Liverpool: Danny Welbeck scored one goal and set up another as Brighton & Hove Albion eased to a 3-0 victory at 10-man Everton on Saturday, in a perfect start for the Premier League’s youngest ever permanent manager.
Kaoru Mitoma scored at the back post after excellent work from debutant winger Yankuba Minteh, before Welbeck profited from sloppy play by Everton in midfield to add a second and Simon Adingra added a late third to underline Brighton's superiority.
Manager Fabian Huerzeler, 31, will be delighted with a performance in which his side took their chances, in contrast to their hosts who were wasteful in front of goal but also had a penalty decision in their favour overturned by the Video Assistant Referee with the score at 1-0.
Right back Ashley Young was sent off midway through the second half as Everton’s final season at Goodison Park before they end their 132-year stay and move to a new stadium on the banks of the river Mersey got off to the worst possible start.
The visitors took the lead against the run of play when Minteh beat Vitali Mykolenko on the left flank and his low cross was well finished by Mitoma, making only his third appearance since December after a lengthy injury lay-off.
The home side were awarded a penalty by referee Simon Hooper minutes into the second period when Lewis Dunk slid in on Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the box.
But the decision was overturned after an intervention by Video Assistant Referee Darren England, who felt there had been too little contact.
Hooper was unable to view a replay of the incident himself due to a technical issue with the VAR screen at the side of the pitch, so made the decision on the advice of England alone.
Brighton doubled their advantage shortly afterwards when Idrissa Gueye gave the ball away in midfield and Welbeck was released to race in on goal and beat Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford from the edge of the box.
The home side were reduced to 10 men midway through the second half when Mitoma got in behind 39-year-old Young and the right-back held onto him, leaving Hooper with no option but to show the red card.
Adingra took advantage of the extra space to score a third, while Yasin Ayari had the ball in the back of the net on his Brighton debut but was judged to be marginally offside.