Having waved goodbye to iconic home Goodison Park at the end of last season, the Everton fans showed equal emotion to ring in this first competitive match at their stunning new dockside ground.
New faces Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall provided equal novelty on the pitch, and Iliman Ndiaye fashioned the Toffees’ first opportunity but couldn’t find the power to beat Bart Verbruggen.
Looking to spoil the housewarming party, Kaoru Mitoma nearly produced a goal of the season contender as he sent a stunning volley off the crossbar, before Danny Welbeck couldn’t turn Yankuba Minteh’s ball into the open goal in front of him.
But, unlike at Goodison Park 133 years ago, when Horace Pike netted first for Nottingham Forest, it was destiny that the opener at the Hill Dickinson would go Everton’s way.
Grealish drifted in from the left and fired it across the face of goal, where Ndiaye came steaming in to prod goalward and make Merseyside history, just 98 days after netting Everton's last PL goal at Goodison Park.
Tim Iroegbunam could have made it two soon after, while Fabian Hurzeler’s men headed into the break feeling unfortunate not to be at least level, as Jan Paul van Hecke struck the post before Matt O’Reilly couldn’t take advantage of a huge Tarkowski mistake and beat Jordan Pickford.
The hosts forgot all about that during the break and marched on to a second on 52 minutes.
Idrissa Gueye’s inventive ball out to the left was taken by Grealish and laid back to James Garner, who rocketed inside Verbruggen’s near post.
Brighton didn’t have much luck in chasing the deficit until the last 15 minutes when Minteh’s shot hit Dewsbury-Hall’s hand in the area, but Pickford sprawled to his left to deny Welbeck from the penalty spot.
That was the England international’s eighth spot-kick save for the Toffees in the Premier League - the most by any Everton goalkeeper.
The final moments saw the visitors give up hope, and substitutes Beto and Dwight McNeil both went close before the final whistle.
Brighton had shown a severe lack of composure in front of goal, but nothing can be taken away from Everton, who produced a display worthy of this venue.
They will hope it’s a sign of things to come this season, while the Seagulls have now failed to win either of their opening two league fixtures for the first time since 2017.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Jordan Pickford (Everton)
