Everton 3, Albion 1

The glass is half-full for Albion overall, but it was half-empty at Everton.

Although up against a team producing the best home performance against them so far this season, they contributed to their own downfall.

Everton were good, very good. Better than Manchester City, who in fairness played within themselves in the 2-0 defeat at the Etihad.

And, dare I say it, Liverpool, who in the end had one or two scares in their 1-0 win at Anfield.

This was only the fourth time Albion have conceded three or more goals away in the Premier League - the others were against Crystal Palace, Man City and Liverpool towards the end of last season.

That is testimony to their resilience, which deserted them to an extent on the blue half of Merseyside.

Chris Hughton (below) was split by how much the result was due to the excellence of an Everton side destined on this evidence to certainly finish no lower than seventh, possibly higher, or the shortcomings of his Albion team. "Probably half and half," he said. "We were up against a good side. They've spent big and I think they've brought in good players.

The Argus: "When you look at the movement they've got, two full-backs who are playing really well at the moment, good options and the balance they have in the middle of the park, I think they are a very good side.

"But when I look at the goals we conceded, they were poor goals to concede.

"That happens. There isn't anybody who concedes goals in a good way. There is normally somebody who makes a mistake, somebody who could have done better.

"That can happen, particularly when you are under pressure and playing against a good team.

"I thought we could certainly have done better on the ball and alleviated a little bit of pressure on ourselves."

It was hard to find fault with any aspect of Hughton's assessment.

Improvement in possession remains a requirement for Albion to give themselves more of an attacking foothold in games.

The better the opposition, the more difficult that becomes. Everton were quick to press them and test their accuracy under pressure, a test they too often failed.

The Argus: The goals they conceded were also uncharacteristic, particularly the first (above) and third scored by Richarlison.

They were exposed on the break from their own corner and poor distribution for once by Lewis Dunk presented the Brazilian with a further opportunity to demonstrate his finishing prowess.

The pace and movement of Everton's early raids could have produced two goals for Gylfi Sigurdsson, normally more assured in taking chances.

Instead Albion's sequence without being breach expanded to 5hrs 21mins before the Icelandic international combined with Bernard from a corner for the Seagulls, headed away by Kurt Zouma.

Richarlison rifled in an angled drive and at that juncture you sensed Albion would do well to go in only one behind.

To go in level was a flattering bonus, via a set play straight off the training ground.

Once bitten, twice shy. This time Alireza Jahanbakhsh played the corner short to Solly March and his inviting cross was headed in from close range by Dunk (below), getting the better of Zouma.

The Argus: Everton re-asserted and Albion wilted straight after the interval. Idrissa Gana Gueye struck a post and Theo Walcott somehow volleyed over in the same passage of play before Seamus Coleman, given too much room, drilled in his first goal for 22 months from 20 yards.

Dunk had a mixed day in front of England boss Gareth Southgate. His first goal since scoring against Arsenal in March came after an early caution for pulling back Richarlison and was followed by a stray pass straight to the Brazilian.

That left his partner, Shane Duffy, making a sobering return to his old club, exposed. Richarlison left Duffy for dead and rounded Mathew Ryan to give the scoreline a more realistic look and secure Everton's third win in four.

Albion have also taken nine points over the same period.

Hughton said: "When the dust settles a little bit this is the type of game where others might concede more. They (Everton) are capable of it with the quality they've got.

"I will put things in perspective. We were up against a good team. We did some very good things but probably overall not enough good things to give them more of a game.

"I thought first half we broke really well at times and, even though they were better than us, I could see us breaking and scoring.

"More in the first half than the second half. That's a plus but for the likes of ourselves it's hard to get the amount of goals you would like in this division, particularly away from home."

Albion's fortunes on their travels will be defined not by games like this one but games like the next, at Cardiff.