Everton vs Brighton: Sutton tips Seagulls to spoil the Bramley-Moore opening
A landmark day on the docks
An opening day at a new stadium is supposed to be a celebration. Everton finally get their first competitive game at Bramley-Moore Dock on Sunday, but the mood is complicated by form, expectation, and a blunt warning from Chris Sutton. The former striker thinks the visitors will rain on the parade, backing Brighton to edge it 2-1.
There’s pride tied up in this move. Bramley-Moore Dock has been years in the making, a waterfront home built to carry Everton into a new era. But a bright, noisy debut won’t paper over a slow start on the pitch. Everton lost their opener 1-0 at Leeds, and manager David Moyes has been vocal about needing more signings. It fits an uncomfortable pattern: the Toffees have begun with two defeats in three of the past four seasons.
Brighton arrive with fewer unknowns. They finished eighth last season and doubled down on their model with another shrewd window, posting a net spend north of £40 million. The twist? For all that smart planning, their game management has been a headache. Under 32-year-old Fabian Hürzeler, Brighton have already dropped 25 points from winning positions in 2024–25. The talent is there. Closing the door late in games is the part still under the microscope.
Sutton’s read is stark. He expects Brighton’s structure and depth to tell over 90 minutes, even against the adrenaline of a stadium unveiling. “Brighton have shown they can compete with the best and their style of play should cause Everton problems,” he said, calling a 2-1 away win. He sees Everton sitting deep and countering, but believes the Seagulls will eventually find the gaps.
There’s also a recent reminder that this matchup is rarely one-note. When the sides met in January at the Amex, Everton pinched it 1-0 with an Iliman Ndiaye penalty. Different setting this time, different stakes, and a home crowd ready to shake steel and concrete.
Tactics, selection calls, and Sutton’s verdict
On paper, this is contrast-by-design. Everton will lean on shape, duels, and set-pieces. Expect a compact block out of possession and direct outlets when it turns over. The plan is simple: make the middle of the pitch ugly, nick territory from dead balls, and trust the rush of the occasion to amplify every tackle and second ball.
Brighton will try the opposite. They want rhythm, short passes to pull markers out of zones, and width to force full-backs into hard choices. If they establish their tempo, the game becomes about patience—prodding until the extra runner appears on the blindside. The risk is the same one that has cost them points: leaving the door ajar in transitions, especially after taking the lead.
Key battlegrounds shape up in three areas. First, set-pieces. Everton will hammer deliveries and look to crowd the six-yard box; Brighton have to win first contact and stay alert to second phases. Second, midfield pressure. If Brighton’s pivot can receive on the half-turn, they’ll carry the game forward; if Everton force backwards passes, the Seagulls’ flow breaks. Third, transitions. Everton’s first three passes after a regain will decide how dangerous their counters look; Brighton’s rest-defense has to be tight enough to snuff those out.
Personnel choices matter, but squad depth may matter more across the second half. That’s where Sutton’s call leans on the visitors. He trusts Brighton’s bench to tilt the final 20 minutes, and that tallies with the “drop-off late” concern around Everton’s recent starts to seasons.
- Stage and stakes: the first competitive game at Bramley-Moore Dock sets a raw emotional backdrop—and can fuel fast starts or heavy legs.
- Form lines: Everton come off a 1-0 loss at Leeds; Brighton enter with belief from last season’s top-half finish and a refreshed squad.
- Game management: Brighton’s 25 points dropped from winning positions this season is the stat Everton will cling to if they fall behind.
- Manager pressure: Moyes has pushed for signings; a third straight poor start in four seasons would only crank up the noise.
- Recent head-to-head: Everton’s 1-0 win at the Amex in January shows the counterpunch can land if Brighton’s possession stalls.
All of that funnels back to the prediction. Sutton is sticking with a narrow away win—Brighton to control enough of the ball, create the better chances, and survive a late push. For Everton, the hope is that the surge of a new home unlocks something sharper than the opening week suggested.
Whatever happens, the calendar gets a bookmark on Sunday. The game many will search under Everton vs Brighton doubles as a new chapter for the blue half of Merseyside. Kick-off is 16:00 BST.