Fabian Hurzeler takes charge of his first competitive game as Brighton & Hove Albion head coach when the Seagulls travel to Goodison Park to face Everton in their opening fixture of the 2024-25 Premier League season on Saturday afternoon.
Neither team could be separated when they faced off last season, as they were forced to share the spoils twice in two 1-1 draws.
Match preview
It is fair to say that Everton experienced an eventful 2023-24 campaign that saw them narrowly avoid relegation and finish 15th in the Premier League table, despite being deducted eight points for breaching the division's Profit and Sustainability rules.
The Toffees would have finished 12th and 22 points clear of the relegation zone without their points deduction, but manager Sean Dyche will nevertheless have taken plenty of positives from his side's dogged performances amidst all the off-field chaos with the Premier League and their ongoing ownership issues.
One of six teams who have never been relegated from the Premier League since its inception in 1992, Everton are now gearing up for what is set to be an emotional 2024-25 campaign, as it will represent their last at Goodison Park before they move into their new multi-million pound stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.
While many teams decided to travel far across the globe for pre-season, Everton stayed in the UK and took part in five friendly fixtures over the summer, winning one, drawing two and losing two; they most recently played out a 1-1 draw with Serie A outfit Roma on home soil last weekend.
The Toffees now head into Saturday's contest having lost their opening Premier League fixture in each of the last two seasons, while they are also winless in their last three home meetings with Brighton having previously won each of their first four in the Premier League era.
Brighton are preparing for their eighth consecutive season as a Premier League club and their first under the guidance of new head coach Fabian Hurzeler, who at the age of just 31 will become the youngest manager in the division's history this weekend.
Born in the USA and raised in Germany, Hurzeler has departed newly-promoted Bundesliga club St Pauli to succeed Roberto De Zerbi - now at Marseille - who led the Seagulls to an 11th-placed finish and to the knockout rounds of the Europa League last season.
This summer, Brighton have parted ways with club legend Pascal Gross, who after seven years on the South coast has joined boyhood club Borussia Dortmund, but Hurzeler has strengthened his squad by recruiting six new players for a combined fee in excess of £100m.
The Seagulls have wasted no time adapting to Hurzeler's demands as they registered four wins from four pre-season matches by an aggregate score of 14-3, most recently thrashing La Liga side Villarreal 4-0 at the Amex Stadium last weekend.
Brighton will fancy their chances of continuing their strong run of form against Everton on Saturday, as they have won their opening Premier League game in each of the last three seasons; never before have they won their opening league match in four successive campaigns.
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Team News
Everton will be without injured duo Nathan Patterson (hamstring) and Youssef Chermiti (foot), while Dyche has confirmed that Manchester United-linked Jarrad Branthwaite is likely to miss Saturday's game as he continues to recover from a minor groin operation.
Seamus Coleman and James Garner are also doubtful with calf injuries, but Michael Keane should be fit after returning to training earlier this week following a minor issue and is set to battle with new signing Jake O'Brien for a start at centre-back alongside James Tarkowski.
Amadou Onana was sold for around £50m to Aston Villa earlier this summer, but midfield duo Jesper Lindstrom and Tim Iroegbunam have both joined the Toffees and are in contention to make their debuts, as is forward Iliman Ndiaye, although Dominic Calvert-Lewin may start ahead of him on Saturday.
As for Brighton, they will be without Pervis Estupinan (ankle), Evan Ferguson (foot), Solly March, Julio Enciso (both knee), Bart Verbruggen and Igor Julio (both unspecified) due to injury, while Tariq Lamptey and Napoli-linked Billy Gilmour are both doubtful.
Club-record signing Yankuba Minteh impressed during pre-season, scoring three goals and providing two assists across 242 minutes of action, and the versatile attacker will be hoping to make his debut, as will fellow new recruit Brajan Gruda, who joined from Mainz 05 on Wednesday.
Mats Wieffer has arrived from Feyenoord and is in contention to make his first Seagulls start in midfield alongside either Carlos Baleba or 38-year-old James Milner, while Joao Pedro, Kaoru Mitoma and Danny Welbeck are all expected to feature in attack.
Everton possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Young, Tarkowski, O'Brien, Mykolenko; Gueye, Iroegbunam, Doucoure; Harrison, Calvert-Lewin, McNeil
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Steele; Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, Barco; Milner, Wieffer; Minteh, Pedro, Mitoma; Welbeck
"Europe is always a dream" - what have the managers said?
Everton manager Sean Dyche
"It doesn't bring pressure to me because pressure is constant here. It's just the way it's been since I've been here. I think there'll be a good feeling about the place.
"I've only been here 18 or 19 months. I don't know the depth of families who've had season tickets for years and years and years, and stories of bringing your kids. All those stories, and the history that brings in the feel of a football club.
"I'm too new to know about that, but I've learned pretty quickly what it means to people.
"But equally, the demand for a new stadium – and I think everyone appreciates that. So yes, the old will go, and the new will come in, but I think most people deep down – as much as they love Goodison – they'll say it's about time it's needed, so I think it's a step forward.
"With your home crowd and home support, you want to give them good value in what your team does, and of course, that always starts with winning. If you can win in a right way and in a way that's even more pleasing for the fans, then that's even better.
"We definitely want it to be the fortress that it is, certainly through voice. We haven't always made it through results. We did at the end of last season, but certainly with the voice of the fans and the way they backed the team. So, we definitely want that feeling and we want to reward that.
"After a strong finish to the season and there's a more positive feel, and a bit more calmness, I suppose. A bit more calmness and a bit more reality of the truth of what the situation is.
"Generally, being up and around the people here, and in the pre-season games – we tried to keep them local so lots of fans could join in – and I think there is a better feel and a more positive feel, generally speaking.
"It's different because you have a closed-season period, and then players come back in. There are fitness challenges, and we've had a few injuries, unfortunately – we still have.
"But I think the new signings have adjusted that feel, as well. They're different kind of signings and different kinds of players, which we thought was important for that diversity of the team and how we want to play.
"I think there's a newness to it, which does bring a different feeling, but we can't rely on last season. Although it was a very strong finish, we have to build into the new season, which we'll be looking to do."
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler
"We will try to push our limits. The Premier League is very competitive but with our squad's potential and the fans' support, we could achieve something special and make it a season to remember.
"Europe is always a dream for every player and they want to have that feeling back.
"I arrived here to help the team and make the club successful. I love to work and improve players by putting in all my passion with my staff. It is never a one-man show, I need my staff.
"I can do the thing I love and that is why I don't think about my age. I want to challenge for every opportunity we get here. Football is like a day job, so you have to win it day to day and then there will be tomorrow."
We say: Everton 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton breezed past their opposition in pre-season, and although Saturday's clash with Everton should be a much sterner test for the Seagulls, we believe that they have enough quality in the final third to break down the Toffees' backline en route to a narrow victory, kick-starting the Hurzeler era on a positive note.
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