Wayne Rooney saves Everton at Brighton with last-gasp penalty but questions over Ronald Koeman remain

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Wayne Rooney’s last-minute penalty was enough to rescue one point for Everton from Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday afternoon. But will it be enough to rescue their form, their season or their struggling manager?

Despite the buzz of the last-minute goal this was an afternoon that prompted more questions about Everton’s direction and their performances. They were poor all game, inferior to a limited and beatable Brighton side, and were only saved from defeat by Michael Oliver’s decision in the last minute to penalise Bruno for an elbow on Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the box. That gave Everton the penalty which Rooney converted.

Of course, with the momentum behind them Everton nearly won the game at the end, Brighton keeper Mathew Ryan having to save from Kevin Mirallas in added time. But coming that close to winning should not get Everton and Koeman off the hook, not even close.

All afternoon Everton were short of ideas, speed and inspiration. They created precious few real chances and none of the saves Ryan had to make before Rooney’s penalty were anything other than routine. And while Rooney took his penalty well, he had not impressed up until that point. Koeman played him as a false nine, dropping back into midfield. But it did not work, as Rooney’s touch and passing deserted him. He spent much of the time getting in the way of Gylfi Sigurdsson, playing as a 10, and trying to do the same things as Rooney.

It is not Koeman’s fault that the squad is this unbalanced – Steve Walsh can take his share of the credit too – but ultimately Koeman will be the man to pay if their season does not get any better than this. This point leaves Everton 16th in the table, just three ahead of the relegation zone, desperately underperforming given expectations at the start of the season. They have only won twice in the league this season, at home against Stoke City and Bournemouth. Their last away win in the league was at Crystal Palace on 21 January.

For Everton to be as good as they intend to be, they will have to play much better than this. Faster, sharper, cleverer and with more conviction and belief. Their only good moment of a miserable first half came from a good run by Dominic Calvert-Lewin down the left, which ended with Lewis Dunk throwing himself in front of Sigurdsson’s shot. Beyond that there was very little to get excited about. Idrissa Gueye had one shot saved from the edge of the box.

In the second half Everton were maybe marginally better as Mason Holgate and Calvert-Lewin forced Ryan to make two more saves. But that was as good as it got. It was Brighton, not known for being entertaining themselves, who really turned it up and who put themselves in a position to win the game.

They had not offered much in the first half, underlining the feeling that they may not score enough goals to keep themselves in the Premier League. Their best moment was when a shot from Dunk hit Michael Keane on the arm. But in the second half Brighton started to improve, especially when the exciting Jose Izquierdo entered the fray. With his first touch he forced Jordan Pickford to save, and then Anthony Knockaert had a shot blocked on the line.

Suddenly the Everton defence was panicking after Izquierdo fizzed another wide. Then with seven minutes left Bruno surged down the right and pulled the ball back into the box. Izquierdo’s shot was blocked but it fell to Knockaert who slotted in.

Brighton were 1-0 up – it was just their sixth goal from their eighth league game - and against opponents playing this badly, they should have seen it out. They have already won two home league games this season, against West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United, and this would have been a very welcome third.

But Bruno got overly physical in the penalty area, Michael Oliver saw it, and Brighton dropped two points. They will regret allowing a team to come here, play this badly, and escape with anything.

Brighton (4-2-3-1) Ryan; Bruno, Duffy (Huenemeier, 72), Dunk, Suttner; Stephens, Propper; Knockaert, Gross, March (Izquierdo, 72); Murray (Brown, 85)

Everton (4-2-3-1) Pickford; Holgate, Keane, Jagielka, Baines (Mirallas, 84); Schneiderlin, Gueye (Niasse, 69); Vlasic, Sigurdsson, Calvert-Lewin; Rooney (Davies, 90)