Branthwaite Sets Targets After Injury Return & Reveals Key To Everton Away Form

Jarrad Branthwaite says he's looking forward to playing regular minutes at Everton after overcoming a long-term hamstring injury – and reveals the Blues are targeting a European-placed finish this season.

The Toffees centre-back made his first Premier League start since May 2025 on Saturday, playing 89 minutes of Everton’s 1-1 draw at the Amex Stadium.

Due to the absence of injured full-back Vitalii Mykolenko, David Moyes called upon Branthwaite – who played his first game back just days earlier – to operate at left-back against the Seagulls.

He’s delighted to have made a successful return to the Everton line-up, telling evertontv: “The legs aren't thanking me now! It's one of them; the manager asked me if I could play [at left-back] – and I'll do anything to get on the pitch again.

“It's been such a long time for me, so I'm just happy to be back out there. I got through it all okay, and I'm looking forward to hopefully playing many more games this season.

“I’m definitely happy. It's been such a long time. It's been a frustrating, eight or nine months, really.

“And to play the 45 on Monday and to go and play the 80-odd minutes that I've done today, I'm really happy with my body, the way it's upheld and hopefully – touch wood I can continue for the rest of the season injury-free and have a good end to the season.”

Despite the Blues needing a last-minute strike from substitute Beto to seal the point on Saturday, Everton were good value for the result, showing an improved second-half display in which they registered four shots on target to Brighton’s one, and an expected-goals figure of 1.2 to Brighton’s 0.26.

“I think, overall, we should have won the game,” remarked Branthwaite. “I think we limited them to very few chances. They were clinical with the chance they got in the second half, but we had the key chances. 

“We had plenty more chances in the first half.  I thought we were a lot more aggressive in the second half as well, which gave us a foothold in the game and, like I said, we're unlucky not to get three points, but it's a very good point on the road.”

The Toffees have now amassed 18 points away from home this season, with only Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Tottenham recording more.

Their successes on the road stem from the team’s defiant mentality, says Branthwaite, who added: “Not many teams come [to Brighton] and get a result, so we turn up here saying, look, why can't we? And I think that's the mentality of every away game.

“Look at the lads away at Villa the other week, no one expected us to go there and get a result, so I think that's what drives us and the team's spirit.

“We've got to go right to the end like today, and Beto got his goal, so it's a massive point.”

Saturday’s draw took Everton to ninth in the Premier League table with just 14 games remaining.

Aiming for to finish among the European places, the Blues are two points off seventh and five off sixth.

“I think every game is massive now,” added Branthwaite. “We want Europe, we've said that from the start of the season, as well. So, like I say, every game's big and as long as we keep picking up points.

“We might look at the end of the season and we're in Europe by a point and today would have been a massive result. So, every game's huge and we've just got to keep going like that.”