The opening day of the season is just around the corner, with Everton hosting Crystal Palace.
A new season is mere hours away. I have decided to take a trip down memory lane to some of our wonderful (!) opening-day wins.
Let’s get the negative out the way. Out of the 34 opening-day games, Everton have won only 9 of them, lost 13 and drawn 12 of them…..
We lost won an opening day fixture in 2021. Rafael Benitez was the man in charge. Also, as we approach the 2026 opening day fixture we play Crystal Palace, who Everton have played on the opening day before. Yes, you guessed it, we lost that game 1-3 back in 1997 (Atilio Lombardo anyone).
Can we have another classic this weekend as the Toffees face Crystal Palace?
Onto the positive results:
Leon Osman discusses Everton's upcoming season, Jack Grealish, Tyler Dibling, and much more in an exclusive interview with Roundtable.roundtable.ioExclusive Leon Osman Interview: Everton, Jack Grealish, Big Dunc, and More
Leon Osman discusses Everton's upcoming season, Jack Grealish, Tyler Dibling, and much more in an exclusive interview with Roundtable.
Everton 1-0 Manchester United August 20th, 2012
I remember this game pretty well. United always came to Goodison as favourites in that day and age, the ‘proper United’. Everton were absolutely worth the 3 points. Fellaini with the header from a corner summed the Belgians' game up, he was brilliant that day. Manchester United ran away with the league that year, funny old game, isn’t it?
Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Everton September 13th, 2020
I would say my personal favourite of all 9 of the opening day fixtures. COVID times were weird no doubt, but someone had woken Everton up in that season. Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, signing players like James Rodriguez, Allan.
Everton had never won a game at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium before this day, and again Everton were fully worth the win. James Rodriguez ran the show; it was delightful to watch. The winner came from a Lucas Digne free kick, right on the head of DCL who absolutely bullet-headed it into the corner. Job done, all smiles.
Everton 2-0 Newcastle United August 17th, 1996
Joe Royle’s Everton deserved much more success than it actually got in my view, this game showed it. This game sticks in my mind due to it being Gary Speed’s first game; what a player he was.
Speed scored the 2nd, flick-on from Duncan Ferguson and Speed slid it under the Newcastle keeper. The smile on the boyhood Evertonian Speed’s face was worth the goal all the more. Great day in the sunshine for the Blues.
It has been much of a hoodoo to win an opening day game, we need to break that this weekend and start the season with a bang. 4 losses in the last 4 opening day games will be heavy in Everton fans minds, lets change that!