Everton 2-0 Brighton: Grealish lights up Hill Dickinson Stadium on a historic opening night

Everton open their new home with control, composure, and a star turn

On the exact 133rd anniversary of Goodison Park’s first official match, Everton stepped into a new era with a calm, clinical 2-0 win over Brighton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. For Everton, it felt like a handover signed in bold ink: Iliman Ndiaye struck first, James Garner added the cushion, and Jack Grealish — on his full debut — stitched the night together with two moments of clarity in the final third.

The tone was set early. Everton didn’t try to overplay the occasion; they managed it. Grealish hugged the left touchline, drifted inside when space opened, and kept the tempo sensible. Brighton had their phases of possession, but it was Everton who turned good positions into good chances.

The opener on 23 minutes came from the new left-sided understanding that looked rehearsed. Grealish measured a cross with just enough pace across the six-yard line. Ndiaye, alive to the angle, ghosted between defenders and tapped in. No fuss, no scramble — just timing and a clean finish to write the first Premier League goal at the Hill Dickinson Stadium into the record.

After the break, Everton moved the ball with more patience. The second goal on 52 minutes started with pressure high up the pitch and ended with Grealish again making the key decision. Instead of taking on a shot, he slid a perfectly weighted lay-off into Garner’s stride. The midfielder opened his body and tucked it away to the far corner. It looked simple because the choices were right.

Brighton’s best moment arrived late. On 77 minutes, Danny Welbeck won a penalty after contact in the box, a reminder that Everton’s clean sheet still needed protecting. Jordan Pickford guessed correctly, springing to his right and pushing the spot-kick away with a firm hand. It wasn’t just a save; it was the exclamation mark on the night’s discipline.

If you’re keeping score on the milestones, Ndiaye has a unique one. He was the final scorer at Goodison Park in May and now the first at Hill Dickinson Stadium — bookending two homes in one career beat. These are the little threads fans remember decades later.

1. 23' — Ndiaye taps in from Grealish’s cross (1-0)
2. 52' — Garner finishes after a Grealish lay-off (2-0)
3. 77' — Pickford saves Welbeck’s penalty

The atmosphere felt like what the club wanted this move to represent: modern but grounded. The waterfront setting brings a different sound, a different skyline, but the match rhythm was recognizably Everton. The team, led again by David Moyes in his second spell, looked like it had a clear plan: press in bursts, use the width, and trust the midfield to manage transitions.

Moyes’ first era at the club was built on organization and edges won in the details. That DNA showed. Everton’s back line didn’t overcommit, the full-backs chose their moments, and the midfield rarely lost shape even when Brighton circulated the ball. The difference maker was quality in the final action — where Grealish gave his new side a higher ceiling.

For Brighton, this was more frustration than failure. They worked the ball into decent zones but didn’t create a flurry of clear chances from open play. The penalty was their big opening, and Pickford shut it down. They’ve been reliable fast starters since coming up in 2017, usually finding at least one win in their first two league fixtures; not this time.

Why this start matters — and what it says

Strip away the ceremony and the symbolism, and this was still an important three points. It’s Everton’s first opening home win in a Premier League season since 2021 — and when they do start with a home victory, they’ve now done it by two goals or more for the third straight time. The scoreboard fit the performance: controlled, not chaotic.

There were a few clear takeaways. Grealish’s role looks straightforward: give him the left channel, let him decide when to drive and when to combine, and keep runners close. Ndiaye’s movement fits that plan — he checks short, darts across the near post, and keeps center-backs guessing. Garner offered the third man run that turns possession into penalty-box touches.

Pickford’s save will get the highlight, but his earlier work mattered too — marshalling the line, calming the restart after flurries, and pushing teammates up 10 yards when the press sagged. Those small corrections added up.

Beyond the ninety minutes, the club’s move to Hill Dickinson Stadium is meant to be more than a change of seats. It’s about matchday income, visibility, and the kind of stage that attracts players such as Grealish. The timing made it feel bigger: 133 years to the day since Goodison opened, and now a new waterfront home with a first chapter written the right way.

As for Brighton, there’s still a clear identity in how they build play. The missing piece here was the last pass and the final touch. They forced the game back towards Everton late, but without the penalty conversion, the push never became a contest. There’s enough structure in that side to recover, but the bar in this league moves fast.

No victory parade in August, just a platform. A new ground, early points, a debutant already making the difference. On a night wrapped in history, Everton kept their football simple — and that’s what made the occasion ring.