EVERTON marked their historic move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium with an impressive 2-0 victory over Brighton in front of nearly 52,000 spectators.
Iliman Ndiaye and James Garner scored either side of half-time while new signing Jack Grealish contributed two assists on his full debut for the club.
Brighton endured a frustrating afternoon despite creating numerous opportunities, including a missed penalty by Danny Welbeck that summed up their wastefulness.
The Seagulls remain without a victory this season while Everton showed promising signs under manager David Moyes.
Everton are still developing their squad with Moyes seeking additional reinforcements before the transfer window closes.
This victory represents a positive step forward for a club that has endured recent struggles despite their historic success.
Only four clubs have won more English top-flight titles than Everton’s nine championships.
Their last major trophy came thirty years ago, with their final seasons at Goodison Park spent battling relegation threats.
Grealish demonstrated why Everton invested in his talent, showing flashes of the quality that made him Britain’s most expensive player four years ago.
Ndiaye wrote himself into club history by scoring both the final goal at Goodison Park and the first at their new stadium.
Grealish created the opening goal with a precise left-footed cross that Ndiaye met perfectly at the back post after 23 minutes.
Brighton should have taken an early lead through several excellent opportunities before Everton’s opener.
Kaoru Mitoma struck the crossbar with an inventive flick over James Tarkowski before volleying towards goal.
Welbeck then missed a golden opportunity by skewing his shot over from Yankuba Minteh’s dangerous cross.
The visitors continued creating chances after conceding and nearly equalized before half-time.
Jan Paul van Hecke’s deflected shot rebounded off the post in another let-off for Everton.
Matt O’Riley failed to capitalize on Tarkowski’s poor backpass when Jordan Pickford rushed out to make a crucial block.
Brighton’s profligacy proved costly again seven minutes into the second half.
Grealish received credit for another assist though Garner deserved full praise for his spectacular long-range strike past Bart Verbruggen.
Pickford ensured Everton’s celebration continued unabated with penalty-saving heroics late in the match.
The England goalkeeper dove to his left to stop Welbeck’s spot-kick after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall handled Minteh’s shot.
In other Premier League action, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest played to a 1-1 draw amid ongoing tensions between the clubs.
Palace supporters expressed anger over Forest benefiting from their European demotion due to ownership rule breaches.
The atmosphere intensified when Ismaila Sarr converted Daniel Munoz’s cross to give Palace the lead.
Forest’s preparations were complicated by speculation surrounding manager Nuno Espirito Santo’s future at the club.
The Portuguese coach acknowledged his strained relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis before the match.
Callum Hudson-Odoi secured a point for Forest by finishing decisively from Dan Ndoye’s clever pass. – AFP
