Everton enjoyed a memorable start at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium with a 2-0 win against Brighton in front of 52,000 fans.
Iliman Ndiaye and James Garner struck for the Toffees either side of half-time as Jack Grealish claimed two assists on his first Everton start.
On-loan Manchester City winger Grealish, like the Toffees' new home on the banks of the River Mersey, offers hope of a brighter future and the England international provided assists for both goals.
He managed just two in the last two Premier League seasons at City but matched that in only 71 minutes of football after his change of scenery.
The first was for Ndiaye, who wrote his name into the history books for a second time in three months as the scorer of the final goal at Goodison Park and the first at their new home.
Even Grealish will admit his second owed more to the pureness of James Garner's 25-yard strike than his roll-back for the makeshift left-back but he fully deserved his standing ovation in second-half added time.
It was a day of firsts: the first time since 1892 that Everton had played a home game not at Goodison and first starts for Grealish and France Under-21 striker Thierno Barry – and Everton's first win of the season.
Brighton were left to rue a series of wasted chances, including a missed penalty by Danny Welbeck, as the Seagulls remain without a win this season.
Everton are a work in progress with David Moyes desperate to make more additions to his squad in the final week of the transfer window.
Only four clubs have won more English top-flight titles than Everton's nine.
However, they have not won a major trophy for the past 30 years and spent their final seasons at Goodison Park battling relegation.
“It was very special. We are coming here to try to get the victory. We didn't begin the Premier League well last weekend (a 1-0 loss to Leeds) but it felt good to come here and give the fans what they deserve,” Ndiaye told Sky Sports.
A smiling Grealish called it a “massive” victory.
“First game at the new stadium and we wanted to put on a show for the supporters. Very happy to get the win,” he said.
“I loved my time at Man City and I had a great four years there and won a lot of things,” Grealish said. “But as soon as I spoke to David Moyes on FaceTime, I wanted to come here and today shows why.”
