Everton 2 – 0 Brighton

Everton made the perfect start to life at the Hill Dickinson Stadium with a 2-0 win over Brighton in which Jack Grealish assisted both goals.

Iliman Ndiaye, who had scored the final goals at Goodison Park after 133 years of the men’s team playing there, converted Grealish’s cross to put Everton in front midway through the first half before James Garner’s rocket doubled the lead after the interval.

Brighton will wonder how they allowed it to happen. Early on, Kaoru Mitoma seized upon indecision by James Tarkowski before skimming the ball off the top of the crossbar, then Danny Welbeck spooned over from close range from Yankuba Minteh’s centre.

Even after Everton’s goal, Jan Paul van Hecke’s drilled shot came back off the post and Matt O’Riley had an effort smothered after latching onto Tarkowski’s blind back-pass to Jordan Pickford. After the break, Welbeck had a penalty saved by Pickford.

The kick was awarded after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall blocked a Minteh shot with his hand but the subsequent effort by Welbeck was tame. Pickford had his say and both he and the Toffees fans must have believed at that point that this was just going to be their day.

The points are Everton’s first of the season after that disappointing defeat at Leeds in their opener and move them above Brighton in the early Premier League table with Fabian Hurzeler’s side still stuck on one after Fulham’s late leveller last weekend.

Grealish makes swift impact

It has not taken Grealish long to make an impact in an Everton shirt. The England winger bagged two assists in one game only once in his 94 Premier League appearances for Manchester City but he managed it in his very first home appearance for his new team.

There could even have been a hat-trick of assists – something that he has not achieved since his days at Aston Villa – had Dwight McNeil not scuffed a late effort after a chance was laid on a plate for him by Grealish. That really would have seen him steal the show.

He was still man of the match. “Everton have brought in a lot of players over the summer and there are more to come,” Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports. “But there is absolutely no doubt which one has excited the Evertonians more than any other.”

David Moyes will be thrilled with the commitment shown by him, nevertheless. There was the usual ball retention but he also tracked back to help out Garner. There was a standing ovation when he was taken off. Keep him fit and Everton have a big asset.

Special day for supporters

The same can be said of the Hill Dickinson Stadium itself. Goodison Park could be an intimidating venue for the opposition but architect Dan Meis said beforehand that he wants this place to become “a bear pit” and the atmosphere was encouraging.

Against a backdrop of seagulls and sunshine, this place has a real big-club feel to it and the surroundings ensure that it is no mere template. The stone walls along Regent Road providing the historical context. Old boats can be seen in the dock next door.

Supporters were wide-eyed, taking photographs and searching for their commemorative granite stones on the floor along Everton Way. Everyone is looking to the future but that little nod to the past – and those that cannot be here – helps to make it feel like home.

And three points in the first game does not hurt either.

Moyes: Grealish gives us something different

Speaking in the press conference, Moyes praised Grealish’s contribution. “Yeah, really pleased with Jack, he’s done lots of good things. I don’t know if he gave the ball away today, I don’t know what the stats would say but if he did it was very rare.

“He also got involved with a couple of important goals for us as well. We’ve been looking for different attacking options and he gave us something a little bit different today.”

Asked if this was a real positive for the player and the supporters, Moyes replied: “It was positive for the manager as well. The manager was thinking, we all want the Jack Grealish which we all know.

“But you don’t play for the club and you don’t play in games if you’ve not got it. Jack’s certainly got it, we need to get him to show it more. I thought today, I said to him, get at people, get your licence to go and take people on and make things happen. But also the big thing is he ball carried for us.

“I don’t know if he gave the ball away too often when he did. He retained the ball for us as well which gave us a little bit more composure at different times. But his assist, especially the first one, was a little bit more of what you’re hoping from him. I hope he’s got more of them to come.”

Hurzeler: We created so many chances

Hurzeler confirmed afterwards that Georginio Rutter had a small injury that prevented him from making the squad and revealed that Carlos Baleba was removed at half-time for tactical reasons – denying that he has been affected by speculation about a move.

His frustration was focused on Brighton’s missed chances, even saying that to point to a lack of attacking options would be an excuse.

“I think we created so many chances, and not only chances, I think there were big, big chances, and that’s something I wouldn’t say, because I think it would only be an excuse if we said we missed a striker.

“Overall we created enough to win this game, we had enough chances to score, so I think that’s the main thing to take away.

“When you really look at the game, I think we started well, we had two big chances in the first 20 minutes.

“Everton came out of nowhere after a throw-in, then again we hit the post. We had a big chance with Matt O’Riley before half-time, so we could easily score more goals, and I think the dynamic of the game could be different.

“But like I said, that’s not the fact, the result says something else, and in the end the result doesn’t lie, so we have to be honest with ourselves. In these moments where you have to score goals, where you have to defend your own goal, we have to do better.”

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