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DAVID MOYES GOES WILD: EVERTON BOSS CHANNELS DAVID PLEAT AFTER DRAMATIC LATE BETO EQUALIZER

David Moyes admits he nearly tried a knee slide after Beto’s late equaliser saved Everton in a dramatic 1-1 draw at Brighton.

David Moyes goes wild: Everton boss channels David Pleat after dramatic late Beto equalizer
David Moyes jokes about "knee slide" after sprinting across the touchline

The Toffees boss couldn’t hide how he felt at the Amex. When Beto, who’d just come on, poked in a goal deep into stoppage time, wiping out Pascal Gross’ earlier strike, Moyes just let it all out.

His reaction? Honestly, it looked a lot like that old clip of David Pleat sprinting across Maine Road when Luton pulled off their great escape in ’83. Moyes, at 62, even thought about going for a knee slide. He did pick up a yellow card, but that’s not going to stop him next time.

“I hope you’re not going to start calling me ‘Pleaty’,” Moyes joked.

“The thing is, David Pleat never got booked for it. Back then, it was fine—people loved seeing managers go wild after a big goal. Now, we’re told we can’t leave the technical area, can’t celebrate properly. That’s the stuff you all want to see and talk about!”

Would he do it again? “You bet I would!” he said, laughing. “Honestly, if I were a bit more nimble, maybe I would’ve tried the knee slide too. What’s one yellow card anyway? Might as well go for it.”

Everton really didn’t get going in the first half. After the break, though, they took control. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall missed a huge chance, then Gross got his first Brighton goal since coming back from Dortmund. Brighton almost went ahead earlier too—Mitoma came close around the 19th minute—and for a while, it looked like they’d just hang on.

Then, right at the death, Beto pounced after Bart Verbruggen spilt a shot from Jake O’Brien. The away end exploded.

“It was a mad finish,” Moyes said. “It didn’t look like we’d get the equaliser, but in the end, we earned it. Dewsbury-Hall should’ve put us ahead, and they missed a big one in the first half too.”

Brighton now sit three points behind Everton, with only one win in their last 11 league games. The mood among Albion fans hasn’t been great, and coach Fabian Hurzeler knows it.

“I think it’s just a small group feeling that way,” he said. “They’re allowed to be frustrated—even with me. That’s football. But what matters is they stuck behind the team today, and I appreciate that.”

He’s not running from criticism. “I’m open to it, good or bad. I want to go through this with the fans. We just need to handle those big moments better. We switched off for one second, and it cost us the match. It hurts, but we’ll get through it and bounce back.”

CONOR GALLAGHER CONFIRMED AS "VITAL" STARTER FOR SPURS FOLLOWING BENTANCUR’S INJURY LAYOFF

Conor Gallagher proved the doubters wrong against Man City. Discover why his €40m move to Tottenham is finally paying off for Spurs.

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Conor Gallagher secured first Spurs assist as Tottenham snatched a point at City

Chelsea and Atletico Madrid both decided Conor Gallagher wasn’t worth the trouble. At Chelsea, he had his moments—Pochettino liked him, but the fans never really warmed up. When Chelsea shipped him off to Atletico, it made sense. Enzo Fernandez stepped up, took over Gallagher’s role, and fit in perfectly next to Caicedo, with Cole Palmer adding that extra spark up front.

Things didn’t get much better for Gallagher in Spain. He barely got a chance at Atleti, lost his spot in the starting eleven, and pretty much ended up on the transfer list before anyone had time to blink. Interest was lukewarm at best until the winter window rolled around. Aston Villa wanted him and went after him pretty aggressively, but then Tottenham swooped in late. Spurs needed someone to patch up the midfield after Bentancur’s injury, so they just paid up—40 million euros, no hesitation.

His start at Tottenham? Rough. Honestly, that was to be expected. He’d played well at Palace before, but after his struggles at Atleti, he needed time to adjust. Sitting on the bench in Spain didn’t do him any favours.

Then Gallagher showed up. People doubted whether he could really add creativity and move the ball forward for Spurs, so his early struggles got people worried. But then came the 2-2 draw against Manchester City. He suddenly looked like the player both Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank were so desperate to sign.

Against City, Gallagher flipped the script. He set up a crucial assist, drove play forward on the dribble, and kept drawing fouls—everything the Spurs needed. Defensively, he was all over the place in a good way: two tackles, three interceptions, a full 90 minutes, and a huge part of the Spurs clawing their way back into the game.

Tottenham fans loved it. They saw the effort, the attitude, and the hunger to win. Gallagher just wouldn’t quit, and in that second half, he, Xavi Simons, Pape Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie, and Dominic Solanke ran the show. Four of those guys have been carrying Spurs lately, so Gallagher is fitting right in with them. That’s a pretty good sign he’s going to work out just fine in North London.

AC MILAN MEDICAL FAILURE: THE HIDDEN KNEE INJURY THAT CRUSHED MATETA’S £30M MOVE

Jean-Philippe Mateta's £30m move to AC Milan is OFF. Discover why a failed medical has put his France World Cup dreams in jeopardy.

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Mateta’s "dream move" suddenly turned toxic.

Jean Philippe-Mateta’s got a real headache right now. The Crystal Palace striker just watched his £30 million dream move to AC Milan blow up at the last minute, all because a knee problem showed up during his medical.

The thing is, Mateta’s been carrying this injury for a while. Now he’s stuck: should he go under the knife and try to recover in time for the World Cup? He wants to make the France squad this summer, but nothing’s guaranteed. Even if he has surgery, there’s no telling if he’ll be fit enough—or have enough time on the pitch—to convince Didier Deschamps he deserves a spot.

The injury’s been dragging him down anyway. It’s messing with his form and his game time, and he’s worried he won’t get a real shot at proving himself for France if he isn’t at his best.

It’s tough because he’s coming off a fantastic year at Palace. FA Cup winner, big goals, helped the club reach Europe—it’s been a dream run. But now he might have to go back to Selhurst Park, even though he’s made it clear he’s had enough and wants out.

Honestly, it feels like only a matter of time before he leaves. His contract runs out next summer, and Palace can’t risk losing him for nothing. They’ve already watched Marc Guehi go to Man City for a bargain, just because his deal was running down.

Now Mateta has to sit down with Palace and the doctors to figure out what to do about his knee. Surgery would sideline him for months, probably killing his World Cup chances.

He’s gutted about Milan falling through, especially after Juventus cooled their interest and Nottingham Forest had an offer turned down. Over the weekend, he even unfollowed Palace on Instagram and posted a fed-up emoji. No one really knows if he’ll even make the squad for the Brighton game.

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