By Howard Griggs

It was great to see Brighton players tasting success in World Cup qualifiers over the last week. Now they need to take that feelgood factor into Sunday’s showdown with Everton when three points are of high importance.

Shane Duffy was a standout performer in a tremendous defensive effort by Republic of Ireland as they held on for a 1-0 win over Wales to secure their place in the European play-offs for Russia.

Goalkeeper Maty Ryan was between the posts as Australia beat Syria 2-1 in the second leg and 3-2 on aggregate in their final Asia qualifying tie, which means they will now face Honduras for a place in the finals.

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While the Netherlands have missed out on a place in Russia – the second successive major tournament they have failed to qualify for – midfielder Davy Propper provided some glimmer of hope for the future for a very mediocre Dutch side, particularly now Arjen Robben has retired from international football.

Propper’s third goal in two games in a 3-1 win away to Belarus on Saturday represented real progress for a player who has been a growing influence on Brighton and it was a real shame that a thigh injury ruled him out of Holland’s final game against Sweden – and possibly the match with Everton on Sunday.

That would be a real blow for the Seagulls, particularly with fellow central midfielders Steve Sidwell and Beram Kayal still out injured.

At the start of the season, I would have expected Everton to be pushing for a Champions League place this season after a summer of heavy investment with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Jordan Pickford and Davy Klassen.

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So it seems a bit strange to be saying that Brighton really need to be picking up three points on Sunday afternoon, but the truth is you have to take advantage of teams when they are struggling.

That is what Brighton failed to do away to Bournemouth, but at home is a different matter because we really have to make the most of the fantastic atmosphere at the Amex. A points haul to date of one away from home from four matches and six at home from three is probably going to be reflective of the season as a whole, so that is why Sunday is so important.

It also launches a really key run of games for the Seagulls. West Ham away, Southampton at home, Swansea away, Stoke at home and – after the little matter of a trip to Old Trafford to play Jose’s lot – we then host arch rivals Crystal Palace.

That is six teams who are currently in the bottom nine with us in our next seven fixtures. It could be huge in the context of the season.

Assuming Propper is ruled out and with Tomer Hemed still suspended, I would expect Pascal Gross to drop deeper into central midfield alongside Dale Stephens with Izzy Brown playing in the hole behind the (hopefully) fit-again Glenn Murray.

Avoiding further injuries or suspensions is vital. So too will be making the most of every little advantage you can and hopefully the positive vibe currently surrounding the likes of Duffy and Ryan can spread throughout the team.