Everton’s final-season farewell to Goodison Park began with a demoralising display against Brighton whose new head coach Fabian Hurzeler marked his Premier League debut with a 3-0 victory.
There was little doubt about the validity of the goals from Kaoru Mitoma, Danny Welbeck and Simon Adingra – although Toffees boss Sean Dyche will have a major issue with how they were conceded – but the major talking point came with the score at 1-0 just two minutes into the second half.
Referee Simon Hooper adjudged Lewis Dunk to have fouled Dominic Calvert-Lewin, only for VAR Darren England to ask the official to view the pitchside monitor.
However, the in-ground technology initially failed as no replay was seemingly shown on the large television screen but the Premier League subsequently confirmed a back-up monitor was used allowing Hooper to reverse his decision.
Everton’s misery was complete in the 66th minute when Ashley Young, Dyche’s only fit right-back, was sent off for pulling back Mitoma as he bore down on goal.
The club are also likely to face an investigation after an object was thrown at Brighton players celebrating the first goal in front of the Bullens Road stand.
Young had set a new record as Everton’s oldest outfield player at the age of 39 years 39 days – eight years older than Brighton’s youthful new head coach.
Nine players who started the game were all older than the German: James Tarkowski, Michael Keane, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Idrissa Gueye, Jason Steele, Dunk, Welbeck, Joel Veltman and James Milner – who made his Premier League debut when his boss was just nine.
But he proved relative inexperience was no barrier to success as his side soaked up some early pressure before ruthlessly exposing Everton’s naive defending.
The hosts started brightly as fans began counting down the matches left at their home for 132 years before the move to Bramley-Moore Dock next season.
Jack Harrison, returning on loan from Leeds, forced an early save out of Steele and converted from the resulting corner only for his effort to be ruled out for offside.
The same flag spared the blushes of Dwight McNeil moments later when Doucoure, also offside, burst through to pass to the winger in front of an open goal only for him to somehow hit a post.
Brighton saw the opportunity to up the tempo and after Joao Pedro hit a post from distance and Tarkowski snuffed out new signing Yankubu Minteh’s shot in a four-on-four counter-attack from halfway they took a 26th-minute lead.
Mitoma was allowed to carry the ball from deep inside his own half and with Brighton again committing plenty to attack he laid it off to Minteh, who had been linked with Everton, and continued his run to steer home the return pass from close range.
Minteh’s participation was ended just before half-time when he injured himself making a last-ditch clearance to deny Vitalii Mykolenko, although the player disagreed with his substitution under concussion protocols and stomped down the tunnel.
Then came the withdrawal of the penalty award and from there Everton’s afternoon went downhill fast.
Another new signing, Mats Wieffer, intercepted Gueye’s pass and with Tarkowski and Keane backing off, Welbeck curled a shot around them and past Jordan Pickford.
Substitute Adingra added the third from another counter-attack, cutting in from the right to fire home with his left foot.
