There'll be three minutes added onto the end of this game. Southampton are huffing and puffing but it's too late for them to salvage anything from this match now.
89'
A. Gordon enters the game and replaces Richarlison.
Richarlison heads off for an early rest. Everton's 20-year-old youth product Gordon, an attacking midfielder, replaces him for the last few minutes.
Djenepo, one of Southampton's few bright sparks in this match, beats two men towards the byline. The angle's too tight for him to shoot though and Everton intercept. That's been a recurring problem for Djenepo and Southampton here. They've struggled to create any clear chances at all since Armstrong's goal.
87'
Southampton force a corner down their right conceded by Calvert-Lewin. Keane heads it clear.
85'
Calvert-Lewin snatches at another opportunity that comes his way in Southampton's box. On this occasion the ball trickles wide of the right-hand post. No matter, though, as Everton surely have the win wrapped up now. Southampton have barely tested Pickford in the second half.
83'
Y. Mina enters the game and replaces D. Gray.
N. Redmond enters the game and replaces R. Perraud.
Southampton replace Perraud who's had a torrid time since the half-time break. Redmond comes on for him.
Benitez decides to shut up shop. Everton's Columbian centre-back Mina replaces Gray.
81'
D. Calvert-Lewin has scored a goal for Everton! Assist by Richarlison.
GOAL! EVERTON 3-1 SOUTHAMPTON! Calvert-Lewin secures the victory for Everton! Richarlison plays a quick one-two with Iwobi and sends in a dipping cross that Calvert-Lewin meets with a good old diving header. It's straight at McCarthy but it's too powerful for him to keep it from hitting the back of the net.
Richarlison's vision and silky skills in creating that goal were fantastic. The Brazilian may be infuriating at times but he's a wonderful player to watch at his best.
80'
N. Tella enters the game and replaces T. Walcott.
Here come those Southampton changes. Diallo replaces Romeu in midfield first.
The ex-Evertonian Walcott, who's barely been noticeable in this game, is replaced by Tella.
79'
I. Diallo enters the game and replaces Oriol Romeu.
Southampton are preparing a few changes. They've been second-best for almost all of this second half.
77'
Iwobi claims the assist but Doucoure's finish was marvellously unexpected. The Everton fans are in fine voice now!
Doucoure receives a yellow card for overegging his celebration. You can't blame the Frenchman really. It was a fantastic strike.
Minute
Description
76'
A. Doucouré has scored a goal for Everton! Assist by A. Iwobi.
A. Doucouré gets yellow.
GOAL! EVERTON 2-1 SOUTHAMPTON! What a goal by Doucoure! Everton take a free-kick quickly and Iwobi nods the ball back to Doucoure on the edge of the box. The Frenchman swivels on the spot and smashes an effort into the top right corner! Everton have turned this game around!
74'
Coleman's dangerous cross from the right doesn't connect with anyone in an Everton shirt. Digne tries again from the opposite side and McCarthy rises high to gather it.
72'
Pickford makes his first save this half, stopping Salisu's tame shot from the centre of the box. The home fans groan as Keane's pass out wide to Iwobi goes awry.
70'
A. Iwobi enters the game and replaces A. Townsend.
Everton make the game's first substitution. Iwobi trots on to replace Townsend who's had a good first game for the Toffees.
68'
Djenepo and Perraud combine beautifully down the left to send Djenepo scampering free into the box. Keane recovers quickly to block the cross. Richarlison clears Ward-Prowse's corner.
66'
Southampton break forward instantly and almost create a shooting opportunity for Armstrong. Doucoure is well-positioned to clear the bouncing ball in the box.
65'
This time Pickford claims Ward-Prowse's corner easily and waves his team upfield. Townsend gets bundled over down Everton's right and gets up to swing the free-kick towards the far post with his left foot. It's easy pickings for McCarthy though.
64'
Ward-Prowse again curls his delivery towards the far top corner. Once more, Pickford plays it safe and pushes it out. Southampton earn another corner though from the same side.
62'
Southampton have regained their composure after Everton's rally early in this half. The visitors work the ball to Djenepo at the far post but Djenepo's cross can't beat Coleman. It'll be a Southampton corner.
61'
Gray gets loose in the box and looks to square the ball for Calvert-Lewin. In the end it's too close to McCarthy and the Southampton keeper smothers the chance.
59'
Allan blocks Djenepo's low cross from the left and hands Southampton a corner which Ward-Prowse takes. It gets too close to Pickford for the goalkeeper's liking and he punches it away.
57'
Gray shows some nice footwork down the left and thinks he's won a corner, only for the referee to disagree. Hasenhuttl consults his assistants for advice in the dugout.
55'
That early second-half goal has done Everton the world of good. Southampton haven't been able to cope with the hosts' energy since the half-time break as they survive another Everton corner.
53'
Everton are piling forward now, roared on by the Goodison Park crowd. Townsend races into space down the right and crosses high towards the far post. Doucoure arrives into the box to power a header towards goal but Southampton's defenders get in the way just in time.
49'
Southampton venture forward in hope of regaining the lead. Adams is overeager and ends up challenging Doucoure unfairly.
47'
Richarlison has scored a goal for Everton! Assist by A. Townsend.
Richarlison presses Livramento high, forcing Stephens into shanking the ball out for a corner. Can Everton make anything of this?
GOAL! EVERTON 1-1 SOUTHAMPTON! Everton get the early second-half goal they need! Adams heads the corner away but not convincingly. Townsend nods it back into the six-yard box and Richarlison arrows it into the top right corner of the net!
Townsend's header back towards goal was a simple one but it caught Southampton out. That will give Everton a big shot in the arm.
46'
We're back underway for the second half. Benitez has resisted making changes for now.
45' +1
HALF-TIME: EVERTON 0-1 SOUTHAMPTON
Everton look to mount one last attack but Doucoure's touch lets him down. That'll be that for now.
45'
There'll be one additional minute at the end of this first half.
43'
McCarthy wafts an arm at the corner as it comes into the six-yard box. Digne's follow-up shot from distance flies way off target.
42'
Calvert-Lewin races Salisu to a ball down the line but the Ghanaian uses his strength to muscle Calvert-Lewin out of the way. Everton eventually force a corner though.
38'
Unusually, Ward-Prowse's corner doesn't beat the first man. Djenepo dribbles back into the box with support from Perraud but it doesn't come to anything. Pickford rushes out of his goal to punt a pass clear with Armstrong lurking. He looks a nervier man with Everton's defence in front of him.
37'
Adams has a pop from range and it rolls tamely through to Pickford in the Everton goal. Everton can't keep possession though and Holgate heads Livramento's cross out for a Southampton corner.
35'
Townsend attempts the same trick he attempted earlier, sending in a high left-footed cross to find the head of Calvert-Lewin in the centre of the box. Again Calvert-Lewin is unable to master the cross but this looks a promising supply line for Everton.
33'
Digne can't get his free-kick over Southampton's wall. Suddenly Armstrong finds himself one on one with Keane but this time Keane manages to win the race.
32'
Romeu barges into Richarlison from behind and concedes a free-kick in Everton's half. Seconds later Calvert-Lewin goes down under a challenge from Salisu just outside Southampton's box.
30'
Richarlison gets yellow.
Richarlison beats Livramento to jink inside from the left but takes a tumble as he enters the box, anticipating Romeu's challenge. The referee immediately signals a foul and shows Richarlison a yellow card for simulation. It's an obvious dive.
28'
Digne chases after a loose pass down the left and slides in on Livramento near the corner flag. Digne is adamant that it's not a foul but it very much is.
26'
Everton earn a throw-in down their left and keep the pressure on through Richarlison and Gray until Southampton wangle their way out of it. The Southampton fans are understandably noisy.
22'
A. Armstrong has scored a goal for Southampton! Assist by C. Adams.
GOAL! EVERTON 0-1 SOUTHAMPTON! Keane gets his feet tangled up at the back and Southampton pounce. Adams nips in and passes to Armstrong who clips a high shot past Pickford.
That was great awareness by Adams to find Armstrong instead of going for goal himself, but it was a poor error by Keane. This is not the start Benitez would have wanted, especially as Everton have started this game the better side.
20'
The blond-haired Richarlison tempts Ward-Prowse into fouling him in Southampton's half. Everton take the free-kick quickly to Townsend who cuts onto his favoured left foot and swings in a dangerous cross. McCarthy just about grabs it.
18'
Neither team has quite found their rhythm yet. Everton are starting to put more of a tune together than Southampton though as Pickford claims another heavy pass from the visitors.
16'
Richarlison darts down the left and fizzes a tantalising ball across the six-yard box that Calvert-Lewin stretches to reach. Calvert-Lewin is inches away from connecting with it but it rolls out for a goal-kick.
15'
Allan gives away a foul on Adams high up the pitch, allowing Southampton to build from the back. Livramento's pass down the line is intercepted.
13'
Southampton are starting to string a few passes together but Everton are still just about on top in these opening stages.
11'
Ward-Prowse skips past a challenge and curls a teasing ball into the penalty area that Everton head away. Coleman makes a crunching tackle to put the ball out for a throw-in and stop Southampton rebuilding their attack. The home fans clap to show their approval.
10'
Everton are enjoying the lion's share of possession so far. Gray bursts towards the corner flag and flings a cross into the box. Calvert-Lewin heads over and gives a thumbs-up to his new strike partner.
8'
Keane swings a high pass towards Richarlison down Everton's left but Southampton manage to cut it out.
7'
The fans conclude a minute's applause in memory of the late Jimmy Gabriel who played for both Everton and Southampton. There's a decent atmosphere at Goodison Park at the moment. Both teams are still finding their feet in the game.
5'
Southampton win their first free-kick of the season down their left as Doucoure clips Adams. Their set-piece king Ward-Prowse swings it into the penalty area. Armstrong can't keep his header down and it sails out of play for an Everton goal-kick.
2'
Everton fans offer up their first ripple of applause as Keane nods a defensive header back to Pickford with Armstrong lurking nearby.
1'
The players take the knee before kick-off and we're underway here in Liverpool!
Hello! Welcome to our live text commentary of this Premier League match between Everton and Southampton at Goodison Park, Liverpool, and the start of a new Premier League season!
Everton start their new season at home as Rafa Benitez becomes only the second man to take charge of both Everton and their cross-city rivals Liverpool. While Benitez's appointment hasn't been universally welcomed by Everton supporters, the home faithful will be more forgiving if the Toffees get off to a good start in their league campaign.
Southampton have had a troubled 2021 so far. No team has won fewer points, conceded more goals or lost more games in the Premier League this calendar year, while key players like Danny Ings and Jannik Vestergaard have now left the club. Ralph Hasenhuttl will want to see improvement from his team this season, for their sake and his.
SUBS: Jarrad Branthwaite, Tom Davies, Jonjoe Kenny, Asmir Begovic, Anthony Gordon, Nathan Broadhead, Yerry Mina, Fabian Delph, Alex Iwobi.
SUBS: Nathan Tella, Jan Bednarek, Yan Valery, Fraser Forster, Stuart Armstrong, Mohamed Elyounoussi, Kyle Walker-Peters, Nathan Redmond, Ibrahima Diallo.
SOUTHAMPTON (4-4-2): Alex McCarthy; Jack Stephens, Valentino Livramento, Mohammed Salisu, Romain Perraud; Theo Walcott, Oriol Romeu, James Ward-Prowse (c), Moussa Djenepo; Che Adams, Adam Armstrong.
Theme from Z-Cars rings out around Goodison Park as the players venture onto the pitch. The Everton fans hold a banner aloft in support of England's no. 1 Pickford, while Benitez sheepishly waves and applauds the home crowd. It's good to have fans back in the stadium.
EVERTON (4-4-2): Jordan Pickford; Seamus Coleman (c), Mason Holgate, Michael Keane, Lucas Digne; Andros Townsend, Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Demarai Gray; Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison.
Everton's kind start to the campaign continues with a trip to Leeds United next week. Southampton will host Manchester United who just beat Leeds 5-1. Gulp. That's all for now. Goodbye!
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