History will be made on Sunday, when Everton take to the field at Hill Dickinson Stadium for the first time ever in a competitive setting, when Brighton & Hove Albion make the trip to the Liverpool Waterfront in the Premier League.
Both clubs ended the opening weekend feeling disappointed with their results, so this should be a hard-fought affair for two teams who will be seeking all three points.
Match preview
A dreadful display away to Leeds United on Monday night has left the Everton fanbase feeling rather flat ahead of what should be a momentous day in the club’s history.
David Moyes’s men were utterly abject in a 1-0 defeat at Elland Road, with a performance that produced no clear-cut chances, and a late contentious penalty that handed the newly-promoted club a fully-deserved victory.
Injuries and transfer business that has not gone far enough to correct many of Everton’s problems played a huge factor in their woeful defeat on Monday, and with no signs of any activity in the market coming imminently means the supporters are again concerned about how this fixture could go.
After becoming the first team to lose to the previous season’s Championship winners on the opening day since 2007, Everton will now hope they are not the first home side to fall to defeat in the first game at a newly-opened permanent stadium since 2001, when Southampton were beaten by Chelsea at St Mary’s.
Everton won their first home game in five straight seasons between 2017 and 2021, but they have lost the last three, all without scoring, against Chelsea in 2022, Fulham in 2023, and upcoming opponents Brighton last season.
The Toffees did win the last meeting with the Seagulls, 1-0 at the Amex in January in Moyes’s first away game after returning to the helm, but it is now five years since they managed back-to-back wins over Brighton.
That is largely down to a dreadful home record against the Seagulls, because after winning the first four meetings at Goodison following Brighton’s promotion, Everton took just one point from the subsequent four.
Matt O-Riley of Brighton & Hove Albion celebrates scoring in the Premier League against Fulham, on August 16, 2025
Brighton won their final two away games last season, so will seek to win a third in succession now for the first time since early 2023, when the third was clinched away to Everton in a very impressive 4-1 victory.
For the second season running, Fabian Hurzeler’s men will play their first away match against Everton, albeit at a different venue, but they will be delighted if they are able to match the 3-0 win they managed at Goodison last August, meaning Brighton have now scored 13 goals in their last five trips to the blue half of Merseyside.
Like their hosts though, Brighton enter gameweek two feeling disappointed from the opening day, as they threw two points away in the 96th minute at home to Fulham, as Rodrigo Muniz netted a late leveller after Hurzeler’s men dominated for large periods.
That prevented them from sealing a fifth-straight opening-day win, and with Manchester City on the horizon next weekend, after their trip to Oxford United in the EFL Cup, the visitors will want to take something here.
Everton Premier League form:
L
Brighton & Hove Albion Premier League form:
D
Team News
Everton's Michael Keane celebrates on May 10, 2025
Everton’s formation was a mess away to Leeds, with James Garner being forced to start at left-back due to injuries to both Vitaliy Mykolenko and Adam Aznou, while the lack of a new incomer at right-wing means Carlos Alcaraz started there and was hugely ineffective.
Jarrad Branthwaite will remain out with a hamstring injury, but Michael Keane performed well in his absence despite the defeat, so there will probably be no change in that department, but Everton’s midfield were badly overrun at Elland Road.
Jack Grealish could make his full debut after only being a sub at Leeds, and after that dire attacking performance, Moyes’s hand may be forced in that regard.
Brighton got all of their transfer business done early, with seven new additions, but Maxim De Cuyper was the only debutant last weekend, starting at left-back and playing the 90 minutes at the Amex.
Two of the Seagulls’ signings have come at centre-back, with Diego Coppola and Olivier Boscagli arriving, but Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul van Hecke are set to be the first-choice pairing this season.
On the injury front, Jack Hinshelwood could return after missing the Fulham draw with a knock, but Solly March is yet to return to full training, and Adam Webster will most of the season following knee ligament surgery.
Everton possible starting lineup:
Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Garner; Gueye, Iroegbunam; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Barry
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Verbruggen; Wieffer, Van Hecke, Dunk, De Cuyper; Baleba, O’Riley, Ayari; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma
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We say: Everton 0-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Everton showed nothing for their fans or onlookers to be enthused about at Leeds last week, and with no new additions brought in since, it is tough to see what will change.
Brighton should have beat Fulham last weekend, and have a very good record away to Everton, so it is no surprise to see them start as favourites.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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