Everton 2 – 0 Brighton & Hove Albion
The big inauguration day for the Hill Dickinson Stadium has finally arrived, with Everton beating The Seagulls in their first Premier League game at the new venue thanks to two excellent goals created by Jack Grealish.
It has been a tumultuous journey, dating back many years if you think of the numerous false starts the club endured before Farhad Moshiri finally drove this stunning project forward on the banks of the Royal Blue Mersey, commissioning Dan Meis to create something special and appropriate for the club and its fans. Plenty said it would never be built… but we don’t hear much from them any more!
The stands are steep, the close and rectangular shape and presence of Goodsion Park has been retained in spirit, unlike so many oval or round stadiums that have been built recently, and that should make it unique and intimate.
But come the hour, the focus will shift from the surroundings to the pitch, and the players David Moyes chooses to start this momentous game.
And David Moyes has somehow overcome his inherent conservatism to select both Jack Grealish and Kieran Dewsbury-Hall with Barry up front. Alcaraz, McNeil and Beto, who have all been very poor in pre-season and at Leeds, start on the bench.
Adam Aznou was listed on the subs bench but he was ruled out in the warm-up.
First Half
The visitors kicked off and proceeded to play keep ball, but Grealish got possession nd really tried to make something happen down the left. But it was Ndiaye who wanted to score the first goal but didn’t hit his shot hard enough. Iroegbunam was key to keeping the pressure on but they repelled an early Garner long throw.
But Everton than fashioned a brilliant move , with Grealish in plenty of space, he advanced to the byline and cross
Brighton resisted the early surge from the Blues, and looked to take the initiative. But the Blues held firm and tried to build with more composure, but it was pretty scrappy, Ayari getting a shot off at Pickford.
Everton were trying to get Grealish involved wide left but Minteh was all over him. Grealsh Had to come inside for space but Iroegbunam lost the ball. Dewsbury-Hall played Ndiaye forward but Barry ran far too early. Brighton did the long-ball and Mitoma clipped the top of the bar with his shot.
Brighton were cutting through too easily and Gana overran Minteh whose cross to Welbeck was a bit behind him and he missed an open goal, wellying over. At the other end, Grealish forced the first corner, put in by Garner to the near post.
But a fine Everton move involving Everton’s best players saw them take the lead with a tremendous goal from Nday, who had started the move to Dewsbury-Hall. He picked out Grealish in lots of space for once, who drove forward and crossed with tremendous pace, IIiman Ndiaye bang on the money at the far post to smash it into the net for the first Everton goal at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium. And what a thrunerous roar that treated with
De Coyper was carded for grappling with Ndiaye to stop him escaping. But O’Brien’s headed cross was stolen by Brighton and they countered at speed, Minteh thankfully called for fouling Tarkowski. Another midfield free-kick by Dewsbury-Hall was headed back across by Tarkowski but Everton were not retaining the second ball.
A tremendous Brighton attack needed some desperate Blues defending after Minteh got past Garner too easily. Iroegbunam was played in centrally and tried to do it all himself, firing a strong shot just wide.
Brighton kept coming forward and Mitoma was a real threat. Then a wicked deflection on Van Hecke’s shot saw it beat Pickford but not the post. Iroegbunam was rationally late on Ayari: yellow card. Also for Wieffer on Grealish.
Dewsbury-Hall put in a very inviting ball to O’Brien at the back post but his header back in found Grealish but he was quickly closed down, Garner’s follow-up shot was wide.
An unbelievably stupid backpass from Tarkowski saw O’Rielly anticipate it and Pickford did brilliantly to stop a certain goal for Brighton, who could easily be well in front, but it was Everton who went in ahead at the break.
Second Half
Brighton attacked brightly from the restart, Minteh again getting around his man, but Gana was in the way. Keane picked out Ndiaye with a superb crossfield ball but Ndiaye allowed the ball to squirm away from him.
Iroegbunan tried to break forward and was fouled, winning a dangerous free-kick for Dewsbury-Hall 25 yards out, but no-one got the message that it was put up to the far post. But Grealish then rolled it back to James Garner, who just smashed a gorgeous shot from outside the penalty area, just inside the post. Superb strike!
Brighton pushed up again, Minteh getting a corner. Ndiaye seemed to have a break on but he just surrendered the ball meekly. Brighton got the ball back into the Everton area but Wellbeck could not dig out the chance.
Jake O’Brien drove down the right and forced a corner that came to Barry but he could not keep his header down. Minteh surged again down the Everton left, Tarkowski with a key defection. Ayari got a chance to shoot as Everton failed to clear their lines, but it was straight at Pickford.
Come the hour mark, and time fo some changes by David Moyes, but not before Minteh again caused panic, Grealish in with a tremendous tackle for a corner to Brighton that Garner headed away after he was booked for dissent.
A tremendous run by Beto looked to have beaten Dunk but the Brighton defender found some extra speed to stop him shooting. Iroegbunam departed reluctantly after going down with cramp possibly, McNeil on in his place for the last 20 minutes.
But Brighton were not going away easily, and they kept putting the Blues defence under pressure. And Minteh’s shot was charged down by Dewsbury-Hall, whose hand was out in front of him. Penalty, despite the close quarters. Welbeck took an age before Jordan Pickford went the right way and stopped his weak effort, for an absolutely massive cheer from the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Everton wanted a penalty of their own when his cross seemed to hit Minteeh’s arm, who then fouled the Everton man. But the free-kick to the near post was headed back out. Everton played a long series of passes that included another excellent crossfield ball by Keane to McNeil but the promising sequence went all the way back to Pickford who launched it long, and gifted it back to Brighton.
An exciting sequence saw Grealish set up McNeil, whose shot was scuffed, but Beto had a glorious chance but blasted it wide. Dewsbury-Hall then had a great run and fed the ball across to McNeil who should have scored but drove his shot wide.
More nice work from Grealish but Gana’s ball was impossible for Beto to reach. Alcarz danced past Kadioglu who caught him late. A nice round of adulation for Grealish who went off for Armstrong with a few minutes left to play. Beto given a yellow card for trying to get the ball and catching Dunk in the process.
And the 7 minutes were finally played out, with the crowd in excellent mood on the back of a win that depended on two excellent goals created by Jack Grealish.
Everton: Pickford, Keane, Tarkowski, O’Brien, Gueye, Garner [Y:63′], Iroegbunam [Y:39′] (71′ McNeil), Grealish (90+3′ Armstrong), Dewsbury-Hall [Y:89′], Ndiaye (64′ Alcaraz), Barry (64′ Beto [Y:90+5′]).
Subs not Used: Travers, Chermiti, Coleman, Aznou (Campbell), Onyango.
Brighton & Hove Albion: Verbruggen, Dunk, Van Hecke, De Coyper [Y:28′] (67′ Kadioglu [Y:90+2′), Wieffer [Y:40′] (85′ Gruda), Baleba (46′ Hinshellwood), Ayari (67′ Gomez), Mitoma, O’Riley, Minteh, Welbeck.
Subs not Used: Boscagli, Coppola, Milner, Steele, Veltman.
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Assistant Referees: Constantine Hatzidakis, Nicholas Hopton
Fourth Official: Tom Nield
Video Assistant Referee: James Bell
VAR Assistant: Lee Betts
Attendance: 51,759