Everton 0-1 Fulham, Brighton 4-1 Luton, and more: clockwatch – as it happened

The opening day of what is scheduled to be the final full season of Goodison Park’s existence turned into a sick joke for its regular inhabitants, and demonstrated a dereliction of duty by the Everton hierarchy yet again. Sean Dyche’s blunted side had the upper hand against Fulham but were punished for a profligate display as Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s second-half strike secured a third successive win in L4 for the visitors.

Marco Silva’s team had nine shots in total, two on target, compared to 19 efforts and nine on target from the hosts. But only Fulham had the clinical edge necessary at the highest level, and another struggle awaits Everton unless their forward line improves considerably before the transfer deadline.

Leno also denied Doucouré with an outstretched boot when a sweeping Everton move released last season’s relegation saviour through on goal. Iwobi and Nathan Patterson also missed decent chances before the break and Michael Keane had a goal disallowed after Leno dropped a cross at his feet. The referee, Stuart Attwell, penalised James Tarkowski for a foul on the commanding keeper.

With the lack of new faces – Ashley Young started at left-back, Arnaut Danjuma was on the bench and Friday’s signing Youssef Chermiti was in the directors’ box – improvement must come from within for Everton to avoid a third successive relegation battle. In that respect Dyche could be satisfied with his team’s solidity, energy and intent, while despairing at the end product.

A woeful afternoon in front of goal was encapsulated by Patterson hitting the crossbar from eight yards out when he had an open net to aim at following Leno’s fingertip save from Iwobi.

For the most part Fulham were subdued in comparison to Everton’s aggression and threat. Silva’s side broke crisply and dangerously throughout the first half without finding the final pass or shot to trouble Jordan Pickford. That changed when De Cordova-Reid replaced Willian at the interval and the visitors began to find gaps behind the home defence.

Aleksandar Mitrovic went down injured minutes after entering the fray as a second-half substitute. The Serbia international was about to be replaced with Carlos Vinícius when he signalled he wanted to continue, and justified the decision with a fine ball that released Andreas Pereira inside the Everton area.

Pereira, another substitute, swept a cross along the face of Pickford’s goal for the unmarked De Cordova-Reid to convert at the back post. De Cordova-Reid was close to adding a second while Mitrovic’s appeals for a handball by Tarkowski went unanswered. Everton pressed for an equaliser late on without ever convincing they were capable of conjuring one.