And with that, I shall wrap up things here. Thanks for joining me.
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Hill Dickinson Stadium, Everton’s season and Jack Grealish’s bid to reignite his career are all up and running… here is Andy Hunter’s report from Merseyside:
Ed Aarons was at Selhurst Park to see Palace draw with Forest, here is his report from that one:
Moyes has been speaking to Sky post-match. You couldn’t tell from the look on his face but he was really happy: “Everybody who manages against Brighton will tell you how difficult it is against them. It was again today, but thankfully we were able to get a great result in the first game here at the stadium.
“They started a bit better. It took us a little while to get settled, but we done alright and had just given up a couple of things that we didn’t like.
“Overall we done a really good job in the first half. Second half was a bit tougher, I thought they had a period of 20 or 30 minutes where we weren’t quite as good as what we had been in the earlier period. In the main, we saw it out. The goalkeeper saved a penalty, so we’re really pleased.”
The next game up on the slate is at Craven Cottage, Tim de Lisle has that live updates on that one:
Over in Croydon, ‘El CAS-ico’ finished 1-1. More on that here:
For anyone who had no idea what the Rockford Files-James Garner references were about:
Grealish, who was man of the match for me, has been speaking to Sky post-match: “It’s massive, it’s our first game at the new stadium and we wanted to put on show for supporters. I alway say playing against Brighton is one of the toughest games you can have so we’re very happy to get the win.”
On joining Everton: “I absolutely loved my time at City and won a lot of things, but this summer I felt it was time for a change and as soon as I spoke to the manager, David Moyes, on Facetime, I knew I wanted to come here.”
On his assist for Ndiaye’s opener: “The manger hasn’t played us together once in training, so hopefully this is the start of much more to come!”
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Full-time: Everton 2-0 Brighton
Massive win for Everton on their big day. They rode their luck but you can’t say they didn’t deserve it, Grealish was outstanding.
90+5 min: Beto booked for late challenge on Dunk. There’s a brief check for a stronger punishment but yellow is sufficient.
90+3 min: Brighton want a penalty as Gruda, who is a recent introduction for Wieffer, gets a bump on the edge of the box. No chance. Grealish meanwhile goes off to standing ovation for Harrison Armstrong.
90+1 min: Kadıoglu booked for scything down McNeil with Brighton pushed upfield.
90 min: We’ve got seven minutes extra here.
87 min: Everton starting to exploit the spaces at Brighton push forward. Beto and McNeil have decent chances to score a third. This is all going to plan for David Moyes, whose side have played the situation perfectly.
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Lots of emails with bad puns about James Garner and the Rockford Files in relation to his second goal. I’ll let you know when I get a good one.
81 min: Brighton can count themselves unfortunate. On another day they have two or three here, but the sun is shining on Everton today. Brighton’s xG is currently 2.4.
78 min: The noise is up at Hill Dickinson now.
Pickford saves!
Welbeck waits an age but his effort is not hard enough or close enough to the corner and Pickford saves down to his left.
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Penalty for Brighton!
This will be checked but that is unlikely to be overturned. Minteh fires an effort a close quarters at Dewsbury-Hall, his hand is out and it hits it. Harsh? Maybe, but once it’s given that’s hard to overturn.
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73 min: Since Baleba went off Everton have taken control off midfield much more. Gueye has been snapping into challenges, Dewsbury-Hall has been busy.
70 min: Little break in the action here. Not much to report except that Dwight McNeil is on for Iroegbunam.
67 min: Brighton have made more changes, De Cuyper is replaced by Kadioglu and Ayari is withdrawn for Diego Gomez.
66 min: In a foot race Beto is always going to outpace Dunk. The Everton striker takes his first opportunity to go at his man but Dunk sticks to his task and slides to prevent a shot on goal. Good defending.
64 min: Two Everton changes, Beto and Alcaraz on for Ndiaye and Barry.
63 min: Brighton are working really hard to get the ball back here. They’ve not given this up. Garner is booked for something, maybe dissent for a free-kick not awarded?
59 min: Ayari wriggles free on the edge of the box and shoots through a defenders legs, Pickford bats it away.
58 min: Barry gets on an Everton corner ahead of Verbruggen but can’t put his header down.
56 min: Welbeck has a half-chance to swivel and hit it in the Everton box but he hesitates and gets crowded out. Brighton have played well but also looked like they’re in preseason mode at times.
GOAL! Everton 2-0 Brighton (Garner 52 min)
What a hit from Garner! Everton in dreamland here and again Grealish is involved. Gueye picks out Grealish on the left-hand side of the box who attracts a defender and leaves enough space for Garner to run on to the layoff and blast a shot past Verbruggen. Great goal and Hill Dickinson is rocking.
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50 min: Iroegbunam wins a free-kick in a dangerous position for Everton but the delivery is not a good one.
47 min: It doesn’t take long for Minteh to cause Garner some more problems. The winger latches on to a ball in behind and wriggles past his marker but the cutback doesn’t find a Brighton player.
46 min: One change at half-time, Carlos Baleba, who has been short of full fitness after an injury in preseason, is withdrawn for Jack Hinshelwood.
Peeeeep!
We’re back underway!
Gary Naylor has landed on something here:
Perhaps a new stadium is worth a goal because Brighton shouldn’t be behind here.
Half-time: Everton 1-0 Brighton
It’s certainly been an entertaining half at Hill Dickinson but the visitors will be wondering how they aren’t at least level. Brighton have hit the post and bar, while missing two very simple chances.
45 min: How have Brighton not scored? That is awful from both teams. Firstly Tarkowski plays a no-look pass that puts O’Riley one-on-one with Pickford on the penalty spot. The outcome is just as bad from the Brighton man. With all the time in the world he tries to round Pickford, fails and then his low shot is easily saved. I cannot stress how simple a chance that was. Everton living a charmed life.
We’ve got two minutes of added time.
41 min: Another moment of danger in the Brighton box as Grealish gets one-on-one with Wieffer again. The Everton man pokes is back to Garner to sweep in a deep cross which is headed back across goal where Grealish cannot bring it in.
40 min: A couple of bookings in quick succession. First Iroegbunam goes in late on Ayari, then Wieffer is forced to bring down Grealish after Barry wins a decent first header.
38 min: Brighton hit the woodwork again! Who had Van Hecke 30-yarder on their bingo card? The defender lines up a shot from and beats an outstretched Pickford, who sees the shot ping back off the post.
Kári Tulinius has emailed in with some praise for Everton’s goalscorer:
Iliman Ndiaye is a brilliant footballer, which he showed by not only getting to the end of Grealish’s cross, but also pouncing on a loose ball in midfield and setting the attack in motion which netted him his historic goal. For Everton’s sake, they need to hold on to him.
Hard to disagree with that.
34 min: Tim Iroegbunam goes close to doubling Everton’s lead. The midfielder does incredibly well to hold off two Brighton defenders and get the space to shoot but can’t find the target with his stinging strike. That was a good chance.
32 min: Minteh is having a lot of joy down the right. This time Dunk picks him out and the winger’s first touch takes him away from James Garner and into the box. The ball comes to Welbeck but Everton do well to get back and block the shot.
28 min: De Cuyper is booked for a wrestle with Ndiaye that ends with the Everton man getting away and having his shirt pulled.
27 min: Brighton respond well to the outpouring of emotion from the home fans after the first goal as Matt O’Riley finds a pocket of space just outside the Everton box but his effort is neither a shot or a cross and it drifts harmlessly wide.
GOAL! Everton 1-0 Brighton (Ndiaye 23)
That’s a historic goal and Grealish makes it! Barry does well to hold up the ball and Everton sweep it left to Grealish, who bursts into the box, stands up Wieffer and fires across goal for Ndiaye to fire in first time. It’s a great move and shows the value of having a player of Grealish’s quality in the team.
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19 min: Brighton should be ahead. Welbeck misses a glorious chance after great work from Minteh to muscle Idriss Gueye off the ball. In truth the winger’s cutback is just behind Welbeck, who is off-balance and puts it over the bar.
18 min: Wow! Mitoma almost has the first goal at Hill Dickinson with an incredible effort that clips the top of the bar. It’s just a long ball from Verbruggen that neither Tarkowski or O’Brien deal with, Mitoma brings it down and flicks it over the centre-back’s head before crashing a shot that is dipping as it hits the bar. Pickford well beaten.
17 min: There’s a big roar as Barry gets slipped in behind the Brighton defence after Baleba gave the ball away in midfield. The pass was overhit and Barry was offside but that was a let-off for Brighton.
15 min: Wieffer v Grealish is going to be fun. The Everton man brings down a long, raking ball with a wonderful touch but is immediately clattered.
12 min: Brighton’s first shot comes in from Yasin Ayari after a tidy bit of football on the left. A free-kick gets awarded to Everton, not sure what that’s for.
10 min: The pattern has settled a little more now, with Brighton enjoying a spell of possession but not doing a lot with it.
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7 min: Jordan Pickford makes a hurried dash out to the right to cut out a ball over the top to Yankuba Minteh. Brighton waste the throw. The visitors look a little nervy.
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4 min: Iliman Ndiaye gets the first shot away as he wriggles away from Yasin Ayari but his effort from the edge of the box is easy enough for Bart Verbruggen.
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2 min: Everton need to ride the positive emotions here in the opening stages. Grealish definitely feels that and gets the crowd up by battling doggedly for the ball up against Mats Wieffer.
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Peeeeep!
Brighton kick us off and we are underway!
The players are out and there is a waft of blue smoke from the pre-match pyro. Kick-off next.
The atmosphere is building at Hill Dickinson. They just interviewed Peter Reid on Sky and you could barely hear him over the noise in the stadium. Team out shortly.
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Everton v Brighton is not the only 2pm kick-off in the Premier League today. In Croydon we have ‘El CAS-ico’ as Nottingham Forest travel to Crystal Palace. Scott Murray is on for coverage of a testy one at Selhurst Park:
As Moyes hinted at in his chat with Sky, the road to Hill Dickinson Stadium has not always been smooth for Everton. Now they are in, there are hopes it can transform both club and community. More from Andy Hunter:
After the PSR issues that have dogged Everton in the last couple of seasons, Daniel Friedkin’s regime has loosened the purse strings. There’s been seven signings so far this summer for a total of around £80 million, with Tyler Dibling looking likely to take that figure above £100 million. Reports suggest the Southampton winger will be arriving in a deal worth around £42 million, but that wasn’t agreed in time for Dibling to be in the squad today.
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Andy Hunter with (second) first impression of Everton’s new home:
Just arrived at Hill Dickinson Stadium and first impressions (not counting the previous first impressions from February’s test event) are extremely positive. It’s a beautiful day, so that helps, and thousands of fans were here early to check out Everton’s magnificent new home on the banks of the River Mersey. There were plenty of helpful stewards at Sandhills train station to guide people. And hand out Everton Mints at the exit. Nice touch.
It took 16 minutes to walk from Sandhills to the entrance to the stadium on Regent Road. Inevitably, there appeared to be some teething issues with confusion over road closures, where coaches should park and which entrances to use. There was also some congestion in certain parts of the outside concourse. But it is day one as a fully functioning Premier League stadium. The media facilities are very impressive – a niche point, admittedly – and the same friendly faces who staffed the press room at Goodison Park for years (including floor manager Lisa Hynds) have transferred across. Tony Hibbert is here too. A real blast from the past. So Everton’s new stadium is up and running. Will the same be true of David Moyes’ team?
David Moyes has had a quick chat with Sky Sports during the warmups. The Everton boss was say slightly awkwardly between Pien Meulensteen and Phil Jagielka but managed to say some nice things about leading out Everton today:
“It’s a day in history for everyone here. We’ve got a fantastic, new-looking stadium, now we need a team to match it. I’m hugely privileged (to be in charge) – it was regularly talked about in my first spell here, but things kept falling down. For me to come back as the manager here, it’s a great thrill for me. I’m the fortunate one who gets to lead the team out today.”
Team news!
Everton XI: Pickford, O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Iroegbunam, Garner, Gueye, Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish, Barry.
Subs: Onyango, Armstrong, Aznou, Alcaraz, Coleman, Chermiti, Beto, McNeil, Travers.
Jack Grealish starts his first game, coming in for Carlos Alcaraz (not that one) and Thierno Barry comes in for Beto.
Brighton XI: Verbruggen, Wieffer, van Hecke, Dunk, De Cuyper, Baleba, Ayari, Minteh, O’Riley, Mitoma, Welbeck.
Subs: Steele,Gruda, Hinshelwood, Milner, Boscagli, Kadioglu, Gomez, Veltman, Coppola.
Brighton’s one change is enforced, Georginio Rutter has a slight knock and drops out of the squad, that allows Danny Welbeck to start up top.
Preamble
It is more than a year since Brighton departed Goodison Park for the last time. It was an emotional day for the hosts, as what should have been a start to a glorious to the final season at their famous old home turned sour. By full-time, Everton fans were streaming out of the ground as Brighton eased to a 3-0 win.
So it is that the Seagulls are also Everton’s first visitors of the season for the 2025-26 campaign, but much has changed in the last 12 months. Everton have a different manager in the dugout and a different owner in the stands. Ashley Young is no longer the starting right-back. Jack Grealish has arrived to try and earn a spot on the plane to North America for next summer’s World Cup. Am I missing something?
Ah yes, we’re at Hill Dickinson Stadium now. A spaceship has landed at Bramley-Moore Dock in the shape of a 52,000-seater modern venue and there is, as is customary, a swell of positivity rolling in off the Mersey. David Moyes has already avenged that opening day rollicking from last season, by guiding Everton to an ugly 1-0 win at the Amex in January. His West Ham teams never did that well against Brighton but he has spoken about making Everton fans fall in love with their new surroundings. His side will need to be better than they were against Leeds on Monday night, at least.
Fabian Hürzeler should have had his first win of the season already. Brighton’s performance against Fulham wasn’t that inspiring but to concede from a set-piece with almost the game’s last kick was cruel. The Seagulls are not known as heartbreakers. If anything they regularly provide a cure for long winless runs or spells of poor form - Dr Brighton, if you will.
On any other occasion, this would be a game the Seagulls would be targeting for victory if they want to fulfil their owner’s lofty goal of European qualification. This Everton side represent a pretty good opportunity for an away win, but the new stadium is a complicating factor and also a point of interest. Let’s just hope it’s not 0-0.
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