Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma continued his strong form Tuesday in the English Premier League, netting for the second straight game in a 4-1 victory away to Everton.
The 25-year-old Japanese World Cup star missed a chance to open the scoring with a header before quickly making amends, slicing past two defenders and calmly beating Everton keeper Jordan Pickford from the middle of the area in the 14th minute.
"I had a decent amount of space and was able to set it up with my first touch," Mitoma said.
The winger continued to cause nightmares for Everton down the left flank throughout his 78 minutes at Goodison Park, while also working hard defensively to win back the ball for his side.
Brighton ran away with the contest following goals from Evan Ferguson, Solly March and Pascal Gross over a six-minute stretch early in the second half.
Sliiiiiiding into 2023. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/Ykcq1JNa9I
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) January 3, 2023
Coming off an outstanding World Cup for Japan, Mitoma has continued to thrive at Brighton under new manager Roberto De Zerbi, who took the reins mid-season.
"If we keep winning when I play, I'll get more opportunities. I want to keep it up," the former Kawasaki Frontale star said.
The Seagulls moved to eight in the standings with the win, which piled the pressure on Everton manager Frank Lampard. The Merseyside club remain on the fringe of the relegation zone in 16th place, with home fans loudly voicing their dissatisfaction at the end of the match.
Elsewhere in England, Takehiro Tomiyasu came off the bench for league leaders Arsenal in the 76th minute of their scoreless draw at home to Newcastle.
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