Everton’s new era at the Hill Dickinson Stadium got off to a bright start with a 2-0 win over Brighton in front of a crowd of just under 52,000 on Sunday.
Iliman Ndiaye and James Garner struck for the Toffees on either side of halftime as Jack Grealish claimed two assists on his first Everton start.
Brighton were left to rue a series of wasted chances, including a missed penalty by Danny Welbeck. The Seagulls remain without a win this season.
Everton is a work in progress, with David Moyes desperate to make more additions to his squad in the final week of the transfer window.
But the green shoots of a brighter future were on show on a day that has been years in the making.
Only four clubs have won more English top-flight titles than Everton’s nine.
However, they have not won a major trophy for 30 years and spent their final seasons at Goodison Park, the club’s home since 1892, battling relegation.
Grealish has so far been the marquee new addition to Moyes’ squad and showed glimpses of the talent that saw Manchester City pay Aston Villa £100 million ($135 million) for him four years ago.
Ndiaye scored the final goal at Goodison Park against Southampton in May and made more history with the first goal at Everton’s new home.
Grealish was the creator with a drilled left-foot cross that Ndiaye timed his run perfectly to meet at the back post on 23 minutes.
Brighton should have been well ahead by that point and will be wondering how they left Merseyside empty-handed.
Kaoru Mitoma struck the bar after an outlandish flick over James Tarkowski before volleying towards goal.
Welbeck then skewed over with the goal gaping from Yankuba Minteh’s cross.
Even after the blow of conceding, the visitors could have gone in ahead at half-time.
Jan Paul van Hecke’s deflected shot came back off the post.
Matt O’Riley then failed to capitalise on Tarkowski’s poor passback as Jordan Pickford rushed off his line to block.
Brighton’s wastefulness was punished once more seven minutes into the second period.
Grealish was credited with another assist, but Garner did the hard work as his blistering strike from outside the box flew past Bart Verbruggen’s outstretched hand.
Pickford’s penalty heroics
Brighton was offered a lifeline 15 minutes from time when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall blocked Minteh’s shot with an outstretched arm.
Pickford, though, ensured there was no spoiling Everton’s big day as he dived to his left to stop Welbeck’s spot-kick.
At Selhurst Park, the points were shared in a 1-1 draw between Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest amid an off-field feud between the clubs.
Palace supporters were angered by what they perceived as Forest’s meddling in their demotion by UEFA from the Europa League to the Conference League.
Forest were the beneficiaries of Palace’s punishment for a breach of multi-club ownership rules, as they moved up to the Europa League at the Eagles’ expense.
A lively atmosphere grew even louder as Ismaila Sarr turned in Daniel Munoz’s cross to open the scoring.
Forest’s preparations were overshadowed by uncertainty over the future of manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
The Portuguese coach said on Friday his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis had deteriorated as odds on him being the first Premier League manager of the season to be sacked were slashed.
The visitors hit back to secure a point when Callum Hudson-Odoi fired home from Dan Ndoye’s pass.
AFP
