Top four opening-day home performances by Everton
(Photo by AMA/Corbis via Getty Images)
Everton start their season with a home game against Crystal Palace and will hope they can start the season off with a victory, as the Blues have lost their last four opening games.
In their second league game of last season, they earned a historic victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, in what was their first game in their new home.
David Moyes will hope for more days like that against Brighton, as Everton only won six home games all season.
This is Everton’s 35th season in the Premier League, and what has been their standout opening victories in the Premier League era?
Everton 1-0 Manchester United - 20th August 2012
Everton started the 2012/13 campaign by hosting a Manchester United side which had just signed Robin Van Persie. In the back end of the previous campaign, David Moyes’ side played a huge part in the title race as they came from 4-2 down to snatch a draw against Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.
Embed from Getty Images
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 20: Marouane Fellaini of Everton celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Everton and Manchester United at Goodison Park on August 20, 2012 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 20: Marouane Fellaini of Everton celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Everton and Manchester United at Goodison Park on August 20, 2012 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Under the lights, Everton and Marouane Fellaini looked dangerous throughout. The Belgian, who was playing behind Nikica Jelavic, was unstoppable at times and caused problems throughout.
Leon Osman struck the bar early in the second half before a powerful header from Fellaini earned Everton the three points. This was the first time that Everton started the season with a victory in their opening game since 2007.
The impact of Fellaini's terror was notable throughout the 2012/13 season as Everton finished sixth, and the following year the Belgian followed Moyes to Manchester United.
Everton 2-0 Newcastle - 17th August 1996
In the summer of 1996, Alan Shearer became the World’s most expensive player as he joined his boyhood club for a fee of £15 million. The forward’s debut turned out to be disappointing as Joe Royle’s Everton ran out as 2-0 winners.
David Unsworth gave the Blues the lead on the half-hour mark as he hammered home from the penalty spot before boyhood Evertonian Gary Speed scored on his Everton debut.
Speed ran from deep and was on the receiving end of a Duncan Ferguson knockdown, and he burst into the Newcastle box and smartly fired his finish under Shaka Hislop to double Everton’s lead.
It was a convincing performance from the Toffees as they kept a frontline containing Shearer, David Ginola and Les Ferdinand quiet.
It was a season of two halves as in the first half of the season, Everton were tipped as a dark contenders for the title by former great Andy Gray. In the second half, Everton’s form drastically dipped, and Joe Royle resigned.
Everton 1-0 Stoke - 12th August 2017
The summer of 2017 was a hectic one for Ronald Koeman’s Everton side. Romelu Lukaku departed the club to Manchester United, and the club were active in the transfer market. Everton had already started their season, as they had two European qualifiers against MFK Ruzomberok.
Against Stoke, summer signing Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane, Davy Klaasen and Sandro Ramirez all started. Wayne Rooney made his Premier League return for the Blues, and it was a welcome return for the forward.
Everton lined up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin starting at right-wing back, and in the first half it was a lackluster performance as the Blues struggled to create any clear cut opportunities.
On the stroke of half-time, the ball went out wide to Calvert-Lewin, following sharp footwork from Sandro, and the forward’s cross reached the head of Rooney, who headed past Jack Butland to give Everton the lead.
Embed from Getty Images
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 12: Wayne Rooney of Everton celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 1-0 during the Premier League match between Everton and Stoke City at Goodison Park on August 12, 2017 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by James Baylis - AMA/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 12: Wayne Rooney of Everton celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 1-0 during the Premier League match between Everton and Stoke City at Goodison Park on August 12, 2017 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by James Baylis - AMA/Getty Images)
Jordan Pickford secured the points for his side following a strong save from Xherdan Shaqiri.
Everton 3-1 Southampton - 14th August 2021
The summer of 2021 is when Everton’s excessive spending started to slow down. Rafael Benitez was controversially appointed as their new manager as Carlo Ancelotti departed for Real Madrid.
This opening game was the first game that Goodison Park was at full capacity, as it was the return of fans, as the previous season it was played behind closed doors due to COVID-19.
Adam Armstrong gave Southampton the lead, but in the second half, Everton started fast, and fan favourite Richarlison equalised early in the second half, which lifted the mood at a rainy Goodison.
The introduction of Alex Iwobi proved to be vital as he had a say in Everton’s second and third goals. Seamus Coleman dinked the ball to Iwobi, who headed it down to Abdoulaye Doucoure, who spun past James Ward-Prowse and fired past Alex McCarthy.
Embed from Getty Images
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 14: Dominic Calvert-Lewin of Everton scores his side's third goal during the Premier League match between Everton and Southampton at Goodison Park on August 14, 2021 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 14: Dominic Calvert-Lewin of Everton scores his side's third goal during the Premier League match between Everton and Southampton at Goodison Park on August 14, 2021 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)
Calvert-Lewin secured the three points with a diving low header to ensure that Benitez’s first game was a success. The Spaniard's tenure turned sour following a 5-2 home defeat to Watford and was sacked in January.
(Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images)
Nørgaard leaves Arsenal having lifted the Premier League title (Photo by Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Nørgaard leaves Arsenal having lifted the Premier League title (Photo by Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Hayden Hackney celebrates after scoring the opener during Middlesbrough vs Norwich City (Photo by Trevor Wilkinson/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Hayden Hackney celebrates after scoring the opener during Middlesbrough vs Norwich City (Photo by Trevor Wilkinson/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
(Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
(Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Everton's best result of the season came at home against Chelsea, thumping the Blues 3-0. (Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Everton's best result of the season came at home against Chelsea, thumping the Blues 3-0. (Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)