Beto marked his 27th birthday in unforgettable fashion, coming off the bench to score a dramatic 97th-minute equaliser as Everton rescued a 1-1 draw away to Brighton in the Premier League.
It appeared Pascal Gross’ first goal since his return to the Seagulls would be enough to secure all three points for the hosts, but Everton had the final say.
Deep into stoppage time, Jake O’Brien’s effort was parried by goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, and Beto reacted quickest to hammer home the rebound and silence the Amex.
The draw leaves Everton eighth in the table on 34 points, while Brighton sit 13th, three points adrift.
Brighton dominated the early stages of a goalless first half, piling on the pressure before the tempo dipped after the opening 20 minutes.
Everton failed to register a single shot before the break, while the hosts mustered seven efforts, the best of which fell to Kaoru Mitoma.
The Japan international combined neatly with Danny Welbeck to break into the box in the 18th minute, poking past Jordan Pickford only to watch his effort trickle agonisingly wide of the far post.
Everton emerged with greater intent after the interval.
Verbruggen produced a fine save to deny Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from close range in the 67th minute after Thierno Barry capitalised on a sloppy back pass from Carlos Baleba.
Moments later, Everton captain James Tarkowski saw his header from a corner blocked on the line by team-mate O’Brien - a miss that proved costly when Brighton struck at the other end.
Gross, who rejoined the club from Borussia Dortmund earlier this month, arrived late to meet Yasin Ayari’s cross and calmly slot home in the 73rd minute.
Yet Brighton’s struggles to see out games continued.
For the second match running, they conceded in stoppage time, with Beto’s late intervention ensuring Everton headed back to Merseyside with a valuable point.
Everton’s European ambitions took a hit this week with confirmation that injured Jack Grealish is likely to miss the remainder of the season.
However, David Moyes was encouraged by the returns of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jarrad Branthwaite to the starting XI.
Dewsbury-Hall had contributed four goals and three assists before his December hamstring injury, while Branthwaite made his first league start of the campaign.
Thierno Barry, who arrived in form with four goals in five games, was largely starved of service in a flat first half.
The Toffees were a different side after the break.
They registered seven shots in the second half - four on target - and Brighton’s opener came firmly against the run of play.
Crucially, Everton refused to fold.
In the dying moments, Verbruggen could only push O’Brien’s shot into Beto’s path, and the striker - limited to cameo roles in recent months - delivered when it mattered most.
A VAR check for offside interference by Tarkowski followed, but the goal stood.
Everton return home as the happier side, extending an impressive away run of four wins, two draws and just one defeat in their last seven road trips.
They now sit just two points behind Liverpool and four adrift of fourth-placed Manchester United.
Fabian Hurzeler is facing growing scrutiny as Brighton’s habit of late collapses continues.
Last week’s 92nd-minute defeat at Fulham, following the unpopular withdrawal of Carlos Baleba, drew boos from supporters - and there was a painful sense of déjà vu at the Amex.
Brighton started with purpose, with Gross and Danny Welbeck both threatening inside the opening three minutes, before Welbeck headed wide from a Maxim De Cuyper corner.
Mitoma’s near-miss in the 18th minute proved the closest either side came before half-time as the game drifted.
Everton applied sustained pressure after the break, but Gross’ well-timed finish looked set to be the moment that eased the pressure on Hurzeler.
It was his first Premier League goal since scoring a penalty against Tottenham in February 2024.
However, Beto’s late strike ensured Brighton remain winless in five league games, and as boos echoed around the stadium at full-time, the pressure on Hurzeler intensified further.
