- Everton’s 3-0 demolition of Chelsea produced the best atmosphere at new stadium.
- David Moyes’ carefully chosen pre-match words set the tone for an electric evening.
- Supporters arrived early, made some noise on Regent Road, and never let up inside.
The Toffees’ emphatic 3-0 win over Chelsea on Saturday was as emphatic off the pitch as it was on it. Beto scored twice, and Iliman Ndiaye curled in a sensational third, but it was also a win for the new stadium.
The post-match consensus, from Moyes himself, from match-going supporters, and from those watching on TV, was that it was the best atmosphere Hill Dickinson Stadium has produced.
For months, the conversation around the new ground had had a similar tone. The place looks right, feels right, is highly rated by visitors (it’s rated 4.72 out of 5 by visiting fans), but something has been missing.
In February, BBC Sport described the stadium as “beginning to feel fragile”, warning that once opponents scored, trepidation spread through the stands and players alike. Goodison Park’s unique atmosphere had been built over generations. The Hill Dickinson Stadium was still searching for its own voice.
Moyes teed it up
Before the match, Moyes did what he always does: kept things level. Not too high, not too low. He alluded to Chelsea as being dangerous but beatable. “They’re a little bit wounded, so we have to be ready for them coming to our place”.
No fancy talk, no grandstanding. Just Moyesy telling the players and supporters that this was an opportunity, and it was up to them to grasp it.
That tone turned out to be absolutely spot on. Evertonians answered the call to arms well before kickoff even arrived. The team bus was afforded a raucous welcome as it edged down Regent Road, one pre-planned by the 1878s fan group and backed up by thousands of Blues.
The energy was building outside the ground was transported inside.
Once the game started, the crowd noise and the performance level were as one. James Garner, fresh from his first England call-up, threaded the pass for Beto’s opener, and the noise became louder.
BBC Sport described the Toffees as “energetic” and noted that they edged the first half. Beto’s second goal gave them control, and Ndiaye’s brilliant finish ended it as a contest. By the end, Everton had secured back-to-back home league wins at the new stadium for the first time.
Moyes noted the difference that the crowd made. “It was a brilliant atmosphere inside the stadium,” he said. “It was more like Goodison than we’ve probably had in any other game.”
Not Goodison but still special
As ever, he chose his words carefully. He didn’t claim the stadium had become Goodison. He said it came closest yet. And he had a theory why: the 5:30pm kickoff, the bright weather, supporters arriving early and spending time around the ground.
Of course, none of that happens without Evertonians choosing to turn up with the intent to make a racket, but Moyes’ words were the trigger, aided by the work of the 1878s. The kickoff time may have helped, so too the team’s aggression from the get-go, but ultimately, the supporters made the new stadium feel like home.
One fantastic evening doesn’t settle the debate, and some fans will always feel that Goodison can never be matched, but Saturday at the Hill Dickinson was special. And long may it continue.
- Hill Dickinson finally sounds like ‘Everton’: How Moyes, the 1878s & fans came together
- Four Everton stars named in Troy Deeney Team of the Week after Chelsea demolition
- Wayne Rooney full of praise for brilliant James Garner after Chelsea masterclass
- Jordan Pickford completes 100 clean sheets at Everton after Chelsea heroics
- Can Everton end up playing in the Champions League next season?
