Everton opened their Premier League account at the Hill Dickinson Stadium with a two-nil victory over Brighton and Hove Albion, as debutant Jack Grealish supplied both assists on a landmark night for the club.
With Goodison Park now consigned to history, the mood was celebratory on the docks and the hosts soon matched it on the pitch. New arrivals Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury Hall added early spark, while Iliman Ndiaye drew the first save from Bart Verbruggen. Brighton threatened to spoil the party when Kaoru Mitoma’s volley crashed off the crossbar and Danny Welbeck stabbed wide from Yankuba Minteh’s square ball.
History favoured the Toffees. Grealish drifted in from the left and drilled across goal for Ndiaye to arrive and prod home, writing the first Premier League goal at Everton’s new ground. Tim Iroegbunam went close to doubling the lead before the break, though Fabian Hürzeler’s side could count themselves unlucky as Jan Paul van Hecke hit the post and Matt O’Reilly failed to punish a rare James Tarkowski error, denied by Jordan Pickford.
Everton reset at halftime and struck again on 52 minutes. Idrissa Gana Gueye’s pass found Grealish, whose lay off teed up James Garner to rifle inside Verbruggen’s near post. Brighton rallied late and were handed a lifeline when Minteh’s strike struck Dewsbury Hall’s hand, but Pickford plunged left to save Welbeck’s penalty. It was his eighth Premier League spot-kick save for Everton, the most by any Toffees goalkeeper.
Substitutes Beto and Dwight McNeil both went close as Brighton’s composure deserted them. For Everton, the performance matched the occasion at their new home. For the Seagulls, it is a second game without a win to start a league campaign for the first time since 2017.
