Everton had gone five years without winning their opening Premier League match before 2026–27.
Everton ended that run by beating Crystal Palace 2–0 on Saturday, 22 August 2026. The result was their first opening-match victory in five years and also their first win in eight top-flight matches.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry scored for Everton, with one goal arriving on either side of half-time. The victory was played at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Everton’s home ground for the season.
The result was especially notable because opening-day records measure only the first league match of each campaign, not a club’s first fixture in every competition. Everton’s win therefore referred specifically to the Premier League opener.