Regrets on the river: Brighton’s missed moments hand Everton a dream opener

Brighton left Hill Dickinson Stadium with nothing to show for a first half that should have rewritten Everton’s opening-night script. The Seagulls carved out a succession of chances and twice rattled the woodwork, yet the hosts struck first through Iliman Ndiaye and then James Garner before Jordan Pickford saved Danny Welbeck’s late penalty to seal a 2-0 defeat.

Fabian Hürzeler’s side had the poise and penetration to silence the new arena but not the finish. Mitoma skimmed the bar, Welbeck lifted a gilt-edged chance over from Minteh’s cutback, Van Hecke clipped a post, and O’Riley was thwarted by Pickford after a Tarkowski error. Fine margins became hard lessons once Grealish intervened at the other end.

Bright start without reward

Brighton’s patience on the ball settled the occasion after Everton’s initial surge. A misjudged clearance from Everton captain James Tarkowski offered Mitoma a clear sight; he chested down and volleyed ferociously against the crossbar. Seconds later Minteh overpowered his marker and squared for Welbeck, who, stretching, scooped over from close range.

Those moments shaped the contest. They preceded the setback of falling behind and were followed by more near-misses: Van Hecke’s deflected drive cannoned off the post with Pickford beaten, and on halftime O’Riley tried to round the goalkeeper after Tarkowski’s back-pass only for Pickford to smother bravely.

Punished at the margins

Everton’s opener stung because it arrived as Brighton exerted control. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall released Grealish to attack Mats Wieffer and the winger’s whipped cross was met by Ndiaye at the far post. The second came seven minutes after the restart: Brighton appealed for offside against Thierno Barry in the build-up, play continued, and Grealish rolled the ball to Garner, whose 25-yard strike snuck inside Bart Verbruggen’s near post.

Brighton had set out to isolate an Everton back line without a recognised full-back, targeting Garner at left-back from the outset, but were repeatedly punished when transitions flipped. Carlos Baleba’s departure from midfield later blunted some of the visitors’ bite as Everton protected their lead with greater assurance.

The decisive moment from twelve yards

There was still a lifeline when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall handled Minteh’s goalbound shot and a penalty was awarded on 74 minutes. Welbeck stepped up but his effort lacked conviction and Pickford dived to his left to save, snuffing out the prospect of a late charge.

It summed up a day of almosts. Brighton created enough to challenge the script of Everton’s grand opening, yet execution deserted them at critical moments, and Pickford’s interventions — from O’Riley’s chance to the spot-kick — proved decisive.

Focus turns to a response

The performance carried positives in possession and chance creation, but it left Hürzeler’s team still on one point after Fulham’s late leveller last weekend. Ruthlessness is the missing ingredient as the season begins to gather pace.

The schedule offers a swift reset: a Carabao Cup tie away to Oxford United on Wednesday, 27 August, before Manchester City visit the Amex on Sunday, 31 August. If Brighton reproduce the control they showed — and sharpen in the box — the narrative should turn.