele due to undergo surgery on a problem which will sideline him for a period.

"Alongside Killian Cahill, Carl will provide goalkeeping competition for Bart Verbruggen for the period ahead."

Steele has made five appearances for the Seagulls so far this season.