Everton vs Brighton Predictions

• Everton won only five of 19 home games last season
• The Toffees failed to score in seven of their 10 home meetings with top-half sides
• Brighton won at six of the bottom eight last season

New era for Everton

Everton play their first Premier League game in their new ground on Sunday, as they host Brighton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Having built many of their recent survival campaigns on the Goodison Park atmosphere, the Toffees will hope for a strong start in their new surroundings.

However, Brighton spoiled the start to the long Goodison goodbye with a 3-0 win in the opening game of last season. After suffering their own setback last weekend, the Seagulls will expect an improved display.

Toffees could take time to settle in

The Goodison Park crowd didn’t get to see a victory over a top-half team in the Premier League last season. The Toffees failed to score in seven of their clashes with the top 10, while they departed Goodison with only five wins from 19 matches.

Over the years, we’ve seen the likes of Tottenham and West Ham struggle after moving to new stadiums. While new grounds bring a wave of optimism, they also seem to detract from a team’s edge.

For Everton, there’s a slight feeling that the new stadium is papering over some cracks. A poor display in Monday’s loss to Leeds, along with David Moyes openly demanding more signings, suggests that the Toffees could have used a little more time to prepare for this one.

Encouraging signs for Seagulls

A late equaliser cost Brighton last weekend, but they put in a strong performance against Fulham. The Seagulls won as many games on the road as they did at home last term, including six wins at the bottom eight.

Everton were outplayed away to Leeds in their opener and there’s a chance for their season to unravel. The club lost their opening four games of the previous campaign, while they meet a Brighton side who have real ambitions of making Europe after another string of summer signings.

The visitors should expect an improved display from Kaoru Mitoma, who scored in two of his last three visits to Goodison. He tends to start seasons well, so back the winger to make an impact after finishing as Brighton’s top scorer on the road last season.