Hill Dickinson Stadium, Everton’s season and Jack Grealish’s mission to reignite his career are up and running. The on-loan Manchester City winger sparkled on his home debut for David Moyes’s team as Brighton were punished for their profligacy. Everton and Grealish looked at home in their sleek new surroundings.
On a sun-kissed, historic afternoon for a football club and a city, Everton delivered a win worthy of christening the £800m arena. Grealish illuminated the performance with two assists, for Iliman Ndiaye and James Garner, and departed to a standing ovation when substituted in the 94th minute. Evertonians have been craving a hero, their new stadium needs a star, and the 29‑year‑old is desperate to regain his England place in a World Cup year. The early evidence indicates a good fit all round.
Fabian Hürzeler’s visitors had enough clear-cut chances to have ruined Everton’s big day, including from the penalty spot, but were unconvincing when it mattered – at both ends of the pitch, according to the Brighton manager. Jordan Pickford saved Danny Welbeck’s spot-kick to ensure there would be no first-day nerves among those in royal blue.
“Jordan probably changed the outcome of the game,” Moyes said. “He drives me mad at times kicking it all over the place but keepers are there to use their hands and he made huge saves today.”
The architect responsible for the finest development along the Liverpool waterfront in decades, Dan Meis, flew in from Los Angeles to witness the culmination of what he called “a long and emotional journey”. Evertonians made clear their appreciation for Meis’s vision when he was introduced before kick-off. The volume went up several notches when Grealish’s name was announced in an Everton starting lineup for the first time. Grealish would prove the architect of the first Premier League goal and win at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Moyes’s side started brightly, as the occasion demanded, but it wasn’t long before Grealish was gesturing to his new defensive colleagues to refrain from pumping hopeful long balls out from the back. Brighton’s more patient, accurate football took hold, and they could easily have been two goals ahead before falling behind. Kaoru Mitoma volleyed against the crossbar after James Tarkowski had misjudged the flight of Bart Verbruggen’s clearance from the Brighton area. Seconds later Yankuba Minteh muscled Idrissa Gueye off the ball near the byline and picked out Welbeck in the six-yard box. Welbeck, unmarked but off balance, scooped a glorious opportunity over.
Everton soon capitalised. In a flowing move from right to left, one summer signing, the industrious Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, invited another, Grealish, to attack Brighton’s exposed right‑back Mats Wieffer. The winger obliged in style and pinged a cross to the far post for Ndiaye to volley home at close range. It was another place in the Everton history books for Ndiaye; the first league goal at Hill Dickinson Stadium a neat bookend to him having scored the final league goal at Goodison Park.
The hosts were reprieved twice more before the interval. Brighton struck the woodwork for a second time when Jan Paul van Hecke’s drive deflected off Grealish and rebounded off a post with Pickford beaten. In first‑half stoppage time Tarkowski, who conceded the late penalty that culminated in Everton’s defeat at Leeds on Monday, played in Matt O’Riley with a dreadful backpass. O’Riley attempted to round Pickford but the England international saved at his feet. Tarkowski was a fortunate and extremely grateful man.
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Moyes started without a recognised full-back for the second game in succession. Brighton telegraphed their plan to target Garner at left‑back from the first whistle but the midfielder not only responded well defensively, he also doubled the hosts’ advantage superbly. Grealish again provided the assist. Brighton appealed for offside against Thierno Barry when Everton broke but play continued with Gueye finding Grealish. The England international, whose last assist for City came in September 2024, teed up Garner to shoot from 25 yards. His low effort flew through Minteh’s legs and inside Verbruggen’s near post. Hill Dickinson Stadium ignited.
Everton protected their lead in relative comfort until conceding another penalty to handball with 15 minutes remaining. This time Dewsbury-Hall was penalised for handling Minteh’s shot. Pickford read Welbeck’s unconvincing spot-kick perfectly to save the eighth Premier League penalty of his career. Hürzeler, who lost Georginio Rutter with a minor training ground injury on Saturday, said: “We created enough chances, big big chances, to have won this game but the result doesn’t lie. In these moments where you have to score and you have to defend your own goal, we have to do better.”
Grealish should have had a hat‑trick of assists but, having laid one on a plate for Dwight McNeil, the substitute scuffed his shot in front of Verbruggen’s goal. Not that Everton were complaining. The curtain opened perfectly on Hill Dickinson Stadium.
