Brighton Set for Everton’s Historic Stadium Opener | Match Preview

Fabian Hürzeler struck a buoyant tone in his pre-match press conference, confirming that every player was available for selection once again, aside from long-term absentees Adam Webster and Solly March.

Albion’s Premier League opener was a harsh reminder of the unforgiving nature of the league, if you fail to take your chances, you’ll be punished. Asked about the mentality of killing games, Hürzeler emphasised that “If you say ‘you must score’ you’re putting pressure on the players which they can’t control.” He further stressed the importance of his players sticking to what they can control, winning duels, maintaining intensity and staying disciplined off the ball. 

The first ever trip to Everton’s new ground…

Marking a historic occasion, Albion will become the first team to play in a competitive fixture vs Everton at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Toffees will be desperate to make it a celebration, but Hürzeler has his side preparing for the unexpected, with an emphasis on sticking to their own game plan.

Brighton travel well. Last season, they were the Premier League’s fifth-strongest side on the road, matching Manchester City with 29 points away from home (eight wins, five draws, six defeats). The standout moments included a gritty, backs-to-the-wall victory at Newcastle and a final-day demolition of Spurs to spoil their Europa League winning party.

Adding to the positivity, Matt O’Riley looks increasingly likely to stay on the south coast. Just as he did when asked about Carlos Baleba last week, Hürzeler again reassured fans that he is “very confident” the Danish midfielder will remain an Albion player beyond the transfer window.

Injuries robbed Albion fans of a full season of O’Riley last year after a horror challenge against Crawley disrupted his rhythm. Still, there were glimpses of his quality, his goal against Manchester City on his return being the stand-out. With a full pre-season under his belt and the nod to start against Fulham, O’Riley looks set to play a huge role this campaign.

Elsewhere, Mats Wieffer continues to be trusted at right-back, a position he filled at the end of last season and throughout pre-season. With Ferdi Kadioglu saying after the Fulham match that he “feels best in the full-back position,” opportunities may soon open up for Wieffer to move back into his natural midfield role.

In midfield, there was further good news. Carlos Baleba came through 70 minutes against Fulham with no adverse reaction in his knee, a big step after his disrupted pre-season. Jack Hinshelwood is also fully back in training and could be an option for the trip to Merseyside.

Albion have enjoyed recent success against Everton, winning three of their last four away fixtures, but this will be a tougher test as the Toffees aim to turn the page on a turbulent few years. Their campaign began with a narrow 1-0 defeat at Leeds, decided only by a controversial penalty, but David Moyes’ side looked second best for much of the contest.

The build-up will inevitably frame this as Everton’s grand new beginning, yet Hürzeler remains unfazed. His message to the players is a simple one of staying calm, staying focused, and trusting what we can control. 

Where can this game be won/lost?

Everton are still without two defensive mainstays in Jarred Branthwaite and Vitalii Mykolenko, and had to rely on James Garner to fill in at left-back in their opener at Elland Road. Adam Aznou, a new left sided defensive option for David Moyes, has trained but may not be thrown in from the start.

Given these defensive issues, Yankuba Minteh could be key for Albion down the right-hand side. It was almost the perfect start to the season for the Gambian winger, who saw his first half strike vs Fulham disallowed due to the ball going out of play. It will be important for him to put Garner or Aznou to the test right from the off. 

Kaoru Mitoma will be up against Jake O’Brien, a 6’6” right-back who dominated his flank in the Albion’s home fixture vs Everton last season. It will be important for us to play to our wingers strength, feed them the ball on the floor and have them running in behind. 

The midfield battle will be as important as ever, with a pairing of Carlos Baleba and Yasin Ayari being the most likely. They will be up against two powerful midfielders who like to control the game in Tim Iroegbunam and Idrissa Gueye. 

The worry from pre-season was the high-line and being caught on the counter. Albion will again need to be wary, with two direct and pacey wingers poised to start for Everton in Carlos Alcaraz & Iliman Ndiaye. 

If we get our attacking pieces flowing as they should be, and have Everton on the backfoot with an early goal, it could be a fruitful afternoon for the Albion. I’ve vowed to always follow my heart with predictions, so I’m going to say 1-3 to the good guys.